Saddle Fitters in Edinburgh - Urgent Help Needed!!!

[Gypopo]

Hi all!

I am new to the forum - quick intro... Just bought my first horse and I am looking to get her a saddle correctly fitted. Looking to probably buy a second hand leather GP one as a friend has one she is looking to sell but obviously if it doesn't fit we are back to square one.

Basically just wanting to hear everybody's views on saddle fitters in the area, I am looking for someone who is cheap in terms of call out fees as I don't fancy having to pay for half a saddle just to get them onto the yard (I'm sure you all appreciate that)!


Thanks in advance

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Ellis Knight at the grange had facilities for you to go to her over in West Calder, If not she will come to you. Great service cant recommend her highly enough, only saddle fitter i will recommend anymore

 

[Quadro]

Stirlingshire saddle fitters, really good service.
Q

 

[Gypopo]

Thanks - a friend had a bad experience with the Grange (put the balance strap on the wrong side) so am a little reluctant to go there.

Who did you get at Stirlingshire? Heard very mixed reviews about them but word of mouth is pushing me towards there.

 

[Kallibear]

Ellis from the Grange is very good. If your friends issue with the grange was a while ago, there used to.be a different fitter/saddler there who had many bad reports.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Thanks - a friend had a bad experience with the Grange (put the balance strap on the wrong side) so am a little reluctant to go there.

Who did you get at Stirlingshire? Heard very mixed reviews about them but word of mouth is pushing me towards there.

Hmmm well ive known two saddles with broken tree fitted by stirlingshire so i suppose there is good and bad with lots of saddle fitters, Cant fault grange service as they have sorted issues with my saddle out twice and i didnt even buy it from them

 

[Jingleballs]

Ellis from the Grange is very good. If your friends issue with the grange was a while ago, there used to.be a different fitter/saddler there who had many bad reports.

^^ This! The previous fitter for the Grange was beyond useless. Ellis is very good, I've recommended her to several people. The pressure pad fitting is also good for giving that extra level of reassurance.

 

[JenTaz]

Highly recommend Stirlingshire, its Alene that covers the Edinburgh area, wouldn't trust anyone else to fit/check my boys saddle, if their prices are still the same as they were last year, I am pretty sure for a saddle fit, its £40 plus mileage, the mileage gets split between all the clients in the area, and that includes them bringing a range of saddles to try on your horse from the details that are given to them when the appointment is booked last time Alene came out to fit my boys saddle, she brought 4 that would possibly fit him, bearing in mind she had checked his old saddle a number of times. But her car is always full of saddles

 

[Gypopo]

If your friends issue with the grange was a while ago, there used to.be a different fitter/saddler there who had many bad reports.

Yeah, this is going a couple of years back... The lady she had out I met and didn't gel with at all, she was quite slim and had round glasses? Don't remember very much about her and she did not fill me with confidence. Another story I heard the saddle that the Grange fitted ruined another friend's horses' back and he is still suffering a little today so this was why I had my reservations!

 

[Chocy]

If your horse is not easy, straight forward & a 'normal' size I wouldn't recommend stirlingshire.
Very slightly non-standard horse & now 18months, 3 saddles & at least £600 of physio later my horse now has a saddle that fits- & yes it was some1 else who fitted him this time!

 

[Jnhuk]

I use Alene from Stirlingshire and she usually has a good selection of second hand saddles for sale.

The only other person I would consider would be Erlend Milne from Nimrod now down at Dolphonton but he is a devil to get hold of but very very good when you do.

I personally would not go to Grange but then again I suspect you will also get positive and negatives for every saddle fitter out there.

 

[Quadro]

Echo everything Jnhuk says. Would use grange, messed me about didn't turn up for appointment etc. Alene has supplied all my saddles including a made to measure for a horse that would def not fit anything "normal" or "off the peg".
Q

 

[Gypopo]

Does anyone have a bad review about Ellis at the Grange or Alene at Stirlingshire? These are the two I am leaning towards having read your comments...

 

[TPO]

Never used Alene at SS so can't comment but wouldn't recommend their other fitter.

 

[Chocy]

If u do a search on here for stirlingshire u will find a few other threads bout saddle cutters & there us some negatives (altho positives 2)

 

[Chocy]

Obv shud b saddle fitters not cutters ( blooming fone spell check!)

 

[measles]

I have used Louise at SS for years and never found her to be anything other than excellent.

 

[nicnag]

I have used The Grange (Ali?) , phillip Howard and Alene at Stirlingshire. I rate Alene as the most thorough and patient. She checked my dressage and fitted a new jump at her last visit and took a lot otc time over making sure it was right. She checked trees and stitching as she went so i was very happy with her service and definitely won't go anywhere else again!

 

[Yellow_Ducky]

Erlend Milne is the only one I would recommend. He is hard to get hold of but I guess its cause he is in demand.

 

[x-di-x]

Wouldn't go near Stirlingshire saddle fitters! They are bloody awful! I used them for a number of years (all of their fitters have been used) and my god never ever again. My whole yard used them!. One was sold a saddle with a broken tree! (In the end the person went direct to the manufacturer with reports etc and got tree replaced as stirlingshire werent intersted) one was told by them that on some horses saddles just move... No it never ever fitted the horse! One person boxed their horse over fora saddle fitting appointment to the yard. Stirlingshire decided that, as it was raining, they'd fit the saddle in the trailer, never seen the horse move or anything had them tell me on a saddle check visit my saddle fitted perfectly, when even my non horsey oh could tell the saddle was far too narrow! I could go on. I had to spend thousands of pounds In physio etc after one of their disasterous visits (I did use them for over 10 years.)

William rollison is the way to go!what I like about him is a) he is actually horsey and has horses (Stirlingshire are/do not). B) he is FULLY qualified to fit and make saddles! And c) he won't try and sell you a saddle for the sake of it! (Stirlingshire were always trying to get me to buy a new saddle)

Heard good reports, recently about grange but never used them.

But If your considering Stirlingshire, then just put your money to one side, fit the saddle yourself. You'd do a far better job!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

funny how these threads go I wouldn't use SS going on experiences from others in the same yards as me. I used to use Ali at the Grange, thought she was ace-lent me a Wow FOC for months and then didn't even mind when I found an ex-display one at the RHS for half price.Think she is independent now-only havent used her recently as have had 3 lawnmowers for past 2 years.Erlind has a very good rep for saddle fitting.

 

[Carolynmac]

Hopefully you are sorted now but just wanted to echo re Erland Milne. He has done my 3 horses and most of my yard now for 8 years. He can be hard to get a hold of as he travels all over Scotland BUT once he does commit he sticks to it. Best way to get him his complete the form on his web site and then he will get back to you.

http://www.thesaddlespecialist.com/