Has anyone thrown a saddle away???

F

flyingfeet

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 March 2006
Messages
8,073
Location
South West
Visit site
Random question - saddles aren't designed to last forever, and in hard use in theory should have a limited lifespan

However who has ever actually thrown a saddle away?

We did bin one, after its tree broke from a horse rolling on it, but never because a saddle has 'worn out'.
 
No, I have a few that sit in the back of my tack room 'just in case'
wink.gif
I have thrown out broken saddles though.
 
No I haven't but I should!

How do you throw a saddle away? I've got a few old ones laying around doing nothing but I can't bring myself to just chuck them out! It would seem weird putting a saddle in a bin
tongue.gif
 
If it's just the leather that's worn then it usually can be repaired and I've had various patched breaking saddles over the years.

I've certainly thrown out ones with dicey trees or unfixable structural issues but they've usually gone to a saddler to be diagnosed and pronounced dead on the operating table so the saddler has done the actual disposal, I suspect after cannibalising it for any usable parts.

I've "disappeared" a few truly horrible Argentinian/Indian/god knows where so called saddles over the years that horses/clients have turned up in. The usual process is they go into someone's loft (lots more storage where I come from
smile.gif
) to be "stored", get covered in dust and mould, rot, and then generally get to the point where they HAVE to be chucked out.
smile.gif


A few have found new homes in displays (for advertising shoots, store windows or such) or as Pony Club/educational models over the years, usually through a saddler.
 
Yes! 2 have been binned. My old pony saddles, rigid trees with no flocking left. Actually I was a bit daft as one was so old it was probably an antique LOL!
grin.gif
 
Yes a few weks ago a Passier jumping saddle

Wasnt a happy bunny it was old but well looked after a good spare saddle. Used it one day it was fine, picked it up the next and it felt "wrong" the tree had gone!

Had great fun taking it apart before putting it in the yard skip.
 
yep, i had an old Falcon Hawk Event i lent to a friend for his hunter, he gave it back after a few months, i rode in it and it had acquired an ominous squeak at the front... had it checked by saddler, it had a broken tree. when i asked my friend about it he admitted he'd turned a horse over on it. i was rather displeased...
i took it apart and used it as an example to people i taught, of just how badly finished some saddles are inside. binned it when i moved and had zero space!
 
I have never thrown a saddle out, and don't think I could. It would feel like sacrilage! =)

Just out of interest these 'old' leather saddles that people can't/won't throw away becasue they are all servicable what is their average age?

Becasue a friend of mine bought a new fairly expensive leather saddle 5 yrs ago and had to bin it last week to buy a new one becasue all the stitching was going, the leather was wearing out and the stuffing had gone all lumpy even though she took excellent care of it.
Where as my 25yr old jumping saddle bought 3rd hand 10 years ago, while lacking a bit of padding in the seat is still in excellent working order and looking good.

May be it is juct me but I find that the quality of leather used in tack has gone down hill in the last 5-10yrs unless you are prepared to pay squillions. And was wondering what other thought.
 
Yup- Broken tree. Got chopped into little pieces so that our 'friends' at the local campsite couldn't use it on one of theirs
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top