Dever Saddles - Any Reviews??

[Barbie]

Has anybody sat on/owned/seen in real life a Dever saddle? I'm desperate for a small 17" saddle and they do a teenage GP which sounds like it would fit me and my 15.1hh Connemara perfectly. I've been given a good price but with it being brand new they understandably don't want me to girth it up in case it marks the leather. I'm going to pick it up at lunchtime tomorrow to put it on my horse but I want to know how it rides, is it comfy, can you jump ok in it, are the knee rolls big enough etc.

I know it's all personal opinion but suggestions are welcome. I have a Barnsby VSD at the moment and I hate it so I need something with more of a knee roll.

 

[Cragrat]

I am not a saddle fitter, but I don't see how you can tell if a saddle fits without girthing it up and adding the weight of a rider?

I wouldn't pay for a new saddle unless I was CONVINCED it fitted, because they lose so much value once they are '2nd hand'- although 2nd hand saddles hold their value well, if that makes sense!

But I can't really answer your original question - I have tried some 2nd Dever saddles and wasn't that impressed with the quality, but that was a while ago.

 

[longdog]

The K&M compact was designed for petite riders/teens on small horses. I would have a look at one of those if you can. V good price for an all leather saddle & they come with changeable gullets too

 

[serenityjane]

I too feel that you cannot tell the fit of any saddle without girthing up and riding in it, but my last saddle was a Dever (second hand) and it was a nice comfortable saddle that fitted my horse.The quality seemed reasonable. Yes you would be able to jump in it-mine was a 17" GP and although old, had kept in pretty good shape. I have now replaced it as it no longer fitted my youngster, with a new native horse and pony saddle from saddle express and all their saddles have 1 month trial,after which if the fit does not suit you or your horse they will replace it with another from their range, they also come out and adjust it free of charge after 3 months.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I've no knowledge of Dever saddles, but any reputable saddle fitter will encourage you to ride in a new saddle before purchase. I've bought a number of new saddles over the years, and I've tested them all out prior to purchase. Its the only way to tell if the saddle really fits both you and the horse.

One particularly fussy fitter wanted me to ride without stirrups, but we compromised by wrapping the stirrup leathers with tail bandage, to prevent marking.

 

[Barbie]

Thanks for the info Cragrat, it's such a good price that I could sell it on second hand and still break even so I'm not worried about it not fitting. He's a pretty standard shape and a lot of the saddles that the saddler has tried have fitted him fine but they've been too big for me. I'm 5'5" and 7 stone so I find there's too much room in a standard 17.5 inch saddle and my knees are nowhere near the blocks.
Thanks for the recommendation Longdog, if this sadle doesn't work out I'll give them a try!

 

[Barbie]

Thanks SerenityJane, good to know yours lasted a while! I'm buying this through a contact and its wholesaler not retail hence the lack of a trial. It needs to be in pristine condition if I take it back so it can go to a tack shop after and they don't want something that has been ridden in. Usually I'd want a trial but this is a little different. My usual saddle fitter is coming out to check the fit for the horse then if it's wrong it will be advertised second hand. It's a good deal but only if the quality is good hence my post.

 

[Cluny]

I borrowed a Dever saddle when I bought my new horse. Personally I wasn't impressed with it, I thought the underside panels were rather small and didn't spread the pressure well. I also found it bloody uncomfortable. Personally I wouldn't recommend them.