Sue Carson Saddles

algeredge

algeredge

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I'm thinking of getting a new jump saddle as Bud is clearly not happy in his back and has started putting the brakes on when jumping. Going to get his back checked by the physio first, but just wondering if anyone has an idea how much a new Sue Carson close contact saddle with Flair might set me back before I get a fitting only to find out I am too poor to afford one? Cant see any second hand ones online.
Any good/bad experiences would be appreciated.
Thanks x
 
Hi
im my opinion and experience I know of 3 horses in the last 6 months that I have either ridden or taught the owner on that have sue carson saddles that were supposed to be made to measure saddles... but in fact were not suited to the horses at all and were causing all sorts of problems ... perhaps it was the fitter but as far as im concerned one bitten twice shy and i wont be trying one.
I use wow saddles which are similar but are completely fully adjustable and u can mix and match each part of the saddle to your horses needs so basically you can have one saddle for ever and just adapt it to fit which ever horse you have at any one time. They are air filled and have 4 bags that can be inflated/deflated individually so if your horses is more developed one one side than the other or if its roached backed etc you can make it as comfortable as possible.The headplates (gullet) width can be changed and come in many more widths than the usual narrow- med-wide. also the shape of the panels ( the part that sit on the back with the air bags in) can bit chosen to suit the shape of your horses back. so id say have a look at the website to find out more about them but i wouldnt have anything other than a wow saddle after using them. sometimes you can pick up ex demos from ebay and then u just need a fitter to come to adjust it to ur horse. I have mine adjusted every 6 months as my horse is rising 4 and is changing shape all the time!

http://www.flair.uk.com/
 
Barge, Touch, Pole

You are aware that if you have any fit problems and have not had said fitter out at cost of appox £50 quid a throw every 3-6 months to "inflate" saddle then you have to pay for any changes and wont have a leg to stand on

Inflating made to measure saddles - Its a load of tosh !
 
Know several people left very unhappy with the 'service'. I also know someone that worked with some of the products a couple of years ago and said the quality was shocking...... It wouldn't be a brand I would ever look at personally.
 
I just think its extremely hard to get a saddle made to measure to a horse that is potentially going to change shape many times throughout its life and therefore a fully adjustable one would be more practical and ecomomical...as for the horses i knew which had sue carson saddles 2 of them now have wow saddles and their horses are going fantastic,are much happier to go forward now and one has muscled up so much since having a saddle that fits. I will say tho that there is one horse in my yard that has a sue carson that seems to fit very well. I just think that no horse is 'the perfect 10' and we should understand that a saddle may be for example perfect in the winter but maybe a terrible fit come summer.
 
One thing I wouldn't call a sc saddle is pretty! I wouldn't touch one for my horse, the quality of the saddle and the fitting is generally v.poor for the 2k you pay! Also v.telling when their sponsered riders are seen with multiple pads under them...and in one case a different make of saddle on a sc saddlecloth! Most saddles now are adjustable, most just need to be done by an expert.
 
I have recently purchased a sue carson saddle and I now have 4. I have a range of ages shapes and sizes of horses and she has managed to successfully fit all of them. The horses are moving freely and I am in a position where I can ride effectively. Horses change shape all the time and anyone who thinks that they don't need their saddle checking every few months is clearly lacking understanding of saddle fitting. My young horse had a virus and went from a size 3 to 2 in a couple of weeks. When he came back into work he was back up to 3 and in the next 4 months increased to size 5. How much damage do you think would have been caused if I had kept his saddle the same size throughout? The beauty of the sue carson saddles is that they can be altered with you sitting on them so a perfect fit is achieved. How can a saddle be sent away, reflocked by someone who has never seen the horse and posted back without being checked by a saddle fitter and be a perfect fit - it's ridiculous!! I agree that in the past they were not the best looking saddles but the new range are fantastic and very classy.
 
Hi
I have 2 Sue Carson saddles and personally I love them despite them getting slated on here LOL.
Its like everything... what suits 1 horse may not suit them all.
I have a dressage and a jump saddle both with flair.
The dressage saddle fits like a glove and I've had no problems with it at all.
The jump saddle which gets a lot more use has had 1 minor air adjustment but other than that I've not had any issues with either of them and my horse is the sort that will buck and let you know the minute the saddles not right!
I had a wow previously and although I loved the saddle and the concept it needed constant adjustment to keep it fitting right... although that may have been more of a reflection on the fitter than the saddle :-s
The SC saddles, although also using the flair system have required much less maintenance.
I routinely get the saddle checked 2-3 times a year and so far no problems fingers crossed. :-)
 
I saw in another thread that people may have joined just to post on here singing SC praises, but I can promise you I haven't, I was a member previously but ended up changing email add etc so have started again. I have both an SC and a Wow Dressage. The SC is fabulous and my mare has never gone so well, the fitter was great, and she didn't sell me the saddle, so I speak as I find. The Wow, although I love the concept, it just doesn't fit my mare and I have had 2 different fitters out so I'm not sure what that is saying!!?? It has made her back sore, she became nappy and defensive in the stable, basically trying to tell me she doesn't like it. I have considered swapping the saddles over but not tried it yet. As with any make, don't you think you will always get horror stories as well as people who love them?
 
I have been dealing with the Sue Carson saddles for a while now, with horses i am grooming for or riding and i only have good things to say!
The Panache dressage saddle is brilliant, it puts the rider in a great position and the horses seem to move more freely and with more expression.
The elagance is extremly smart! The quality of the leather is brilliant and they stand out even at top competitions as they have such a stylish and unique look.
The Sue carson team at shows are always friendly and happy to answer the many many questions, and i would recomend a sue carson to anyone as they are a quality saddle that will last and can be changed slightly to fit the horse for a lifetime! : D
 
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