The saddle company saddles..any good???

Think whoever you use you need to be aware and exercise caution . It shouldnt be like this but sadly it is. Having as much knowledge as possible yourself on basics of saddle fitting will help . A friend of mine had horrible experience with very well known saddle fitter who fits across scotland. Re flocked saddle . It was rock hard and basically all they had done was stick more flocking on top of old stuff . Wasnt cheap and she had to have it re done by someone else. Also have seen few sore backs caused by poorly fitting saddles by this company . Others would swear by them. I have used the above mentioned fitter without problem as have friends although others clearly have had issues.
 
Like all saddles it depends on the fitter. I have had two SC Easisits for at least 10 years and they gets loads of use, suit me and my horses fine and the gullet was adjusted in and out like a fiddler's elbow whilst my mare was a youngster. I love them. I have a very good fitter though.
 
Housemouse said:
They are flocked with grey flock so don't have the absorbancy or spring back that wool flocking would have.
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Can I just say, the fact they are not wool flocked is not a 'bad' thing! If you put wool flock in a serge lined panel, you are asking for trouble! The two do not mix as the wool goes into hard, lumpy balls and creates pressure points.

The serge itself is the real benefit, not the flocking material. It beds/breaks in more quickly than leather, it helps to wick away sweat and dissipate heat, it's lightweight, it dries very quickly, it's great for sensitive or cold-backed horses and it wears very, very well.

If you have a serge lined Saddle Company saddle and someone wants to put wool flock in it, DO NOT let them! Equally, if you are buying a secondhand one, always check the flock. If it is wool (usually cream), then do not touch it!

I have even noticed that some Saddle Company fitters say the panels are 'wool flocked'. This is not true. The confusion is because sometimes serge is referred to as serge wool. The flocking in these panels is not, and should never be wool, but synthetic (grey coloured) flock.

I know this because I am a fitter for SC myself and actually take notice of what I am being told in training! :-D
 
I've had a second hand one for my horse since June and love it. Had really bad back problems with his old gp but since getting SC saddle (and physio) he is going from strength to strength. Definitely recommend :)
 
I worked with good synthetic flock for a few years but have now found a really nice wool flock which is nothing like the horrid "cotton wool sheet"-like wool that I had been shown before. Good synthetic flock is less likely to ball up than SOME wools, the type I mention above, and is good for shock absorption, but I'll stick with my new wool :D
 
sbloom said:
I worked with good synthetic flock for a few years but have now found a really nice wool flock which is nothing like the horrid "cotton wool sheet"-like wool that I had been shown before. Good synthetic flock is less likely to ball up than SOME wools, the type I mention above, and is good for shock absorption, but I'll stick with my new wool :D
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I'm not saying wool flock is 'bad', LOL, I am just saying that it is not suitable for serge panels! :D

Going back to the original conversation, I think the underlying thing to remember here (apart from getting a good fitter!) is that there is not a saddle on the market that will be suitable for ALL horses. So whilst SC saddles are great saddles, if they don't fit your horses particular shape then they are going to cause problems! And that goes for any saddle.

I am a SC fitter but I have demo saddles available to try on the horses before purchase and if they don't fit a particular horse, there is no way I would sell one to that person!
I think a lot of people who sell saddles, will try and fit their 'brand' to anything, which is wrong. Saddles are made on different shapes of tree and unfortunately this just often isn't taken into account when fitting. If the tree is the wrong shape for the horses back then it doesn't matter what width it is, how much flocking you adjust etc, it WILL cause problems.

I am also an independent fitter, so my first priority is, and always should be, the comfort of the horse. I'm not out to make a sale, I just offer SC saddles as another option for my clients.

People often say 'I like such & such a saddle', and refuse to have anything else, but if it doesn't fit, then you are just going to create problems.

So really, what I am saying is, let's get less hung up on whether you 'like' or 'dislike' a saddle, the fact of the matter is, is it the best saddle for your horse? :)

xx
 
Sorry to resurrect an old post - just had my made to measure back and it's completely unsymmetrical - when I look down can see the d ring on one side but not the other, resuting in one knee coming over the edge of the saddle and a lop sided seat, also paid extra for the memory foam seat and they haven't padded it enough, bum is actually bruised! Saddle fitter has to send it back! Not impressed so far .......
 
