Achinghips
Well-Known Member
Does anyone have any experience of made to measure saddles? If you have, do you think they are worth the extra expense?
made to measure saddles?
- Thread starter Achinghips
- Start date
ihatework
Well-Known Member
IME not worth the money!!
Better off buying a known brand and having an off the peg tweaked for your own requirements.
Better off buying a known brand and having an off the peg tweaked for your own requirements.
showpony
Well-Known Member
Yes! I went through 3 saddles during the first 2mths that I had my horse - just couldnt find one that fitted both of us! Ended up getting a custom made Albion K2 GP & haven't looked back since, fits my mare beautifully, i fit into into perfectly & it has big knee blocks which makes me feel very very secure
Fairytale
Well-Known Member
I had a made to measure saddle and it didn't cost anymore than one off the shelf 
Currently looking at getting another one done as I seem to have notoriously difficult to fit horses!
F
Currently looking at getting another one done as I seem to have notoriously difficult to fit horses!
F
sbloom
Well-Known Member
I fit hard to fit wide horses and the only changes I ever make for fitting the horse would be deeper front or rear gussets. I just can't see why anything other than a particular rider requirement needs M2M. True, it's not always horribly expensive, there are some relatively cheap M2M companies out there, but it is a whole different ballgame legally - if you buy from stock and are at home or your yard when you have the saddle fitted then you are protected by the Distance Trading laws which give you a 7 day trial on the saddle (deductions from any refund can be made for wear and tear so we advise treating the saddle very carefully!). Not all fitters tell you this.
In between stock and M2M is what I mention above - a bench made saddle with minor adjustments to the design like the deeper gussets (or changes for the rider like a longer flap). In many cases you can agree a trial period with the company and they are more likely to be happy to take the saddle back, you MIGHT forgoe a deposit.
Custom is the same really - you may only forfeit a deposit, you might pay in full and have to keep the saddle, or you might get a full refund, but you are not protected by law and it is up to the saddle fitter/retailer to decide what they are happy to do in terms of guaranteeing fit.
You also have a saddle that is generally harder to sell on.
Edited to add - defining custom versus M2M is hard as well - a custom saddle is usually one that looks unique, a M2M one is actually more a bench made one that has one or two changes to the standard design, and that would include the Albion K2 mentioned above. But different fitters and makers use the terms interchangeably so it is hard to know how customised the saddle really is.
In between stock and M2M is what I mention above - a bench made saddle with minor adjustments to the design like the deeper gussets (or changes for the rider like a longer flap). In many cases you can agree a trial period with the company and they are more likely to be happy to take the saddle back, you MIGHT forgoe a deposit.
Custom is the same really - you may only forfeit a deposit, you might pay in full and have to keep the saddle, or you might get a full refund, but you are not protected by law and it is up to the saddle fitter/retailer to decide what they are happy to do in terms of guaranteeing fit.
You also have a saddle that is generally harder to sell on.
Edited to add - defining custom versus M2M is hard as well - a custom saddle is usually one that looks unique, a M2M one is actually more a bench made one that has one or two changes to the standard design, and that would include the Albion K2 mentioned above. But different fitters and makers use the terms interchangeably so it is hard to know how customised the saddle really is.