What is a nice make of saddle....on a budget??

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moodymare_1993

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So I've been having some attitude problems with my mare, had physio out today to see what they said, turns out the saddle has been making her really sore and doesn't fit, hence the moody attitude....don't blame her!!

I've been advised to get a new saddle as its totally wrong shape. Mine is just a GP synthetic thing that was told would be ok for her...

Now I would really like a leather one, that doesn't cost loads and by loads I mean 4/500 quid tops! I dont mind second hand either as am on a budget due to only just getting a job. I can't ride until I get a new saddle. Which i dont mind waiting for. The thing that's annoying me is my dad isn't horsey, neither is the rest of my family, and as I am thinking of selling her due to family reasons, he said, there's no point in getting a new saddle if i might sell her, and he thinks she will sell the way she is...(hasn't been ridden for a few months, 6yo tb mare) no chance, and that when people come to view her, putting an ill fitting saddle on her won't hurt once or twice( that's my dads knowledge of horses!) but I have a conscience and if this is what's causing the attitude problem, then I might decide to keep her( were not all together suited as have no facilities etc) as it was her attitude and family reasons together that was pushing me for sellin her. At the end of the day, if I got a new saddle, I could sell that too if I decided to sell her....

So what saddles do you recommend, doesn't have to be a big branded saddle, that people can get reasonably priced,,,and preferably something that fits high withered tbs well.....

Please help, have no clue of saddles

Cup of tea and celebrations if anyone gets this far :)
 
You need to get it fitted by a saddler which will cost you. But if you can't stretch to that, I recommend the thorowgood website because it has a printable fitting guide so you know which model saddle and widthof gullet to go for. You will need a bendy ruler. Kent and masters are the thorowgood leather equivalent, or you could go for a second hand T6.

Whatever you do, don't do what I did and buy an unknown brand off ebay.
 
I'd call round your local saddlers and ask them what they have in medium for your price range second hand - if they've got a handful get them to come out and fit it properly.
That's not a bad price range for a second hand saddle and if your not fussed about make/ colour/ the odd cosmetic stratch etc. you should have plenty of choice.

When you sell her you should get your money back if you keep it in the condition you bought it.

Buying one on line you'll still never really know if it fits or not - some makes suit some shapes of horse others don't.
 
Baggybreeches said:
Prestige Golden Star, nice saddles fit TBs well and very light. They hold their value but you should get one for £450 ish on ebay, go for a medium (which will be a 32) and it should be fine.
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I don't think you can say 'go for a medium'. I have owned and cared for many TBs, and most have been a medium wide. They may start off as medium as youngsters, but any tb with substance can be a medium wide or even wide. My current TB boy with 9 inches of bone is a wide.
 
I am going to get it fitted, ( when I can afford) as I am not making the same mistake again of just putting a saddle on and hoping, I probably won't be able to afford one for a few months, which doesn't bother me as I've been told not to ride for at least a few weeks anyway and then some long reining, etc. if I buy one off let's say ebay, at the recommended size etc, can you have them fitted properly? Stupid questions I know but I honestly have no clue when it comes to saddles.
 
Agree with wagtail.. I'd go for a thorowgood, they're light & lovely to ride in.. You would definitely need a saddle fitter or to measure her correctly.. One of my tbs is in a medium wide high wither t4 GP, the other is in a medium t4 GP & little ponio is in pony club.. I sold my leather saddle to switch to a thorowgood & I love it!!
 
And yes you can measure her buy the saddle second hand & have it fitted.. I've just picked up my latest t4 for £150, it's second hand well bought & never used & in mint condition .. My saddle fitter couldn't believe it.. Sites like preloved or your local riding/equestrian Facebook group are handy to keep at eye on as that's where I've picked mind up from & you can view it before handing the cash over unlike ebay.
 
If you find an SMS registered fitter who also sells 2nd hand saddles you shouldn't have to pay for the fitting consultation. I got my lovely old extra wide Sturgess like that, the first saddle I ever found that fitted my horse. Then he got slim and it didn't! It was a few years ago but it cost me £375 including the fitting, lady who came out with a selection of suitable saddles in the back of her car, because she had asked me about him first.
Cheap can so often work out more money - if you pay £250 on ebay then have to pay for a couple of fittings it could end up costing more.
 
