Is this saddle any good?

[thorney84]

Ive got my mum's saddle which i reckon she brought in 1979 and i think the tree is fine but the flaps are crinkled and mis-shapen. Do you reckon i can get any money for it or does it need to be chucked? It's a Eldonian Brookes 17" .
xx

 

[Divasmum]

Eldonian made very good quality tack. It may suit someone as a breaking in saddle even if it doesn't look too pretty!

 

[SonnysHumanSlave]

No harm in having a go at selling it, give it a clean and try wrinkling out the crinkles!

Someone will be in need of a saddle..... like me, but i dont have hundreds to spend.

*cough cough* I think i need a wide!

 

[thorney84]

If i cleaned it up what price do you reckon? I don't have a clue. x x

 

[Donkeymad]

Saddle flaps can easily be replaced, and probably cheaper than most people would expect. if the rest of the saddle is in good condition, it probably would sell.

 

[Ashtree]

How much to a large degree depends on how long you are prepared to wait! At auctions saddles sell for anything fron £20 to several hundreds depending on make/condition etc. At the moment there seems to be a shortage of pony saddles at the auctions I go to and they are fetching good prices. English leather saddles usually sell well and usually fetch £100 plus. If you sell at auction most take a commission of 21.5% and you can always put a reserve on it. Some auctions charge and entry fee some don't.

 

[teddyt]

A saddle that old is likely to need re-flocking, which will cost around £70-£100 for wool. The gullet is also likely to be very narrow as that is a common design with older saddles. Consequently if it has got a narrow gullet it isnt worth much as it means the panels will sit on the spine. Many people over look this but it is very bad for the horse. It is also common for older saddles to have banana shaped trees, i.e. the panel rises up at the back. Again, not good for the horse. Unfortunately design has moved on recently and many older saddles, even if well made, are not as good as they can be for horse comfort. Also, If the girth straps need replacing that will obviously mean more cost.

Sorry, but IMO a 30 year old saddle is not worth very much at all, for these reasons.