Looking for a Thorowgood saddle - where else should I look?

[Widgeon]

Had the saddler out yesterday and we're 95% sure that we need a Thorowgood T4, T8 or K&M on the compact GP tree with a standard wither (code MGC). Must be 17" as his little cob back won't accomodate longer, and my legs won't fit in to shorter. Highly specific! However after spending around £150 on saddler visits I don't have much more than £400 left for an actual saddle. A T8 would be ideal as they are so much nicer than the T4s, and I doubt I'll be able to afford a K&M.

The second hand market is flying at the moment and 17" seats seem to be like hens' teeth - I've tried Saddles Direct, the Adjustable Saddle Company, Sheepham Saddles, The Saddle Bank, eBay, FB Marketplace, a couple of TG FB groups, PreLoved, and I will phone Beaver Horse Shop in Harrogate later this morning.

Can anyone think of other places I might not have tried? Any tack shops that stock second hand but don't have much of an online presence? I will happily phone people all day if it means I can find one within budget! I would be really hugely grateful if people would keep an eye / ear out for me.

 

[Baywonder]

Hillside Saddlery and Thinford Saddlery (Both in Durham) have second hand saddles. I don't know if they have what you are looking for, but it might be worth a call.

ETA - David Dyer Saddles has the T4 compact GP you are looking for. It is £495 which is an online price. Just spotted that one so I thought I would mention it.

 

[Widgeon]

Hillside Saddlery and Thinford Saddlery (Both in Durham) have second hand saddles.

Thank you - have just spoken to these two and one of them *might* have something, depending on if he sells it at a fitting tomorrow. Got some more shop names from the other place so that was helpful too.

 

[asmp]

Nfed.co.uk?

https://www.nfed.co.uk/cgi-bin/clas...lay_db_button=on&db_id=166727&query=retrieval

https://www.nfed.co.uk/cgi-bin/clas...lay_db_button=on&db_id=166564&query=retrieval

 

[Widgeon]

Nfed.co.uk?

Thanks! Yes I have tried there but these are both the cob tree, not the compact, which is a bit less flat. But I will keep an eye on this site too.

 

[Cowpony]

Have you looked at your local FB Horse and Pony pages? We have Berkshire Horse and Pony down here and every other saddle seems to be a TG! May not be the specific one you are after, but worth a look.

 

[MereChristmas]

Presumably you have tried the Facebook page
Thorowgood saddles for sale and wanted
I get a huge number of notifications from there
Also as suggested, try Facebook pages with names that include ‘tack for sale’ etc. There are at least 6 pages for my area, think how many there are for the country!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Used native pony saddles on Facebook sometimes have them

 

[Widgeon]

Used native pony saddles on Facebook sometimes have them

Thanks, yes I am on a few of the bigger native / cob groups and have checked those, but nothing currently - will keep checking back though.

 

[Widgeon]

Have you looked at your local FB Horse and Pony pages? We have Berkshire Horse and Pony down here and every other saddle seems to be a TG! May not be the specific one you are after, but worth a look.

Thanks, this is a good idea - I have looked at my three most local pages but actually I suppose there's nothing to stop me looking at other local pages - I will take a look at Berkshire now if you think you've seen a few there.

 

[Widgeon]

Presumably you have tried the Facebook page
Thorowgood saddles for sale and wanted
I get a huge number of notifications from there
Also as suggested, try Facebook pages with names that include ‘tack for sale’ etc. There are at least 6 pages for my area, think how many there are for the country!

Yes, I'm on there. I think that because I need a small seat (there are lots of 17.5") and the compact tree, that's really narrowing the number of options. There seem to be lots of cob tree out there but not many compacts. But I think I have a few leads now so this thread has been very useful!

 

[sbloom]

Used native pony saddles on Facebook sometimes have them

If there are they've got through by mistake, I don't allow the Compact or anything on the regular tree, the rail shape is all wrong for wider flatter backs (which many short backs are).

 

[Sealine]

TC Feeds in Bedfordshire stock alot of second hand saddles if you want to give them a call. Ask for Toni. https://www.tcfeedsandtack.co.uk/saddlery-workshop/

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

If there are they've got through by mistake, I don't allow the Compact or anything on the regular tree, the rail shape is all wrong for wider flatter backs (which many short backs are).

That's so funny because I am looking for a dressage saddle in xx wide so have stalked your page recently! I saw it there and thought they just don't work for flat wide horses so I totally agree with you.. must be a nightmare keeping it all in order.

 

[dixie]

Leonard Coombe in Newton Abbot devon usually have a large stock of second hand Saddles. You could try ringing them.

 

[sbloom]

That's so funny because I am looking for a dressage saddle in xx wide so have stalked your page recently! I saw it there and thought they just don't work for flat wide horses so I totally agree with you.. must be a nightmare keeping it all in order.

I've seen too many wide horses put into them, I have to say I'd personally say the cob in half an inch smaller is generally a better option, though I'm no great fan. The regular tree TG/K&M is a small seat, so half an inch smaller gives as much seat room as it's flatter, though the leg room suffers (go more forwards cut?).

