Saddle fitting - second hand saddle

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JCbruce

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Has everyone found that no qualified saddle fitters sells second hand saddles anymore?

I have a lovely saddle fitter but she only stocks new saddles. I got a new jump saddle last year but my horse and me are dabbling in some BD this year and I would like a dressage saddle but I cannot afford new again.

The only fitters in my area only stock new saddles and the people with second hand saddles are those dodgy fitters who only did a 4 week course. (Based near Exeter Devon)

How do people get a half decent saddle on a budget? There are so many Fairfax, albions, Bates etc for sale around which are like 10 years old but still look like that have loads of use.

I was planning on ordering something on trial from the saddle bank but I could use my whole budget trying saddles. What do other people do?

Or do I find a saddle for a good price, and hope it fits my horse when the saddle fitter is next out and if not try and sell it on? Warmblood with a bit of a wither down to quite a flat back with a wide spine if anyone has suggestions 🙈🙈🙈🙈
 
I've always had the fitter come out to assess the, maybe try some of their new ones on that I can;t afford, and then tell me what to go buy. Then come back for the actual fitting. I've never had an issue with this and am always upfront that I can't afford a brand new saddle but want to do right by my horse and will then have regular fittings once said saddle is acquired.
 
I'm in the midlands, my fitter has loads of stock new and used. All the used are still pricey though. I have a wb shaped like you describe and he's good in an ideal, although I think they can have different shaped trees in the same saddle so it's not straight forward. Can you ask your current fitter to recommend dressage saddles with a similar tree to the one in your jumping saddle?
 
My fitter does. So do quite a lot of the fitters up here that I’ve dealt with.

I’ve had to order a new saddle but I need one that’s like hens teeth to get second hand. Mine is like hens teeth to get in good nick second hand as well, so my saddler already has a buyer for mine as soon as my new one comes 🙃
 
I found the same as you - it's pretty hellish. Round here, the only possible way to do it is to find a very small tack shop that will let second hand saddles out on trial, then book a fitter to come and look at them at your yard - or, travel 90 minutes or more to a larger second hand tack shop where you can meet a fitter on site. It's very hard.

If I were you I would beg, borrow and steal various different dressage saddles from friends to get an idea of what brands / models / widths / tree shapes etc are in the right ballpark for your horse, before narrowing it down and getting a couple on trial to have a fitter look at properly. I don't know how else to make it work nowadays.
 
Mine doesn’t stock second hand but will come out and fit a saddle so you can find the same saddle online second hand, then she will come out and flock the saddle once youve bought it
 
Leonard Combes Newton abbot have a massive range and a saddle fitter are they worth talking to? You used to be able to go and pick saddles for the fitter to bring out.

Claire's equestrian cullompton no fitter but had a big stock of second hand so may be worth a visit.
You say Dodgy...used to be a saddle fitter southwest woman is she still about 😁
 
I recently had a fitter out, where I gave them my budget, after confirming they sell second hand.

I’d normally expect to see a saddler turn up with a van full of saddles. This one had two in the back; one that was totally unsuitable. The other was twice the budget I’d given, and would have needed me to purchase a sheepskin half pad for underneath.

However I could have bought a brand new saddle, and it would be delivered in 6 weeks time. For a cheap older project horse that I had no idea how ridable he was.

I paid the call out charge and haven’t spoken to them since. Ironically they post a lot on their Facebook page about how you should only get a saddle from a fitter, as second hand ones might be broken.
 
Since the internet it's much harder tomake a living from selling used saddles. If you bring buyer and seller together directly, or offer the sort of service that the big second hand saddle service companies offer, people want to sell.for.as much as possible, and buy as low as possible. The cost of holding enough used saddles to be able to help most customers you go and see is VAST.

Just to add I've always said a van full of saddles is never a guarantee of having the right saddle, especially of the fit is challenging, but with used saddles greater numbers are more likely to help....which means that extra cost for the fitter.

I personally don't like this whole "measure my horse for a saddle" expression as recommending a used saddle is a fine art with very few measurements involved. I offer a remote service for my brands for various reasons (I have a blog post on my site explaining why) but can do in person, most other fitters would do in person but ALWAYS tell the fitter that's the service you want. It is absolutely unfair to expect someone to clear their diary for a new fitting, have their own expectations of whether or not they'll sell a saddle (ie their own sales ratios), and then disclose that actually you're going off to buy a used saddle after you've not paid for that advice, or had the shorter appointment that a used consult would entail.
 
I was fitting and selling saddles, came back in to it in the last year or so after a while away from fitting but finding it too tiring so stopping the service again. Plus, I only use pure wool from my own sheep and to process it to be able to use it to flock saddles is very time consuming, another reason I am declining requests to fit and flock on site. However, I will still sell saddles, I pick up saddles as and when I can, completely refurbish, repair and condition them so like new , then sell them with a set or locatas and leather conditioner thrown in. That's the plan but in reality time is of the essence and I haven't sold any yet as haven't had the time to do them!
I do see a lot of people struggling to find fitters and/or saddlers round here in west Wales, does seem to be a shortage over the whole of the UK and as sbloom has said the internet sales doesn't really help the lone saddler or saddle fitter trying to make a living.
I've had many a fitting where none of my secondhand or new saddles have fitted and had to walk away from a sale as I won't sell any that don't fit and I don't charge a call out fee (or didn't when I was selling) .
It's hard to make ends meet sometimes.
Oz
 
I had nutwell fit a new saddle to mine and went and bought the same model second hand (on their recommendation when I said I couldn’t afford new!)

Did need a second appointment to get the one I’d bought fitted, but worked ok for me ☺️
 
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