Major, major rant... bl**dy saddler

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Christmas Crumpet

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Went to go and get new saddle fitted for new horse today at a place near Wimborne, Dorset. Took him up to her shop. I'd never met her before nor heard anything about her but thought I'd give her a try.

She was the most awful, awful woman I've ever met. She was incredibly rude, talked such a load of b*llocks and obviously only wanted to sell a new saddle. She had 1 saddle which fitted apparently. There was also another one which wasn't as good a fit but was secondhand. I asked where I could try them out and she said the school - the school being a tiny square bit of very deep sand. I thought sod this so went up the road and found a bridleway to have a canter on etc and tried out both saddles. Neither of which I was particularily keen on. She didn't even check the saddles when I was on top nor to see them when I got back from trying them out. Whenever I've had saddles fitted before, wither tracings have always been done, saddles checked with/without rider, I've been watched riding and encouraged to walk, trot and canter as well as jump. This saddle is to be bought to go hunting not walking around a sandpit.

I told her I didn't want either (primarily because she was so narky and rude to me and I was not in the mood to give nearly £800 for a saddle to someone who didn't treat me well as a customer). She then had a real go at me in the shop when I was paying for her time, brushing boots and a new bit about wasting her time, she was only doing me a favour, she thought I wanted a saddle immediately (which I did but not off her - I'd rather ride bareback for a year than give her any money), it was stupid that I didn't want the saddle just because it was brown - which is rubbish - I hated it regardless of colour but if I am going to spend a lot of money on a saddle it has to be perfect. What else...? She got really shirty with me for riding up the road and going off for a canter saying I took half an hour with each saddle - again a load of rubbish - I went up the road, cantered down a track and back again. Took 10 mins if that. She also said on the phone yesterday it would be £25 if I took the horse there and then charged me £35.

Anyway needless to say I came home without a saddle and have a different saddler coming on Monday who is a man and sounds delightful and also comes with good recommendations from people round here.

I was (and still am) absolutely livid that she treated me like that. Bl**dy hell - if I owned a shop and someone was coming in to spend good money on a saddle I'd treat them with the utmost respect and be pleasant and nice. She was utterly foul.

Sorry for rambling but am so, so cross. What a cow!!
 
Just make sure you tell everyone on your yard and in your local area which saddler she was. Word of mouth is crucial in something as subtle as saddle fitting, I certainly wouldn't go to someone if I heard they'd been that unprofessional to a friend.
 
Guildford - thats awful !! I am in Dorset ( not that far from there ) can you let me know who (via pm if you prefer ) so that I know who to avoid in future ?
\Thank you !
 
Well done for not being bullied and not parting with your money.
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I had a nasty experience with a "back person" years ago, she had her head so far up her own arse it was difficult to tell what she was saying, I did understand that she was being rude and horibble to me, my crime, just trying to book an appointment to spend my money with her
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, needless to say I didn't bother and got someone else.
 
Thats a joke. Id def spread the word that she was so rubbish. As if you would bother to trek all the way there with your horse in tow if you had no intention of buying a saddle had there been a suitable one!
Id have been tempted to buy nothing as wouldnt have wanted to give her the custom and would have only gave her the £25 she had quoted. The woman sounds like a total con woman

Hope you get a new saddle soon from a decent saddler.The other guy sounds way better.
x
 
OMG. As for taking 30 mins with each saddle - so you should be able to!

The last fitting I had, I had a choice of three that fitted my horse, my budget, and my taste. I got to ride in walk, trot, canter & jump in all three, then when I found the one I wanted, he told me to go up to the top field and have a gallop, just to make sure. I was probably in the arena for nearly 2 hours.
 
that terrible, i would check if she is on the master saddlers list (im guessing probably not) but just incase she is i would report her.
i have a fantastic saddler, can unfortunatly be alittle abrubt but considering he will not let me leave until he has seen me walk trot and canter (and jump if jump saddle) and then checked the horse over after i have ridden i can put up with him being slightly short sometimes x

goodluck
 
What awful behaviour! I'm honestly wondering if this is something saddlers are prone to. I once ordered and paid for a new saddle, surprise surprise when it arrived the saddler couldn't fit me in for a fitting for about 3 months or something. Which meant I had to collect the unfitted saddle in person from her premises, about an hour's drive. Drove all the way there, only to be met by her exceptionally rude husband, who seemed extremely annoyed at my appearance and told me it wasn't there. Phoned her the next day only to be told it was there and I'd have to drive back and get it AGAIN! At which point I threw the toys out of the pram and had a little rant, the result of which the husband ended up having to deliver the saddle to my work premises the next day. Honestly, getting an appointment with her in the first place was like getting one with the Queen.
 