Cannot recommend the new GFS monarch range enough- brand new leather saddles for 550 quid, give or take depending on model (they do dressage, GP and jump saddles) they have an adjustable gullet which is easy and inexpensive to change (gullet bar is like 20 quid) and are flocked (even the jump saddle!) for a better fit.
 
You can have a saddler come and check any saddle you buy, then make adjustments so it kind of depends a bit on whether you are going to sell her. A thorowgood would be a good option if you are on a tight budget and you will be able to afford fitting then too, if you get a second hand one there is always a market for them especially the adjustable ones.

You can't say just go for a medium, TBs aren't even all the same tree shape let alone the same width!

If you were keeping her I would go for a second hand leather saddle but unfortunately that might mean getting saddle fitter after saddle fitter out which obviously after every 40-60 pounds you spend really adds up! I went straight for an adjustable new one in the end.

If you can find a second hand Kent and masters (the adjustable I have in cob version) they really hold their value at about 550, a bit over your budget but they are so sought after (I couldn't find one!) I'd say you're unlikely to lose money on it if you sell.

They are also the same tree as thorowgood so you might be able to use their fitting guide. You definitely need to know if you want cob, normal or high wither.
 
I recently (last week) had the saddler out to fit a saddle for my tb. She is very strange shape (high withered, Slightly roach backed, different shape on each side... Yes very awkward :)) she recommended a new wintec, I have never used a wintec before and so kept an open mind. She came out and try a few saddles and then came back with the wintec. It is the new VSD GP and I am so shocked how well it fits her and how nice it is to ride in! It is also very smart looking.
All in it cost me £560 for the saddle (brand new) for it to be fitted, girth and stirrup leathers. She is like a new horse to ride in it so I would definitely recommend :)
 
If a saddle fitter comes out to check a saddle you've bought on e-bay it'll cost c.£40/60, if it doesn't fit you'll have to sell it again (costing you fees and time) then get another 'cheap' one then get the saddler out again for another fee - it soon adds up.

If you get them out to fit a second hand saddle from their stock the fitting will be free (included in the price of the saddle) and you'll get one that fits first time.

I do buy seond hand stubben saddles on line as they are stamped with a width in cms (so you can correctly judge size - on makes medium is not the same in another make!) and because they are unfashionable at the moment you can get a lovely genuine quality saddle for £200/300
 
Baggybreeches said:
Prestige Golden Star, nice saddles fit TBs well and very light. They hold their value but you should get one for £450 ish on ebay, go for a medium (which will be a 32) and it should be fine.
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Sorry, but I think that is terrible advice. My TB mare is a medium wide and needs a generous one at that...a medium would cripple her.

My TB only fits GFS saddles well for some reason, but your best bet is to get a saddle properly fitted by a qualified fitter.

You can tell them up front what your budget is and go from there.

You can never assume any horse is a certain width gullet.
 
My riding instructor has a gullet measurer thing wth the colours for cetain width etc so would it be worth measuring her with that? I want the most economical way of buying a saddle, I would rather spend 300 quid on a second hand saddle that might have a scratch but is fitted properly rather than buying a brand new saddle for 600 quid. I might measure her with my riding instructors gage thing and see what she fits and then ask my local saddle fitter to see what he has in stock and at what price....does that sound like a good idea?
 
moodymare_1993 said:
My riding instructor has a gullet measurer thing wth the colours for cetain width etc so would it be worth measuring her with that? I want the most economical way of buying a saddle, I would rather spend 300 quid on a second hand saddle that might have a scratch but is fitted properly rather than buying a brand new saddle for 600 quid. I might measure her with my riding instructors gage thing and see what she fits and then ask my local saddle fitter to see what he has in stock and at what price....does that sound like a good idea?
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Yep, but if she's off work for a few weeks, measure her when you have restarted the fittening work.

Get the best saddle fitter you can and he'll bring a selection of used saddles, which should be safe and in good working condition.
It'll be cheaper than paying for further physio.

PS, Barnsby do a lease saddle scheme I think, and you can buy the saddle at the end or send it back.
 
moodymare_1993 said:
My riding instructor has a gullet measurer thing wth the colours for cetain width etc so would it be worth measuring her with that? I want the most economical way of buying a saddle, I would rather spend 300 quid on a second hand saddle that might have a scratch but is fitted properly rather than buying a brand new saddle for 600 quid. I might measure her with my riding instructors gage thing and see what she fits and then ask my local saddle fitter to see what he has in stock and at what price....does that sound like a good idea?
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Sounds like a great idea - you can call round 2 or three saddlers and see who sounds like they have the best options in your budget, and even leave your number with them so if they get something in tomorrow in part ex they can call you.