Achinghips said:
Sorry to resurrect an old post - just had my made to measure back and it's completely unsymmetrical - when I look down can see the d ring on one side but not the other, resuting in one knee coming over the edge of the saddle and a lop sided seat, also paid extra for the memory foam seat and they haven't padded it enough, bum is actually bruised! Saddle fitter has to send it back! Not impressed so far .......
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Really common, squint SC saddles! I've had 5 and all had the panels on squint and needed removed and replaced. Three were squint at the back and two had been laced in squint at the front. (Bit of a faff as they are stapled on at the back so they all need to be prised out and re-staped or screwed back on straight. I have a picture of on somewhere, where the panels are a full inch further to the left. I wondered why I always felt uneven!

The tree can also warp in warm conditions i.e a warm car (like all synthetic trees) but they shouldn't be an issue with your new saddle!
 
My horse has had hers 5 years now, her owner before me had it made and I brought her about 4 1/2 years ago, Very comfy, stay clean, fits mine nicely, flocking stayed lovely, only bad point is it does wear very thin on the stirrup leather area and I now have a lovely hole strangely enough only on the one side. I only use it for hacking now and the occasional dressage as I have a jumping saddle for jumping and competing/hunting. I complained to saddle company a few years ago when hole first began to appear but said they couldnt do anything unless I wanted to pay to fix it as I hadnt been the one to buy it. That said, I would buy another as they are relatively cheap and sooo comfy and lightweight, absolutely perfect for hacking in
 
sbloom said:
I wonder if it's more to do with the flatness? I believe they use the Thorowgood type Simatec tree, and their flattest models aren't dead flat so not suitable for some table top shapes.
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They do a Cob saddle for those of us with Table Top backed horses. I have one and i'm very happy with it :)
 
lialls said:
They do a Cob saddle for those of us with Table Top backed horses. I have one and i'm very happy with it :)
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They do but they're still not particularly flat. Due to the design, they get more curved the wider you make them. Lovely and flat at a 'wide', curved at an XXXwide.
 
I had one for my old mare- no complaints at all about the saddle for the price, but the two fitters I had the misfortune to deal with were terrible- I wouldn't have another one because I had such hideous experiences with the fitters I had- teh saddle caused damage to my mares back through incorrect fitting- and when I spoke to the guy at The Saddle Company he was less than helpful, declaring that the fitters were self employed and therefore 'nothing to do' with him- despite the fact that both of them ONLY sold SC saddles.

Shame, because I have a feeling one of these would suit my new lad really well- but I've opted for something else because I don't trust the fitters round here!
 
Lynswin said:
Can I just say, the fact they are not wool flocked is not a 'bad' thing! If you put wool flock in a serge lined panel, you are asking for trouble! The two do not mix as the wool goes into hard, lumpy balls and creates pressure points.


:-D
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Are you sure - I am having one of my saddles rebuilt by Barrie Swain via Kay Humphries and am having serge panels with wool flocking. I rate Barrie as one of, if not the best saddle makers currently working.
 
pansymouse said:
Are you sure - I am having one of my saddles rebuilt by Barrie Swain via Kay Humphries and am having serge panels with wool flocking. I rate Barrie as one of, if not the best saddle makers currently working.
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How many saddle makers have you tried?:D Seriously though, wish there was a way of rating them all .....
 
I have one, I really rate them. Mine was reasonably priced, comfortable and was in perfect condition when he went out on loan with it so I'm hoping that it's being well looked after!
 
lialls said:
They do a Cob saddle for those of us with Table Top backed horses. I have one and i'm very happy with it :)
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Some very wide horses do not have a very flat back - I have fitted our deeper seated saddles to horses that are XXXW so cobs can vary a lot. They do not have trees that are as flat as at least two of those that I fit, and the panels are a totally different shape.

Kallibear said:
They do but they're still not particularly flat. Due to the design, they get more curved the wider you make them. Lovely and flat at a 'wide', curved at an XXXwide.
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Exactly, although still not THAT flat at a wide fitting, once you have seen truly flat saddles! Like most brands they suit some horses but not all.
 
Ive seen a sc saddle Im thinking of getting for my horse but its got some wrinkling on the twist of the seat. Is this normal for an sc saddle?
 
I have a genoa (full leather) event saddle, with nubuck knees and seat. I had it made to measure and also had the memory foam put into the seat. Really comfy saddle, had it 5 years now. Still looks like new and I haven't really looked after it especially well. Like it so much I am thinking of getting one of their dressage saddles too. My horse goes really well in it as it doesn't restrict his movement. Definitely recommend.
 
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