What to do with a broken saddle?

[Ellietotz]

I recently bought a saddle on Ebay which unfortunately turned out to have a broken tree which my saddle fitter confirmed.

It is a really nice Ideal two tone brown GP and aesthetically is quite nice IMO. Seems a shame to throw it in the bin but I haven't got the space to do anything with it.

I wouldn't want anyone to use it actually on a horse but I was wondering if it would be handy for anything else.

Any thoughts?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Gutting! Can you not get your money back via PayPal

 

[DirectorFury]

Is having the tree replaced not an option?

 

[Ellietotz]

Gutting! Can you not get your money back via PayPal

I did, thankfully!

 

[Ellietotz]

Is having the tree replaced not an option?

I wasn't sure if it would be cost effective for a saddle worth maybe £200

 

[Boulty]

Maybe see if a local saddler or equine college could use it as a teaching aid?

 

[Equi]

There might be some bars or museums etc who could use it for display, or give it to an equine school to teach about broken saddles

 

[cobgoblin]

Turn it into a stool?

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

People make handbags out of them

 

[SEL]

I knew someone who was at equine college and gave them my twisted monarch to strip down.

 

[cremedemonthe]

I used to get a few through the workshop as insurance jobs, I'd give assessments etc on them, they claimed on insurance and like you I would have the broken saddles left with me. I used to show/teach people about the trees and how they break but when I had finished with them I'd cut the flaps and girth straps off them and dump them up the local tip, if you don't disable them like this if you decide to bin it, then unscrupulous people sell them on ebay.
Oz

 

[hobo]

There is a lady who makes them in to handbags and may even buy it off you or you could donate it. I think to have it made in to a handbag for yourself is quite expensive though through her.

 

[Henry02]

Depends, if the saddle is nice and with a new tree would fit your horse, I’d have it repaired

 

[J&S]

Ideal will mend a broken tree, then you can use it or sell with a clear conscience.

 

[Ellietotz]

Depends, if the saddle is nice and with a new tree would fit your horse, I’d have it repaired

It fit the horse okay but I wasn't comfortable in it. The saddle fitter said to just bin it!

 

[Baywonder]

It all depends upon the saddle in question. The average price for a new, wooden spring tree is £100 (including the VAT) - and then you have the labour and other materials to add on to this cost too. It is not a 5 minute job either - the whole saddle needs stripping back.

Most of the bigger saddle companies are too busy to take on repair jobs like this - they are quoting 6 weeks to 3 months delivery for a new saddle, so the chances of having a repair like this done quickly is virtually zero.

 

[sbloom]

It all depends upon the saddle in question. The average price for a new, wooden spring tree is £100 (including the VAT) - and then you have the labour and other materials to add on to this cost too. It is not a 5 minute job either - the whole saddle needs stripping back.

Most of the bigger saddle companies are too busy to take on repair jobs like this - they are quoting 6 weeks to 3 months delivery for a new saddle, so the chances of having a repair like this done quickly is virtually zero.

This. A local master saddler is a more likely option if they can source the right tree. Otherwise I'm with this and with Oz.

 

[cremedemonthe]

To be honest sbloom it's more trouble than it's worth as Baywonder says trees aren't cheap, then there's the labour and other indirect materials to consider. I have done it in the past but after a few eventually started getting the customer to refer back to the saddle maker as trying to get the right tree was hard PLUS and more importantly, leather blocks to shape so it was hard getting everything to fit correctly on to the new tree, even with the exact same tree as the original.
If you don't get it right it upsets the whole balance of the saddle.
The main problem I have seen with a new tree put in a saddle was that the points kept popping out of the point pocket as whoever rebuilt the one I was shown used the wrong tree.
I know my friend and colleague Matty Marlowe puts new trees in, too much hassle for me to do them now though as I'd hate to get it wrong.
Oz

 

[sbloom]

To be honest sbloom it's more trouble than it's worth as Baywonder says trees aren't cheap, then there's the labour and other indirect materials to consider. I have done it in the past but after a few eventually started getting the customer to refer back to the saddle maker as trying to get the right tree was hard PLUS and more importantly, leather blocks to shape so it was hard getting everything to fit correctly on to the new tree, even with the exact same tree as the original.
If you don't get it right it upsets the whole balance of the saddle.
The main problem I have seen with a new tree put in a saddle was that the points kept popping out of the point pocket as whoever rebuilt the one I was shown used the wrong tree.
I know my friend and colleague Matty Marlowe puts new trees in, too much hassle for me to do them now though as I'd hate to get it wrong.
Oz

I agree with you but people still want to get it done, and some saddlers are still happy to do it. I guess from an environmental point of view it's a good thing, but with a leather saddle with a wooden tree at least it's a natural material.

 

[Annagain]

I was discussing this with my saddler just last week and he said as long as the leather is in good condition and it's a quality saddle (Ideal are one of the brands he sells so I assume he thinks they are) it's worth doing. He told me my 20yr old Ideal saddle (that I paid £600 for 15 years ago) would still be worth about £450 now so even spending £200 on a new tree would probably be worth it if you can find someone to do the job.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Try and flog it as an ornament I wouldn't bother changing the tree on a saddle worth that much it's probably not worth it.