Total numty newbie saddle question - please be gentle with me...

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ChocClare

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I have just bought a 16.2 FIS mare for my daughter. She (mare!) comes with rugs and bridle but NO SADDLE :eek:

We have only ever loaned before so are total numties when it comes to this buying saddles lark.

I would like to know

a) what "else" I need to buy? Obviously, she'll need a numnah, but what I mean is, when I buy "a saddle", is it complete, or do I need to buy girth, stirrups, stirrup leathers???

b) can anyone recommend a saddle fitter in the Hampshire/Dorset borders?!

c) can anyone let me know roughly what I should expect to pay to have someone come out? Our budget is not huge, and I'm happy to have second hand or even synthetic, but I know nothing about how to achieve fit (yes, I've seen the pictures with the flexicurve, and know the THEORY, but wouldn't presume to know anything about the practice) so I want it to be right.

All gentle and soothing answers gratefully received. (You can point and laugh behind your hands, as long as you don't do it in print!)

Thanks in anticipation!
 
Try the society of master saddlers http://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk/ for contact details of saddle fitters in your area. A lot of my dorset friends use Lisa Holmes http://www.bespokesaddlery.co.uk/.

You will need to buy a saddlecloth/numnah, stirrups and leathers.

Call out charges will vary, think I paid £50 including travel for mine last time. Let the saddle fitter know your budget but synthetics (2nd hand) start from about £150 and english leather saddles from about £300 ish.

Good luck!
 
Thanks, chaps, I thought it would probably be about £50 or so to call someone out.

Still in numty vein, how much extra are stirrups/leathers likely to be, and are there different types of stirrups or is it just size?

Just to put this into context, my daughter is 14, 5ft 5ins, weighs about 9 and a half stone or perhaps a bit less and the horse is 16.2, full irish sports, so quite thinnish.

I don't know if any of that is important, just thought I'd put all info on!
 
Start on ebay for your numnahs/stirrups/leathers - cheaper by far than walking into a shop, they'll most likely do their best to rip you off :p

Leathers - these are a bit of a pain to work out, you might need someone else to clarify how long you need these but your daughter is just taller than me, so if you wanted I could find out the length of mine?
Best to buy new, and I'd go for leather (easier, synthetic doesn't agree with me, it cracks...!) but you don't need anything fancy. Just go with whatever colour the rest of your tack will be.

Stirrups - these should leave something like 0.25-0.5" clearance either side of the riders foot (with boots on) so fairly simple - measure the width of your daughters food at the ball of the foot (so where the stirrup would be placed) which is about the widest part, then add a bit ;) This is just so the foot doesn't get caught in the stirrup, so fairly important they aren't too narrow!
Again, you should be able to pick these up on ebay, just bog standard irons or the ones with the sort of S-shaped side (adults safety stirrups basically) are great :) You can't really 'damage' a metal stirrup so there isn't much worry about buying them 2nd hand, though they might be a bit scratched. Not a big issue though really!

Numnah/saddle cloth - your choice, I'm going to guess you'll need a full size one (or two!) and again, your choice for new or 2nd hand, but ebay again would be my first place to look, or clearance sales of online tack shops :p

Hope that helps a little with that part! :)
 
Don't forget the stirrup treads - if you go new rather than 2nd hand, or have a second hand shop with friendly assistant near to you they can help to fit it all to your daughter. Don't forget boots on when testing the stirrup width!

Best leaving the numnah until after the saddle has been fitted, as the saddler will advise what type to use. Don't be tempted to get a nice thick one because you think it will feel nice for the horse - thicker ones actually change the way a saddle fits.

I'd say for safety's sake go for new leathers if you can - English leather - they'll last you years and years if properly looked after, and you don't really know how well a second hand pair have been looked after, and in any case they will probably have stretched.

Have you got a knowledgeable friend - maybe someone where you will be keeping the horse - you could take shopping with you in return for buying them lunch or something?
 
Try Calcutts near Winchester. Bit of a camel ride from you but they have loads of second hand saddles and if you take the horse they will fit it for you there and then. They will also come out with a selection if you can't get your horse there but there may be an extra charge for this. Their number is 01962 760210.

Been using them for years and never had a problem. They are a wee bit expensive at times and the chap that owns it is very good at encouraging you to spend that little bit extra (who can blame him for trying to earn a living!) so just make sure that you stick to your budget. They are very helpful and will help out with any questions you have.

If you get your saddle to fit well you can just get a couple of simple thin cotton numnahs (one to wear and one for spare), ebay if you are computer literate (I am not!!!) or take a trip to your local saddlers and look out for them at sales etc. They tend to come in pony, cob or full size to fit the type of saddle you buy. As your horse is over 16hh I would get full size. I would imagine that you are going to get a general purpose saddle so a GP full size. (Dressage saddles have a very straight cut on the flap, bit at the front where your knee rests, and jumping saddles have a much rounder cut, GP is somewhere in the middle)

Yes you will need a girth, these are measured in inches to start you off get a tape measure (the same sort that you use for dress making) and measure under your horses tummy, go about half way up on both sides. I am guessing around the 56 inch mark but this really is a rough guess as I haven't seen your horse or the saddle!

Stirrups - wear your riding boots into the shop and try them! You need to have space on both sides. I like mine to have at least 1/4 inch either side because its safer to fall off than be dragged and the extra gap makes it less likely to get caught up.

Leathers ask for ladies or teenagers. That should see you about right. Again if you are in the shop trying your stirrups hook up the leathers and try them! The last ones I brought were labeled "mens" but I have long legs for a shorty and I do tend to have them high up with plenty of holes lower down.

Good luck and have fun! This is the best bit I think, learning it all and finding what works for you.
 
Just to say - saddlers to avoid are Peter from Pointings, the woman from Horsing Around in Holt and Alix from Dorchester saddlers. They all have a very bad reputation - I have used them all in the past and will never use them again.
 
Just a personal opinion: I would avoid synthetic saddles like the plague! Ditto synthetic leathers: they're a total waste of money and snap without warning. A good pair of leather stirrup leathers plus irons should last you a lifetime. If I was buying I would go for the Sprenger ones which have a safety aspect as well as being nice and "springey"!!

Personally I'd be inclined to go for a good leather second-hand saddle if you can get anyone in your area to fit one, rather than new or synthetic. I've had two horses who've both had problems with synthetic saddles making their backs sore, the problem being with these saddles is that people think they can just be made to fit the horse by adjusting the gullet, and its not as simple as that.

If your having someone out to fit, make sure they're qualified as "Saddle Fitters" not just "Saddlers" as the two are different.
 
Wow, thanks for all the replies chaps, really helpful.

Someone else recommended Cutlers to me, but they did look pretty expensive. Has anyone tried horsey things in Fordingbridge????? They have saddle fitters that come out. Other than that I know there are mobile saddlers, just don't know any!

I'm not sure if I'm more confused than I was at the beginning but, as you say, it's all a learning process - everyone I've met recently has been really helpful which is great - it was just that my daughter was previously in a yard where the girls looked at you like you were something they'd trodden in if you asked a "beginner" sort of question :rolleyes:- so unnecessary but there you go...
 
Horse E Things are the same as Horsing Around I think. Def. avoid them like the plague. She is a total witch. I posted about how awful she was before and had tons of responses all agreeing!!
 
it was just that my daughter was previously in a yard where the girls looked at you like you were something they'd trodden in if you asked a "beginner" sort of question





Well then she was on the wrong yard...........!!! I hate it when people do that - in my experience it's because they don't know very much themselves to be honest.
 
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