Dangerous saddles

[Cuffey]

Called in to see local saddle fitter--she showed me a new saddle she was sending to the tip.
A rider had bought new horse and it came with a new saddle
Rider asked saddle fitter to check fitting--she pronounced saddle dangerous
At first glance saddle looked OK but
Stirrup bars were ''wobbly''
Stuffing was lumpy--it was filled with carpet fibre

The last time I saw one of these ''cheap'' saddles completely pulled apart the tree was constructed from bits of pallet wood tacked together. That one also looked nice leather from the outside.

So really just take care out there--buying cheap could cost you dear--in terms of your safety and your horses comfort.

Hopefully the saddle fitter will take this one to Trading Standards although finding out where it came from may be difficult.

 

[MrsMozart]

Yikes! How flaming scary. I hope they do find the barstewards, but I doubt it.

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

All but a small handful of side saddles currently for sale on Ebay are made in those same factories in Asia where those dangerous saddles are made too. Lumpy carpet fabric stuffing, leaping heads screwed onto wooden pallet "astride" trees, straps in wrong and DANGEROUS places....

The trouble is with the economy, that people think they are getting bargains with these saddles but in the end, they turn out to be a false saving

 

[Tharg]

I hope the saddler cuts it in two before throwing it away in case some one finds it.

 

[kerilli]

Thank goodness the rider was switched on enough to get the saddle checked properly, consequences don't bear thinking about...

 

[pixiebee]

there are loads of saddles on ebay priced at 70 quid new-these are made abroad-friend just baught one, looks ok but time will tell!!!

 

[Kallibear]

[ QUOTE ]
there are loads of saddles on ebay priced at 70 quid new-these are made abroad-friend just baught one, looks ok but time will tell!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

It's that kind of attitude that means they will always sell. 'Time will tell???!!!' You mean it'll take time for the horses back to be ruined - a couple of months ususally. If she took it to a Saddler to be checked now it would save the poor horses a lot of discomfort.

If she knew much about saddles she'd be able to tell for herself straight away.

Sadly they are everywhere- ebays's flooded with them and the cheap price sucks people in.

Even if they're not dangerous a such they're still crap - horrible flocking, squint panels and tree as standard. I've seen plenty and have yet to see one that's decently made.

You only need to look at the pictures of them on ebay (you can see the squint panels!) to see how crap they are but sadly the general standard of knowledge of basic saddle fitting is attrocious nowadays so as long as it LOOKS nice and shiney it's proclaimed 'fine'

Poor horses.