Saddles - worth spending more?

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I have a 6 (tomorrow) Welsh Section D. He was backed at 5 and I bought his first saddle, a Kent and Masters GP. It is a perfectly nice saddle, cost me about £800, but he has (inevitably) changed shape and I am waiting for it to be refitted.
I also ride him in an old WOW dressage (more VSD than full dressage, if that makes sense.) I am riding in the WOW now but it drives me crazed as it creaks. The WOW fitter has told me that because of the age of the saddle and the material it is made of the creaking is not solevable.
He is turning out to be a fantastic pony (IMO) and I think he will be capable of doing a little bit of everything at the riding club level I want to ride at. And he will definitely be staying with me forever.
While I am waiting for the K&M to be refitted I have started thinking as I am likely to be riding him for 15+ years should I invest in a “good” saddle or stick with the K&M?
My budget would be max £3000. Any recommendations on what I could get, am thinking GP, maybe VSD. So far have looked at WOW and Solution Saddles. Does more ££££ mean better?
Ideas?
 
I have had cheap saddles, and I've had (got) one expensive saddle.

The expensive saddle wins hands down and I will never buy a cheap one again. I've generally spent around £500 on a saddle historically (from new synthetics, part synthetics, through to second hand leather and good quality). The last 2 I have had didn't fit even at that price.

Never again.

I have an Equipe Expression now. It's an 'eventer' type, a monoflap, designed as a GP you can do everything in - and I do everything in it, jumping, hacking, dressage. It was £2k brand new and fitted by a brilliant fitter. It's a glove - perfect - light - looks like new 3 years on. Horse likes it. I like it. It's had zero adjustments of any kind and I can't ever see it needing any.

Couple of things to bear in mind.

1. I wouldn't personally accept any saddle that needs modifications if I'm spending that much. My girl has stacked loads of muscle on (she had been off work due to back damage when it was fitted so had very little muscle at all), but the gullet width and length aren't compromised and the memory foam flocking adapted to the muscle increase. I knew a few people who've had an expensive saddle full of shims and pads because 'what if'. I would personally just get one that fits and trade in/sell, if and when it doesn't. They still have a really high value when you do.

2. Your fitter remains a key part of the process - get a good one!
 
I had a lovely m2m saddle for my Sec D. Local saddler, cost £800, so you don’t always have to spend a fortune.
 
I can’t imagine ever spending 3K on a new saddle (unless I get a lotto win) when the market is flooded with good quality secondhand. Buying secondhand means the saddle you try is the saddle you get, the huge depreciation has already happened and you won’t loose so much when inevitably the horse changes shape, goes lame and you get another one etc
 
Do you like the Wow and does the horse go well in it?

If so, you could just replace the parts as and when, starting with the seat by the sounds of things
 
My Sec D was 6 when I decided I was sick of changing saddles. I paid just over 2k for a lovely M2M that has fit well from day 1. 2 years later and it still fits very well, even though she's been out of work for a while. I doubt I'll go near cheap saddles again, though if it will fit my horse I'm happy to buy second hand (if anyone reading is selling an Equipe monoflap dressage saddle in brown, 17", +4 width I will buy it!) but finding them in the size and style I want is generally impossible.
 
I have had some expensive saddles, the most was a brand new Butet, which I loved and did me for over 10 years, and I ever regretted buying. When it did not fit my new horse I sold it for half what I paid. It was a close contact XC with latex panels that did not need flocking.

I have had a few others at the 'just less than 2K' price band that I have not liked. Such as Albion, or Ideal Impala Pro.

My current horse has a Kruger saddle. These are about £1,600 brand new with calfskin. he saddles are great, but the real bonus is Kim, who makes the saddles and fits them. She is a real craftsperson. Very observant. Meticulous. Even my fussy physio thinks she has done a FAB job of fitting a FAB saddle.


Because of that I will most likely be buying my next jumping saddle from Kruger.
 
I would go for more expensive like a shot, given the chance! Alf has changed shape recently, and we have a second hand Albion Platinum Ultima dressage en route to us, which I am pretty excited about. I am even more excited that one of my liveries has suggested I use her Schleese dressage on him til the Albion is here. Schleese saddles are crafted from the stuff dreams are made of, in my opinion. I can't wait to have a sit in it!
 
The most expensive was a dressage saddle for £1,400 best money ever spent it's so comfortable I love it and it still looks new although it's only 5 years old, cheapest was a gfs dressage saddle for £200 and it was a lovely little saddle it fitted quite a few horses and had it quite a few years, I just recently bought a ex demo heritage wh saddle for £550 It's practically brand new really comfy and is really well made horse goes lovely in it.

I would recommend having a look and contacting Matt at heritage he often has quite a few stashed away and it's worth asking him even if it's not listed that's how I got mine.
 
Your budget allows you access to, afaik, every single British made saddle there is, I think do your research on wider native-type saddles and yes, often it is worth paying extra. Google for reputation, fitting ability, quality. Asking on FB or even on here is a snapshot only.
 
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