Tartan Brand Dressage Saddles

[ChessieGirl16]

Is anyone familiar with the saddle brand Tartan (what they sell for new, what they sell for used, popularity of brand, etc.)?

Backstory: a (non-equestrian) friend of mine found a Tartan dressage saddle while cleaning out a house after a relative passed away. He wants to sell it, and being that he isn't an equestrian he brought it to me to look at so that I could hopefully give him an idea of what a fair price for it would be. The saddle is in really good condition (just needs some conditioning and cleaning), but I have never heard of this brand. Being unfamiliar with the brand, I have no idea how to price it. I have tried Googling it, but so many unrelated results are generated (a lot of Tartan plaid saddles, saddle pads and saddle covers), that I haven't found anything about this specific brand. The person who brought me the saddle said he was able to find a posting for a Tartan saddle for sale on Ebay UK (awhile ago, when he first came across the saddle), but I have not been able to find that posting. He said that posting indicated that this brand is made in the UK (though, this is the only source I have, so I do not know if that is accurate). Thus, I'm posting here in hopes that the brand is more common in the UK and someone will recognize it and can provide some info. Any information (especially links to new or used saddles of this brand for sale) would be very helpful and much appreciated. Thanks in advance for any assistance!

 

[sbloom]

There are so many little UK workshops, and individuals, that have put out a few saddles over the years, I've definitely not heard of them so you'd have to treat it like a no-name saddle and put up good photos to show what quality it is if selling. You're unlikely to get more than £100 for it even if English, £200 up would be very lucky and would depend on condition and what it looks like it might fit.

Indian saddles do have certain markers that are easy to spot if you know what to look for (like a new price of under £300 for leather lol), a local Master Saddler might be happy to have a look.

 

[ChessieGirl16]

Sbloom, thank you SO MUCH for responding; this is very helpful! I did not know (though, am not surprised to learn) that there are so many little places around the UK putting out saddles; there's probably a good chance this saddle came from a place like that. What you describe and the price range is right in line with what I've had in my mind since the saddle was brought to me. My main concern was putting it in the $100-$200 (US) range and then finding out later that it was something super fancy and I should have priced it higher. Since yours is the only response I have gotten (including the multiple boards to which I've posted in the US), I feel better knowing that's unlikely (or someone would recognize it). Ha, a new price less than £300 and leather? Yeah, that's a big red flag!

Thank you again for your response; I was starting to think that no one, in the US or the UK, was going to respond on this topic!

 

[sbloom]

There are tens if not over 100 small workshops and individuals making saddles, mostly in Walsall (though this is a very rough estimate) - and they put saddles out in their own names, in the names of others etc. Not all are big brands, and it's very hard to know about the smaller brands, you can only judge the quality and the fit and price and advertise accordingly.