Saddle query - help needed please!

[zoesophie]

OK this might get long so bear with me...

Oscar came back into work recently so had his saddle checked and it needed adjusting coz he had put on some weight

Saddle was taken away and then posted back to me once work was done (costing £130!

).

Haven't had chance to ride much since saddle came back but whilst watching a friend have a play on Oscar recently I noticed the saddle rising quite a lot at the back. So rang saddle who came back out today and said it needed some flocking at the front coz his muscles were too soft under his back which was making the saddle lift....

So, my questions are:

1 - when the saddle was taken away should he have come back out to ensure the changes he made worked - i.e saddle should now fit correctly....
2 - should I be prepared to pay for a second call out fee to ensure the saddle fits
3 - now he has come out again, should I have to pay for the flocking and call out even though I paid £130 for my saddle to be adjusted to fit?

Hope that make some kind of sense

Opinions appreciated

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

The job wasnt done properly in the first place, so you should not have to pay any more.

 

[zoesophie]

thats wot I thought. When I called to get him to come out again I said I wasnt paying another call out coz I wasnt happy but today he said I HAD to pay £25 for the flocking

 

[RachelB]

I would have been very unhappy about the saddler not coming back to make sure it fits. How on earth is he supposed to know if he's made the right adjustments? Or did you post your horse off there too?!

My saddler does minor adjustments on the spot, and anything more major he takes the saddle off with him, brings it back and makes any further minor adjustments with me and my horse at my yard. I wouldn't particularly trust a saddler who didn't think this was the only way to do it properly...
I would personally not want to be charged for any call out or further adjustments, it was his responsibility to ensure the saddle fitted after he did the work if that;s what you paid him for, and obviously he didn't do that. I'd argue, or go and find a saddler with half a brain!

 

[Morrigan_Lady]

NO, you tell him NO!!! He didnt do the job properly in the first place. Its stupid him taking the saddle away then sending it back, how the hell does he know if the saddle it fitting better without seeing it on the horse. Id argue the toss if it was me, OR you could just get a local saddler out.

 

[zoesophie]

Hmmm think he would be too much to post - hes quite hefty

I do see your point though and thats what I thought..... he should have come back after he had made the original changes to ensure it fits properly.

Have just txt instructor and she will give me details of someone I can get a second opinion from coz now Im not sure I trust hes fitted it properly. So that will be another call out fee

on top of the £130 and £25 for "possibly" a badly fitted saddle.

Will be writing to complain and ask for some ££ back me thinks!

 

[zoesophie]

Sadly had to leave my sister with him coz I had to come to work and she paid...I would have said no - trust me!

 

[Stoxx]

Definitely agree with what has been said!! I can't believe he didn't come back out to check his adjustments were done correctly. Very bad form.

 

[kerilli]

you definitely shouldn't pay any more. jeez, what it is with these saddlers ripping people off and not even making the saddles fit properly.
fwiw i took 2 saddles to my wonderful saddler in Walsall yesterday, had them both adjusted (trees and flocking) to fit wither pattern, for £25 each...

 

[Shipley]

Complain to the saddler registered website they state that they have to fix or give money back I think. Worth calling them were very helpful for a friend

 

[Pidge]

job not done correctly first time so definately shouldn't pay, you can contact the master saddlers association, they are very helpful

http://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk/

 

[alicedove]

I must admit I had one of our saddles fitted to horse, re-flocked a tiny bit, because I had been very naughtily tilting to one side, and girth re-stitched on, that was £15 by the way. Then I went to collect it so it wasn't re-fitted to the horse by the saddler, he is just so good that he knew it would fit. it was a small re-adjustment.

I think your saddler made too much change, and it must have been a pretty bad fit (after horse's time off) before he even flocked it, to send it back to you. If its "floating" at the cantle. Sound as though the saddle may be a bit too narrow, and not only that, you'd think that it needs a load more flocking in the rear to cushion the back rather than more at the front to push the back down. This sounds all wrong. It definitely needs a look, and most definitely, that is ONE call out and flock only, and for over £100 that sounds like a saddle width adjustment has taken place too.