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I'm honestly wondering if this is something saddlers are prone to.

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I must say that this is not my experience. I recently had to get a saddler out to look at the saddle I bought with my horse. She spent about an hour at my yard, checking the fit before, during and after riding. Then she took the saddle to her workshop (it needed serious re-flocking) and then brought it back a week later and spent anpther hour making sure it fitted perfectly by making fine adjustments to the flocking, again she saw it before, during and after riding. She was pleasant, as was her partner and knowledgeable. She did say however that she frequently meets people who are reluctant to get on their horses so that she can see how the saddle fits while they are riding.
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I wouldn't have paid the OP's saddler a penny more than th£25 quoted originally.
 
name and shame i think, we do enough recommendations on here, i think we should be able to do the opposite. she sounds greedy, amateurish and vile.
well done for not buying one, tbh i wouldn't have bought anything else from her on principle!
 
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So presumably not a master saddler then?

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Might have been, but probably not a Qualified saddle Fitter (they are different)
That is very bad service though, and I would spread the word too. Hope you get something and good service from the other guy.
 
I've got to be honest - I burst into tears on the way home after leaving. She upset me so much - I couldn't believe she'd had such a go at me. I left in such a hurry that I hit part of a tree in her yard with the trailer and made quite a mess. Thank god for sturdy trailer!! I rang my boyfriend on the way home and he couldn't believe it. Its really ruined my first day with my new horse.

Quite happy to PM anyone about her. Witch that she was - horrible, horrible old cow.
 
(((((((())))))))) hope the new saddler gives you better service. No one should have to put up with that sort of well can't say service as you quite clearly did not get any. Our saddler came to us by word of mouth and he is just oh so nice and will quite happily come out after 5 in the evening to the yard to fit our horses. Makes sure that the horses are as happy as the rider. Last horse he fitted for he must have been with us about 2 hours. even bring with him some more flocking so he could reflock the dressage saddle for the weekend. Would recommend him to everyone.
 
Have PM'd you!

I think I know who she is and have had dealings with her before although have never bought a saddle from her either
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She wanted me to buy a lovely new Pessoa saddle from her for £1000 for my new horse who hadn't been ridden in 6 months and has changed shape dramatically since then
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Isn't it funny how the secondhand saddle didn't fit?
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If it's the one I think it is, I think she is a master saddler
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[ QUOTE ]
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I'm honestly wondering if this is something saddlers are prone to.

[/ QUOTE ]

I must say that this is not my experience. I recently had to get a saddler out to look at the saddle I bought with my horse. She spent about an hour at my yard, checking the fit before, during and after riding. Then she took the saddle to her workshop (it needed serious re-flocking) and then brought it back a week later and spent anpther hour making sure it fitted perfectly by making fine adjustments to the flocking, again she saw it before, during and after riding. She was pleasant, as was her partner and knowledgeable. She did say however that she frequently meets people who are reluctant to get on their horses so that she can see how the saddle fits while they are riding.
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I wouldn't have paid the OP's saddler a penny more than th£25 quoted originally.

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TBH I have had excellent service from my local saddler, despite buying a very cheap secondhand saddle from them. In fact I've bought 3 saddles since my experience with the first saddler but despite her fitting skills being superb I would never give her business again as I just will not do business with someone so rude and arrogant.
 
I've so far only had good experiences with saddlers, but then I am only really using them to check the fit of a saddle I have, altough I did say last time that I would be buying a new one if the ones I had didnt fit, but they did - and very well. She even joked that she was sad as she was out a sale, lol. But they were very nice and only took 20 mins and they left me with outlines of his back for future ref and fittings.

A few folk I know have had some trouble, but namely with one person in particular up here who says she is qualified when she isnt!
 
Poor you, nasty old cow, I would of been hard pushed to spend money in her shop, you would think she would be glad of the business in this climate. Have you tried Calcutts in Sutton Scotney for a saddle they are proper hunting saddlers and do made to measure, I know they are down south not sure how close to you they are. I use Kay Humphries in Walsall but you have to take the horse to her and/or Barry Swain to get measured but her saddles are amazing, most are surge lined so comfy for the horse whilst you are out all day hunting. Good luck dont go bad to the nasty lady!!
Glad you got sorted with a new horsey.
 
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I've so far only had good experiences with saddlers, but then I am only really using them to check the fit of a saddle I have, altough I did say last time that I would be buying a new one if the ones I had didnt fit, but they did - and very well. She even joked that she was sad as she was out a sale, lol. But they were very nice and only took 20 mins and they left me with outlines of his back for future ref and fittings.

A few folk I know have had some trouble, but namely with one person in particular up here who says she is qualified when she isnt!

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Oh pm me who please Wishful!
 
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