Henri de Rivel saddles - or alternative?

Gamebird

Gamebird

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I'm looking for a second saddle for the rare occasions where I need two horses saddled up at the same time. I normally ride in a single flap Butet XC saddle with no blocks and would like something similar. These keep coming up cheap. Are they any good? Don't need to be perfect as I will always use my Butet from choice but would like something for shows where I'm riding two in the same class or at home if I have someone riding/warming up my second horse. Needs to be cheap (ie. <£500)!
 
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The older ones were pretty nice saddles, then they moved countries and the quality suffered. Apparently they have improved again and they looked pretty good on the rack when I saw them recently.

Sorry, not much help but I'd say one that's 10ish years old would actually be a better bet.
 
TarrSteps said:
The older ones were pretty nice saddles, then they moved countries and the quality suffered. Apparently they have improved again and they looked pretty good on the rack when I saw them recently.

Sorry, not much help but I'd say one that's 10ish years old would actually be a better bet.
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And cheaper :) .... I say <£500 but actually <£350 would suit better.
 
The ones made after they changed manufacturers started looking crap very quickly so should be easy to spot.

I quite liked them but the ones in North America were, as the fashion, super flat by UK standards so not sure if they are different here. I seem to remember them not having the longest/most forward flaps but that's true of many cheaper brands. As a saddler explained, if a maker is using lower quality leather, very large unmarked expanses are hard to come by.

Have you looked for a cheap Barnsby? They fit me so would likely fit you and sometimes the uglier ones go very reasonably. :)
 
I bought a fairly ugly, funny orange coloured 2nd hand jump (flat seat but big blocks) one a few months ago for £380. My one complaint about it is that the leather is not the nicest, and as Tarrsteps says, it has lots of little details pointing to wear despite having had a very easy life until I got it. However, it was the only local (so I could try it on and not have to faff about with postage) cheapish 2nd hand jump saddle which was wide enough in the gullet and over the shoulder for my weirdly wide TB.
 
I've got one :) Tis a black, 17" jump saddle so has blocks and a deepish seat (I hate riding on a flat seat, spent too many of my formative years riding in an old fashioned stubben arm chair :o:p). Main thing for me is that it's forward enough cut, I've got fairly long legs and ride shorter than most so if there's not enough knee roll I end up off the flaps which is horrible. Bought 2nd hand off fleabay for definitely <£500 ;)
Works well on my narrow TB.
 
I got my Frank Baines on fleabay for under £300 and it wouldn't be too far off the Henri de Rivel in terms of style. It's very nice leather and I like it as it is flat and hasn't really got much in the way of blocks :)

ETS: best photo I can find without my fat butt in it!

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Look for Barnsby on eBay, as they come up cheaply :) pretty much as TS said, I came across them when they waere rubbish, but have seen nice ones since...they're ones you need to see on the flesh before buying :)
 
sold one a while back as I got too tall hip - knee in it. Loved it, bought it new off eBay and then had it on >4 different horses as was so good wouldn't have sold it, was just too tall for it. Love them. Like another person said, newer ones aren't as "pretty" but no idea what they're like condition wise
 
I have one- I used it on my old mare, bought new 10 years ago ;) I'd kept it until her foal grew up, in the hope that it'd fit him and it goes nowhere near... Yet it's still upstairs as I love it, and will one day find something to fit it... I will!! I love it, it's the event saddle, huge blocks and it locks me in on the spookiest of idiots- it's saved my butt a few times! :D
 
I have an HDR jump saddle that I got second hand last year for about £300 including fitting. I think it is quite old, but still in good shape and lots of people have commented on it. It is really comfy. This is the best picture I can find of it
DSC_0133.jpg
 
Right, whilst I have all you HDR people here, there is a HDR Fletcher for sale on one of my local face book pages.

Anyone got one? How wide are they and what do you have yours on?
 
Deskbound makes a valid point, the two are similar. I've actually only seen one here but a student bought it very cheaply, possibly because not many people knew the brand.
 
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