Opinions on made to measure saddles please!

[frb]

As the title states!
A big investment for something you can't try before you buy?
Opinions/experiences please!

 

[Foxhunter49]

I use a saddler in Cornwall, West Country Bridle Makers. What they do is tell you how to make a template and send to them and will send you a couple of saddles that are the same shape for you to try, you can decide what you like and dislike as well as test the fit. Then when you decide they will make your saddle.

They wil also tell you how to measure yourself for the width of the twist so it will fit you.

I like their saddles as they are the only place where I can get a saddle to fit for a wide witherless cob that does not move even if the girth is loose and you are going up or down steep hills.

They are not terribly expensive either as a made to measure is around £950

 

[blood_magik]

Love them

I've had two m2m andrew goulds, which I would highly recommend as the gp was so comfy and I've now got two m2m apg equine saddles, which I love.

The Andrew Gould saddle I had for five years until my lovely horse rolled in it and broke the tree
I still have the dressage saddle as it doesn't fit my new boy.

I've had my apg gp saddle for six years now and it's as good as new so I think it was worth the £££.
The first saddle was measured by the saddler and I took the template for my dressage saddle with the saddler giving me instructions over the phone.

However, I have also had an "off the shelf" john whitaker saddle, which was lovely - shame my horse changed shape.

 

[Flame_]

A big investment for something you can't try before you buy?

This and....

- You have to wait weeks, if not months for your saddle.
- If you aren't happy with it, its tough you're stuck with it.
- Six months after the measurements are taken the horse can be a pretty different shape, so taking into account the production time, the saddle is only likely to be any sort of "super fit" for about three months, and that's assuming it is made true to the measurements.
- If its an unusual shape it might be harder to sell down the line.
- They are damn expensive.

I'd have to be desperate to buy a made to measure saddle.

 

[otter2]

This and....

- You have to wait weeks, if not months for your saddle.
- If you aren't happy with it, its tough you're stuck with it.
- Six months after the measurements are taken the horse can be a pretty different shape, so taking into account the production time, the saddle is only likely to be any sort of "super fit" for about three months, and that's assuming it is made true to the measurements.
- If its an unusual shape it might be harder to sell down the line.
- They are damn expensive.

I'd have to be desperate to buy a made to measure saddle.

ooooh i love my m2m saddle!
it took 4 weeks to come from when i ordered it, but it came with white stitching when i wanted brown haha so sent it back with no problems and got a new saddle within a week


with regards to trying before you buy, i tried the saddle i was buying but obviously not m2m, just my horse's standard size before I ordered mine.

also, if when the saddle came it didn't fit perfectly my saddler said they would adjust/change it without any hassle and i genuinely believe that would have been the case

 

[Kallibear]

I will prob need to go down the Made to Measure route as my horses is awkward (wide flat cob with a VERY short back, and i'm tall) so it's hard to find the saddle I need off the peg.

However for the standard shaped horse I wouldn't bother.

 

[Laura1234]

I would recommend, very happy with the results and because it was made to fit, we used two different colour leathers, subtle, but personal. The saddler was so impressed with the results he had another made up to show other clients. I have a Black Country.