Saddle Fitters - NW area?

[MileAMinute]

Hi guys. Bit of a long shot, but does anyone know of a saddle fitter in Cheshire/North Wales that will come out to fit 2nd hand saddles?

Tried The Saddlery in Chester, and Village Saddlery in Warrington but neither are prepared to fit saddles other than their own. Don't really know of anywhere else!

Thanks

 

[JVB]

Anita at Colberry (Foxes riding school) may, she has quite a stock of second hand in her shop and may just do the fitting side of things, well she will be for mine but I'm on the same yard as her...

She also passed on someone's name called Katie, not sure of her surname but if you PM I can pass you her phone number

 

[BlairandAzria]

Keith at L for leather will come out to fit, also has a stock of second hand and new saddles. Tel; 0161 787 8300

 

[amandaco2]

Andy the saddleman. Very good and nice bloke

 

[MileAMinute]

Thanks very much guys!

Posted on a local forum too (Anita and The Saddle Man came up there too) so will be a busy girl ringing around tomorrow.

 

[dressagelove]

Hi guys. Bit of a long shot, but does anyone know of a saddle fitter in Cheshire/North Wales that will come out to fit 2nd hand saddles?

Tried The Saddlery in Chester, and Village Saddlery in Warrington but neither are prepared to fit saddles other than their own. Don't really know of anywhere else!

Thanks

Don't touch the village saddlery with a bargepole anyway!

 

[djlynwood]

Don't touch the village saddlery with a bargepole anyway!

Oh no why? Ive used him for the past two years as he was recommeded by many people. Although I would not rave about him Ive found him to be ok, not amazing but my saddles fit really well.

 

[LovesCobs]

that's interesting to hear about chester saddlery as they have 2 of my saddles to sell! they must just sell them from the shop the shop is closing so I'm going to pick them up. he also told me my ponies saddle didn't fit, he was a nice guy but only offered expensive new saddles as a replacement. the saddle I have for that pony is a saddle company saddle so I called them and had it altered for £35 including coming out. the chester one was £40 just to come out and no alteration was offered or discussed as a possibility.
I have also used a lady called Gwen, I have her number somewhere. I know a few people who use her, she brings only second hand leather saddles, charges about £20 which comes off the price of a saddle if you buy one. I found her great. If you want her number pm me and I'll find it for you.

 

[Moomin1]

that's interesting to hear about chester saddlery as they have 2 of my saddles to sell! they must just sell them from the shop the shop is closing so I'm going to pick them up. he also told me my ponies saddle didn't fit, he was a nice guy but only offered expensive new saddles as a replacement. the saddle I have for that pony is a saddle company saddle so I called them and had it altered for £35 including coming out. the chester one was £40 just to come out and no alteration was offered or discussed as a possibility.
I have also used a lady called Gwen, I have her number somewhere. I know a few people who use her, she brings only second hand leather saddles, charges about £20 which comes off the price of a saddle if you buy one. I found her great. If you want her number pm me and I'll find it for you.

Is this Gwen a master saddler?

 

[LovesCobs]

Moomin1 - I'm pretty sure she is. I 1st used her when I had my lad on livery at Carrington riding centre. They used to use L for Leather and then used her to fit all their saddles. She fits well and found a saddle for a difficult to fit mare for my friend (it took a couple if visits with her bringing a fair few saddles)

 

[Foxford]

that's interesting to hear about chester saddlery as they have 2 of my saddles to sell! they must just sell them from the shop the shop is closing so I'm going to pick them up. he also told me my ponies saddle didn't fit, he was a nice guy but only offered expensive new saddles as a replacement. the saddle I have for that pony is a saddle company saddle so I called them and had it altered for £35 including coming out. the chester one was £40 just to come out and no alteration was offered or discussed as a possibility.
I have also used a lady called Gwen, I have her number somewhere. I know a few people who use her, she brings only second hand leather saddles, charges about £20 which comes off the price of a saddle if you buy one. I found her great. If you want her number pm me and I'll find it for you.

When is the shop closing lovescobs? What a shame they couldnt make it work as I seem to remember it was run by someone else a few years ago.

Anita is good, she did one for my friend who was very pleased with the service.

 

[LovesCobs]

I think this week foxford, the lease is up apparently.Anita left a few weeks or so ago to do something else, I don't know what but apparently something she couldn't refuse. They're moving everything to the welsh shop.

