Devoucoux Saddles - My Experience

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Mithras

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OK, I am not criticising Devoucoux in this post as I am obviously a very picky customer, but just relaying my experiences.

Last August I ordered a made-to-measure Devoucoux Chiberta (single flap) jumping saddle, price with girth and stirrup leathers was over £2300. Full measurments were taken, particularly of me as I am 5 feet 1 and a size 8 and I wanted a saddle that would fit me and give me proper support for jumping.

It arrived in December and it was clear straight away that it fitted neither me nor my horse. On my horse, it slipped back so that it would have been necessary to strap it in place very firmly with a breastgirth, which would have had to have been so tight it would have restricted my horse's movement. The saddle also didn't sit firmly on her back at the rear, but bounced about.

The saddle didn't fit me either - my knees were nowhere near the knee rolls but rested on a completely flat part of the saddle. The thigh rolls were nowhere near my thighs. It was basically like a GP saddle in terms of support it gave me for jumping. So I rejected this saddle and told the saddle fitter (who wanted me to try it for a few months to get used to it) to take better measurements for a new one.

So 3 months later the new saddle arrived and it was awful. It just didn't feel right when I rode on it at all, I was constantly wriggling around to get the centre spot and never finding it, and my horse didn't seem to like it either, she went very sluggishly, with a lot of tail swishing and didn't want to be mounted. And the front pads were so small it was like a showing saddle rather than a jumping saddle. Jumping in it was awful as well, it gave no support. So I rejected this one as well and asked for my money back. On closer inspection, we found that the panels were put on wrongly and assymetrically - a quality control issue and would have caused horrendous problems if I had continued to use it.

Turns out they are being arsy about it and I am agreeing to take the first saddle (because at least I can sell it). OK, they have not been horrendous because at least they did try to make me another saddle to fit, but its so dissappointing that "made-to-measure" hasn't been anything other than changing about various standard sized flaps in a factory. The material it is made from is lovely but it just doesn't fit either me or my horse (a very standard size for saddle fitting).

In the meantime, I have found a second hand King's jumping saddle for £550 which fits me and my horse like a second skin!
 
Ive heard this so many times! The ones ive seen at competitions never fit great either.
I wouldnt agree to take either saddle personally. You didnt get what you paid for.
 
'tis a common problem with "made to measure" saddles.

Its the luck of the draw whether you're happy with them when they arrive, and by that time you're pretty much stuck with them.

I've only ever had one saddle made, never again after my experience and others I've heard of. I'd rather scale the country for a saddle that fits.
 
glad to hear you've found something that fits you both. i would definitely reject the first one too, and go to court if necessary... it's no use to you if it doesn't fit, and it was supposed to! the fact that they supplied a 2nd saddle means that they accepted that the first wasn't right. that the 2nd wasn't either just makes it worse! let them sell the 1st one, if it's standard-ish they'll be able to sell it more easily than you can.
i have had 3 saddles made to measure in recentish years, one Barrie Swaine Madonna saddle, and 2 Ideal saddles (an Impala jump and a Suzannah dr, both last year) and all arrived exactly as described and fitted me and horse like a glove. it is possible to get made-to-measure that actually is.
 
Yep, well, if they want to run their company like that, then its up to them I guess! I'm keeping the saddle because there are bits of it I like. The seat is very comfortable and I might be able to get a saddler to adjust it, as in bringing the stirrpup bars back or putting on additional knee and thigh rolls. Not at all a happy customer though and yes I'm sure if I went to court I would win, but there are no guarantees and its a lot of hassle and bother. I guess I could though. I've heard a lot of stories too and I think they need to get their quality control sorted out.

If I had got my money back, I would have got an Ideal Prestige saddle made to measure from Stirlingshire Saddlery, who I bought the second hand King's from - sheer luck that it fitted so well. Its a far better fit than the supposedly made to measure saddle. But had I known what I know now I would never have bought the Devoucoux.
 
i wouldnt accept either of them - they dont fit !! I know people on here have had problems with albions but I have a superb saddler who did a great job in custom fitting my dressage saddle and it didnt cost much more at all than the standard one - got deep back panels to make it sit comfortably on horse and a narrow seat twist on a wide saddle to make it fit me only cost £50 more and he came with 2 to see which fitted best. and they were both different despite being 'the same '
 
I wouldnt accept either as well and be asking for a full refund. I am not sure what the law is in Scotland re goods sold to consumers, but assume that they should be fit for purpose and it doesnt sound like either saddle was.