If I also say that I delete WAY more posts than I approve, I'd say 2/3 break at least one rule (roofing materials, cars, kids toys are recent posts, the posters get removed immediately!). People don't bother checking rules when they post, just assume we're happy to keep deleting. And it takes a couple of minutes to check up a name and see if they've broken the rules umpteen times to then remove them. And then some rejoin and break the rules immediately again! They DO get blocked

 

[Widgeon]

Leonard Coombe in Newton Abbot devon usually have a large stock of second hand Saddles. You could try ringing them.

Thank you! Will do.

 

[Widgeon]

I've seen too many wide horses put into them, I have to say I'd personally say the cob in half an inch smaller is generally a better option, though I'm no great fan. The regular tree TG/K&M is a small seat, so half an inch smaller gives as much seat room as it's flatter, though the leg room suffers (go more forwards cut?).

Just out of curiosity - I was under the impression that the the TG/K&M compact tree is somewhere between the cob tree (flat) and the "normal" tree (averagely curved)? My problem is that I have long legs (including long thighs) so I don't want to go down a seat size, and a 16.5" on a cob tree would (I think) be too small for me. Or is my logic flawed somewhere?

You say you're no great fan of TGs - it's not exactly my favourite option but given the size of my budget and the state of the second hand saddle market, needs must at the moment. Plus he's currently in a Wintec Wide so it can't be worse than that, can it?! (with the obvious caveat that we're assuming here that both saddles do actually fit the horse)

To be clear - I'm going to stick with my search for exactly what my saddle fitter has advised, which is what's in the original post - but I am curious. And thank you sbloom for taking the time to reply and comment on these kind of threads, I've read many of them on here and there must be lots of us who appreciate your input.

 

[sbloom]

The compact tree is the standard tree as far as I know, it's the panel that's compact. I saw one again yesterday, and it really is hugely curved. There was even a pressure point in the sheepskin of the pad she was using that showed where the rails were pressing in on him. The saddle offers very little space for legs either, the rider yesterday was in a 17" and I put her in 16.5"s that offered her more room. Yes the flap on the cob in a 16.5" would be an issue with long legs, I would imagine it's smaller than that on the 17", but neither give the rider much room.

It's really tough on a budget, the harder you are as a combination to fit (and clearly you're a tricky combo, and he may be tricky in himself anyway), the lower your budget, and the less time you can wait, the harder it is. I couldn't possibly advise without much more information/photos, the brand I fit wouldn't come up in your budget, and I can't really advise on other brands in most cases as I don't go out and adjust them on the whole.

I have no idea if the TG or the Wintec would be better, only your saddle fitter has seen the horse, I can only comment from my perspective that, as a specialist for wide horses, the Compact is one of those saddles that just doesn't seem to do the job it was made for and I've yet to see one that hasn't caused issues. However be aware that I only get called out when things are looking bad, it's just that in a few cases I'm happy to shim the saddle etc short term for remedial purposes, and can see it may have fitted once, and isn't horrendous now, never true of this model.

 

[Widgeon]

The compact tree is the standard tree as far as I know, it's the panel that's compact....

Thanks, this is all very interesting if somewhat depressing! I schooled him in the b*****y Wintec Wide last night and decided I just couldn't stick it any more, my legs wave about all over the shop and it's so very hard to ride effectively. So I'm buying a second hand T4 compact and I will see whether it works for us. There are people out there who like them, and in terms of profile my horse is not "typical" cob, i.e. he does have withers and his back is not a tabletop by any means, so perhaps it will work. That's a useful heads up about the rails though, I will have to keep a close eye on that.

I usually get a bit of a bonus in autumn time so perhaps I should investigate Andrea Hicks saddles with an eye to buying a second hand one. If I can get a pay rise as well this year then I might be able to justify it - spending on a quality saddle that will hold its value worries me less than taking a punt on another synthetic (but I am desperate at present, and expecting a big bill next week on my tow car, hence why I am doing exactly that). I can always sell the T4 on, they seem to be very popular although I can't quite see why.

 

[Andrew657]

I would suggest you put a wanted ad on some of the local facebook groups - -it's amazing how much stuff people have hidden away. You'll have to carefully weed through responses offering you things that other people think "may" do the job

 

[Widgeon]

You'll have to carefully weed through responses offering you things that other people think "may" do the job

Oh gosh tell me about it!! In fact I won't even start on this because I'd never stop But yes, I think I have found what I'm looking for using this method. Whther it will actually fit or not is another quetsion, and I'm increasingly sceptical. But the saddle fitter said it will, and I have to trust someone, so I'll take a punt and sell it on if it's not right.

 

[sbloom]

I would suggest you put a wanted ad on some of the local facebook groups - -it's amazing how much stuff people have hidden away. You'll have to carefully weed through responses offering you things that other people think "may" do the job

I'm always torn between hilarity and eye rolling. The best ones are the accompanying photos demonstrating said "perfect saddle" with it half way up the pony's neck.