 

[AndreaB71]

Anita is nothing to do with the saddlery in Chester. She has her own shop at Foxes riding school....Colberry Equestrian

 

[LovesCobs]

Maybe I'm getting names mixed up, there was a lady who worked in the Chester shop, it's not her shop but she was the person I saw whenever I went in and she was really helpful. Has a clumber spaniel (I think) who was having pups. She's who moved on and now the shop is closing due to them not wanting to take on a new lease. I don't know much just what I was told when I went to pick my saddles up

 

[trottingon]

I've had Stephanie from Freedom Saddlery in Ruthin highly recommended to me, but I haven't used her yet.

 

[Foxford]

Thanks lovescobs. I think it was a couple that ran it together, she was in the shop and new did the saddles? Could be wrong though!

 

[tootsietoo]

Steph Bradley at Freedom Saddlery. She will come out to fit a saddle which you have bought, I think her call out charge is £50 if I remember rightly. I bought a made to measure pony saddle from her and she was great, I love the saddle to bits, and she seems to have a good reputation.

 

[Grinchmass]

Anita is fab, but has a relatively long waiting list!
Worth the wait tho, and won't sell you stuff for the hell of it!!

 

[Honey08]

Michelle Miller from M miller saddlery did mine recently. She charged £25 call out and then £10 for reflock. I swopped one of my saddles for a second hand one of hers as it was nicer. Nice lady too.

 

[LovesCobs]

Does anybody know of any saddlers that buy from u or sell for u (taking a profit) I have 3 good ones that I no longer have the horse or pony for. I prefer not to do eBay. Has anyone used Beeston tack auction? Don't want them to go for £50! What's it like?

 

[fairhill]

Horse hound and rider in dukinfield buy saddles for a reasonable price. i think Holmfirth market would probably be better than beeston.

 

[LovesCobs]

Thanks fairhill I'll look into them

 

[Micky]

David at village saddlery, had him for 5 years, fab fit for my horses and myself, know several people who use him and have for many years...however know people who've used L for Leather with disastrous results, badly fitted saddles creating problems and of course the money forked out..strangely they use village saddlery now he is a master saddler and doesn't take the mick!

 

[Fanatical]

David at village saddlery, had him for 5 years, fab fit for my horses and myself, know several people who use him and have for many years...however know people who've used L for Leather with disastrous results, badly fitted saddles creating problems and of course the money forked out..strangely they use village saddlery now he is a master saddler and doesn't take the mick!

Would agree with all of this although he is massively expensive!

However he doesn't fit saddles unless bought of him so will be of no use to OP.

 

[Tiffany]

Don't touch the village saddlery with a bargepole anyway!

What's wrong with the village saddlery apart from he's gone very pricey?

 

[Tiffany]

Yes Gaynor in Dukinfield will buy saddles and she's usually gt a good range of new and used saddles available.

 

[Tiffany]

Saddles Direct are in Lancashire. I've heard they are good but never used them myself. I now use Sally Cartwright but she's more Staffordshire way.

 

[Micky]

The old adage ' you pay peanuts you get monkeys' springs to mind when talking about costs..he is worth it ( village saddlery) and at the end of the day, you are trying to help and protect your horses back! Bit like asking any old bod to trim/shoe your horse, local bod down the road to check his teeth etc etc etc....
At the end of the day, you want your horse to have a comfortable long healthy life, so give him your all, if it is too pricey, don't have a horse! Some people can afford massively expensive saddles/bridles, riding wear and have everything under the sun, the rest of us have to save or look on ebay

 

[dressagelove]

I had a disastrous fitting made by David at village saddlery I'm afraid. My horse lost a lot of performance through an extremely poorly fitted dressage saddle. Although I have heard good things about him too, I certainly did not see them translate into the service. I have since had Lavinia Mitchell, and she is a long wait, and very expensive, but nothing short of a miracle worker. Will never use any other than her again.

 

[Honey08]

I don't like David at Village Saddlery at all. You certainly don't get what you pay for with him! You get over charged.

He fitted a £2k saddle for my livery, her new instructor told her it didn't fit properly, she rang him back, he said "oh yes, I knew it didn't suit you, but you and your old instructor seemed to really like it.." Another friend bought a £2k saddle that hurt her, so he modified the saddle, cutting part of the seat away, at great expense. To me, it was another example of the saddle not fitting the rider. Both of these people he ran round after (they were big spenders), but my smaller spending liveries never even got a return phonecall! Wouldn't touch him with a bargepole.