I honestly don't think e-bay is cheaper unless you know exactly what you are looking for and it's local enough for you to go and see it/ try it on your horse - Wagtails terrible experience recently shows even someone very experienced can be taken in with a 'bargin' that really isn't!
 
I know polos mum, it's awful! I feel so sorry for my girl. I have been telling people all winter, something not right with my mare but no one would believe me. I'm just glad I got the physio out when I did before it did some real damage. Luckily she will get over this really quickly. I'm not gunna make the same mistake and hope a saddle fits without getting it properly checked!! Thankyou for all the advice. :) really appreciate it
 
Gullet measurer is a good idea, ideally you should get a flexi curve (i bought one for two quid on eBay), then you can take the width (I think the master saddlers website shows you where to measure) and trace it onto paper, and also take a measurement along her back to see the shape of her withers, and even another measurement where the back of the saddle will sit. You can then compare these tracings to the shape of a prospective saddle (could even cut out cardboard templates), just helps you wittle it down if going to a saddler to browse, our local place is used to people doing this and can advise. At least then you have a good idea and your saddle fitter can come and adjust it. My saddle fitter does it, keeps the tracings and shows me the difference when she has lost weight etc.

You also need to make sure it is not too long and that it doesn't restrict the shoulders (my horse has big shoulders so needs a straighter cut, and had a TB with this problem also). There is quite a lot of info about those basic checks online.
 
I got a Bates GP off ebay and it is lovely to ride in and seems to fit both my horses really well.

The joy of something like a Bates, it that although relatively expensive (mine cost £400) you could probably easily recoup most of the money from ebay if you sell as they are always popular.
 
Al loves her Albion Legend 5000 XC saddle- both her TBs are in one (annoyingly, they're different sizes so can't saddle share!). She combed the internet for them, and they cost about £400 each...
 
Wherabouts in Cambs are you. I know someone who sells 2nd hand saddles & may have some that you could get a saddle fitter to try. She is in Beds, but not far from parts of Cambs.
 
canteron said:
I got a Bates GP off ebay and it is lovely to ride in and seems to fit both my horses really well.

The joy of something like a Bates, it that although relatively expensive (mine cost £400) you could probably easily recoup most of the money from ebay if you sell as they are always popular.
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Just to clarify, a leather bates, I see they make synthetic ones now? I know nothing about those!
 
I would never buy a saddle off Ebay.:eek:
We always ask the saddler to come with a range of 2nd hand saddles. He asks various questions over the phone so that he knows what to bring. I never specify a brand as i think the fit for the horse and the rider comfort are more important. Saying that we both gave up trying to find one for my mare as she was such an awkward shape and he made one specially for her. He comes back every 6 months to check the fit of all the saddles and adjusts as necessary.
 
I know about mark fisher. He is virtually impossible to get an appointment with tho. I tried last year with him but was told by his secretary it was a waiting time of over 6 months before he could see me and that was a time starting after the olympics as apparently he was extremely busy because of the Olympics as I wasn't a regular customer. I can't wait 6 months for a saddler. As that's 6 months of not riding, which with my mare, is way too much time to have off. Especially over the nicer weather i rely on the nice weather conditions to ride as no facilities :/
 
Albions fit tbs, you can get them 2nd hand for approx 600/650 on eBay. Sometimes less. I would be lunging 4 times a week to keep muscle up until you can afford a saddle. I'd get a saddler out dont run the eBay risk if you can only spend your budget once.
 
McW said:
Albions fit tbs, you can get them 2nd hand for approx 600/650 on eBay. Sometimes less. I would be lunging 4 times a week to keep muscle up until you can afford a saddle. I'd get a saddler out dont run the eBay risk if you can only spend your budget once.
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Not mine, lol. I have a short coupled ex hurdler and the only leather saddles that fit are the good GFS ones. Even TBs are all different :-)
 
Just to throw another name out there - my Collegiate GP is a lovely saddle which was bought for my TB and then fitted to my cob when she was sold (adjustable gullet). Mine was just under £300 second hand :)
 
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