 

[zoesophie]

£25 -

my tree was adjusted when he took it and charged me £105 then and extra £25 to post it back!

 

[zoesophie]

Thanks for this Pidge and Ship, think Ill give it a go.

Pidge - didnt you have problems recently with your saddle? How did u get on? Wonder if its the same person

 

[zoesophie]

[ QUOTE ]
Sound as though the saddle may be a bit too narrow

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmm, but he told me he had to widen the tree coz hed got too fat....

unless he didnt make it wide enough....

[ QUOTE ]
you'd think that it needs a load more flocking in the rear to cushion the back rather than more at the front to push the back down

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what I thought......

 

[cazza]

Hey honey, he should have done it on site and seen the saddle refitted to your horse, not by bloody post! You shouldn't be paying any more for what seems like sloppy workmanship, it it appears you have spent far more than you should have in the first place. If you need any help or a friendly eye over your saddle then my friend who is living with me and has her workshop on my yard is a master saddler and saddle fitter, I can get her to look at it for you.l

 

[zoesophie]

Hiya

O bum - forgot you knew someone too. If I cant get a second opinion fairly speedily then Ill drop u a line

Thanks!

 

[Bosworth]

Actually I think you are being rather harsh on your saddler - you stated that you have not ridden him much - therefore your horse has probably lost muscle tone since you have had your saddle back - and it of course not going to fit him. You said he had put on weight so it wasn't fitting. then you got it back and didn't ride and then when you did it was lifting then your saddle is now too wide so your horse has lost weight.

If the saddler has altered the saddle to fit the horse with the weight on then he has done what was needed at the time he saw him. AS to how he knows whether he has fitted it correctly - I presume he had taken a template and fitted the saddle to template - so if the horse was still to that template it would have fitted. THat is quite normal and totally acceptable - assuming he is a reputable saddle fitter - not just a saddle maker.

AS your horse has now lost weight/muscle tone then he needs a refit and yes you have to pay for that. It is not the saddlers fault your horses weight has changed.

To avoid paying anything you can buy a Prolite wide relief pad and use that under your saddle on your horse thin days and remove it on fat days.

As a precaution in future _ is suggest you weigh tape your horse when the saddler is there and make a note of it on the template the saddler takes and ensure you have a copy of the template. That way you can check and make sure he has not changed shape.

I am not defending your particular saddler - I know there are some real rogues out there, but each one of us has a duty to ensure the horses size and weight either stay the same or we take it into account when dealing with the saddler.

 

[zoesophie]

[ QUOTE ]
you stated that you have not ridden him much

[/ QUOTE ] - only 2/3 weeks and he isnt in heavy work so hasnt lost any muscle and is only ridden a few times a week in walk and trot.

[ QUOTE ]
so your horse has lost weight

[/ QUOTE ] he does weigh him each time and hes only lost 10kg which on a strapping 17.1hh is nothing really.

[ QUOTE ]
I presume he had taken a template and fitted the saddle to template - so if the horse was still to that template it would have fitted

[/ QUOTE ] he did another template and it was the same as the first time he came out.

I see what your saying but I still believe he should have come back to fit the saddle after making alterations.

 

[Bosworth]

If the horse is still to the template and he hasn't changed shape then yes your saddler needs to come out and check the saddle and make alterations free of charge. But I still think it is acceptable for a reputable saddle fitter to send a saddle back and not bring it back as they should be more than capable of fitting a saddle to a correctly made template. However - the question has to be asked is your saddler capable and that seems to be the issue here. Good luck - I know how bad some saddlers are, fingers crossed your will solve the issue with the next visit and will not charge.

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

I totally agree with you. Its a shambles if you ask me. I for one will not be using that purticular saddler any more. Sorry uve had to waste so much money and still not have a good result for me to realise that.

 

[zoesophie]

Thanks!

 

[Pidge]

will PM you