Friesian Inspections or New Saddle - Decision!!

UnaB

UnaB

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I have been trying to decide whether im taking my mare to the Inspections this year. She is looking particularly well at the moment and we would be aiming for STER hopefully :D BUT, i also want to get her a saddle so that i dont have to rely on sharing Charlie's saddle (which fits her fine but...!) with Charlie's loaner as thats a bit of a pain and means im limited to how much and how often i can ride. If Una did get what i hope, and was awarded STER, the day would end up costing me over £400 with lorry hire, petrol, entry fee, runner and extra payment for the studbook entry and STER award. My saddler can get me a very nice quality saddle AND fit it for Una for £250 apparently....

SO... I have decided to save my pennies and go for the saddle! :D And then the money i would save from going to the Inspections will go towards getting her in foal next year. It will mean i can ride her through the winter and i can always go back to the Inspections when she is older, i have until she's 9 apparently :)

Do we think i've made the right decision...? lol
 
Good decision but i would query the good quality saddle and fitting for £250- that seems very low for me. Unless the saddle is old, in which case double check that the flocking is ok and the tree/girth straps, etc are in acceptable condition. Older saddles can also have design limitations like narrow gullets, which people often overlook but it is so important that the panels clear the spine.
 
Go to the Inspections, they only come round once a year, and the saddle can be bought at any time. The Inspections need support from members if we are to keep promoting the breed in the UK. As well as doing the gradings, you can also enter the Riding classes and the dressage (entries close at the end of the month, don't delay!).

Please bring your mare along, FHAGBI is working hard to make it a great day and the support of members is crucial. It will be worth it for the experience, and how fantastic for you if your mare makes Ster!

I hope to see you there.
 
Oh, should have mentioned, saddle will be second hand lol!! Saddler will fit and reflock as necessary :D

Maiko - dont change my mind!!lol I know its a special one this year, but it is SO expensive and I have many years to get her graded, she's only a 4 year old. She may well look even nicer in a couple of years! I took her as a 2 year old :D
 
no contest for me either J, inspections all the way.

just sort something out with regards to the sharer and Charlies saddle so you can both use it. would YO's let you keep it there?
 
I've made my decision, dont stress me! lol

I just rent a field so sharer has the saddle and i have to pick it up from her house when i need to use it which is a bit of a hassle.

The Inspections can wait, she's already premium graded, i wanna ride her!! :D
 
I would probably go with the saddle but that said my friesian has only turned one and already has a saddle bought with her in mind! Lol.
I'm going to head down to the inspections to watch this year - will be great for a full day of friesians and friesian lovers :)
 
UnaB said:
she's already premium graded, i wanna ride her!! :D
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She isn't graded as an adult and has never been judged for Ster as an adult, and you can ride her in the riding and dressage classes at the gradings. It's the anniversary gradings this year, it would be nice if members made the effort to support it.
 
Sharer doesnt drive unfortunately so cant get to my house hence why she has the saddle and i go to collect it :D

Maiko - i cant ride her in the dressage classes without a saddle! Plus she needs schooling which im reluctant to do without a properly fitted saddle. Charlie's has been checked and is a good fit, but she needs her own. I did email FHAGBI over a week ago for some info on the gradings and they never got back to me so cant be that keen for support lol! Like i said, she has another 5 years to go for STER :D
 
UnaB said:
I did email FHAGBI over a week ago for some info on the gradings and they never got back to me
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Ring Jane Slevin, or email her directly Telephone: 01949 843302 / 07740 305267

fhagbi.events@btinternet.com

and she will send you details. If you are a FHAGBI member, you will have got full details of the gradings anyway in the newsletter from earlier in the year, and all the details are on the website, http://www.fhagbi.co.uk/

I would urge ANY Friesian owner / enthusiast to come along to the gradings in September and show your support for the breed. There is only so much the committee and Board of Directors of FHAGBI can do, all of whom work full time and have their own horses, and willingly give up their spare time to promote the breed and assist their members.

As with any association, members are quick to complain, but sometimes very slow with their support!
 
i go with saddle all the way ,i would prefer my horse to have a proper fitted saddle then some gradings any day .
unfortualy its quite away from me the gradings so cant make it with my three but all the best to anyone that enters
who would you put her infoal to unaB ?
 
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I have already emailed Jane on that address.... hmmm... I had to let my membership lapse this year due to redundancy, it was an extra expense i just couldnt afford. So i emailed to ask if she could let me know exactly what i'd have to enter Una in (very confusing!!) and how much it would cost to renew my membership, but... nothing lol.

Ishca - The way im looking at it is that the saddle will be something i can get lots of use out of :D The gradings are just one day and i can take her back for another 5 years. Plus, if she didnt get STER i would have just wasted £450 lol! So would probably better doing that when i can afford to lose £450...!!
 
I dont know anything about Friesian gradings but I am assuming they are the same as wb inspections where by the mares have to be sound? What happens if your mare had an accident or injured herself and became unsound/lame? In the registries I am affiliated with lame or unsound mares might as well not attend. I have my mares approved and graded as soon as I can just for the security.
 
jaypeebee said:
I dont know anything about Friesian gradings but I am assuming they are the same as wb inspections where by the mares have to be sound? What happens if your mare had an accident or injured herself and became unsound/lame? In the registries I am affiliated with lame or unsound mares might as well not attend. I have my mares approved and graded as soon as I can just for the security.
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We dont have approval with friesians for the mares, but like i said, she has already been graded :D

If she went lame and couldnt be graded into the studbook then so be it, it wasnt meant to be. Im not doing it to make her worth more or anything, she is purely my riding horse and im having a foal from her for myself, the grading is just something i'd like to do with her to see how she did and if sshe would get STER like her mum :) Hence why its not overly important to me lol!
 
I would go with the grading too!

She is going to change a lot as she grows and the saddle may not last that long anyway. Grading is the type of thing that's easy to put off then you realise with a start thats its too late. Sounds like a special grading too so it would be extra nice.

Its a shame you can't get a cheapish second hand wintec or something. I think you are being extra nice to your sharer about the saddle!
 
Yeah, considering i only get £10 a week from the sharer (which as you all know, doesnt go far with horses!!) it is a bit more hassle than its worth as i havent been able to ride my horse as much as i'd like, which is why a saddle is more important than the gradings to me. This year they have some "novelty" sort of classes you can do, like gymkhana and stuff, but i wouldnt do those with my recently backed 4 yr old lol!!

Had a response from FHAGBI and to renew my membership for the rest of the year is £70 :( Thats for half the year (presumably as i did half year membership last time!) That puts the overall cost of the day at a minimum of £450, and up to over £500 if she were to get STER. Not a sensible amount of money to spend as if she didnt get STER i'd be wasting £450. Im best leaving her a couple of years til she has matured a bit more for that i think.
 
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