As for modifying the stirrup bars, I think you would find that is a hell of a job and not worth the amount of work even if it could be done without a new tree. And then you still have the issues about the panels fitting the horse. And also, the loss you will be making selling the saddle second hand.

I have heard lots of things about these saddles, and have seen a few skewed panels myself - no wonder they cause the amount of damage to horse's backs that they do. You would be soooo much better off with the Ideal!
 
I would take them to task over this I have bought a few saddles from them , not one arrived on time , not one fitted first time they have a good product but their customer servicer is awful and their attitude and sales staff arrogant I have now switched to Barnsby who are awesome I wouldnt spit on Devoucoux if they were on fire
If you need Ben,s email who is head honcho in France let me know it was the only way through him that I managed toio get things resolved.
I have watched their sales staff treat customers with disdain as they tell them that they haven't soaped the saddle enough which is why it wouldn't fit
Awful company
 
Echo what others have said. I wouldn't accept either of these saddles either. They don't fit you or your horse and that is what you paid for. It is a lot of money to spend to accept something that is so wrong. To have it adjusted will cost you even more and may not resolve the problems. Fight to get your money back and then get the saddle you want. I know it seems like a lot of hassle but you will be pleased you did when you have the saddle of your dreams. Unless customers take action against businesses with such appalling customer service nothing will change
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All very interesting, keep 'em coming.

Billyslad - I would be grateful if you would pm me that email address please.

This is all the more shocking if I tell you they have treated me like this and I am a solicitor. It is fairly easy for me to initiate a small claim against them. However I do know how long it takes and basically what would happen in a case like this is it would be one person's word against anothers. I would need expert reports from two other saddle fitters that the saddle was not fit for purpose. i.e. that it didn't fit. Very hard to get and a lot of bother too. Judges want you to settle out of court. Main reason is suing them would be to scare them and publicity. I suppose I could, just for the hell of it.

Yes, I too got the not soaping the saddle enough line. I also got told I had been advised to buy another saddle, the Socoa, which was untrue, the rep advised me to buy the Chiberta. I was told it was my poor seat that was the problem, that my horse had too powerful a shoulder and thats why the saddle was slipping back (funny how neither my previous saddle nor the Kings did), I should ride with two pads under it, all sorts of rubbish.

I guess they are making a business decision not to refund dissatisfied customers as it will be cheaper in the long run than refunding the number of dissatissfied customers that are out there!
 
Oh, I have already threatened legal action. They just seem to bury their heads in the sand. I do think I will be successful in getting a full refund eventually though - but I think it could have been offered if the company were reasonable and proud of their product. And I still quite like the saddle, albeit it does'nt fit - but if I get another horse I will need another saddle.

But yes, its no skin of my nose to run up a quick small claim initial writ and send it off to their UK head office. Do they really want to come up to Edinburgh to defend it, do you think? Or engage Edinburgh agents and not appear in person (doesn't look good). You can waste loads of time being polite and discussing these things back and forth with reps and their head office but an actual writ landing on their desks tends to have a much more salient effect. Can always pad out the claim later with expert witness reports if need be. Stirlingshire have already checked the fit of it anyway and were distinctly unimpressed.

CB Anglo - yes this stuff is bread and butter, very standard and easy to do. It would be unfitness for purpose as bought as a made to measure saddle. And lack of satisfactory quality I guess.
 
If you have a look back through Competition Riders you will see that sarahs had exactly the same issues as you with Devoucoux- I am fairly sure she resolved them in the end- might be worth PMing her
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Gosh saddles are such a minefield, how do we ever get them to fit?
Scouring the country for second hand ones, trying numerous off the peg ones, getting them made to measure for more than your horse is worth then they still don't fit...
I wish I could ride bareback
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I spoke to James Trevatt who used to be the area rep for the south who is now working for Quantum saddles and he tells me that Ben has also jumped ship from Devoucoux and is also working for Quantum saddles so the email address I had is no longer valid
 
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