Where are these Antill Saddles coming from?

[Posh Porsche]

Hi all

I have just bought a brand new Tan Antill close contact style saddle off Ebay.
The metal plate says "Antill Saddles. English Leather. England"
Does any one know who is making these?
I thought Antill stopped trading yonks ago, I Googled them and there is no website for Antill...
so where are these brand new Antill saddles coming from?

Any information would be very much appreciated

 

[flying solo]

Don't know but I had a brand new GP saddle that was found in the back of a old saddlers shop! After dusting it off there wasn't a mark in it, had never been girthed up!

 

[Posh Porsche]

There just seem to be an awful lot of brand new Antill saddles for sale on Ebay and I was wondering who's making them and if they might be Fake?

 

[marlyclay]

I think you may be right to be cautious. What does the quality of your saddle look like. Is it what you expected? What other items does the seller have for sale?

 

[s4sugar]

What does it say on the Stirrup bars?
There seem to be a lot of new saddles on ebay from a company that ceased trading several years ago and some have had made in Argentina on the stirrup bars which suggests they are not the real deal.

 

[marlyclay]

Yes good point. Also I have heard that the fakes are poorly made and that there is some play on the stirrup bars that shouldn't be poss. Some of the anthills on ebay at the moment look very cheap and not well made from the photos. If you are doubtful het yours checked by a reptuable saddler and then make a complaint to ebay. You should be able to get your money back.

 

[hayinamanger]

These saddles are have a red maker's stud, they are definitely fakes. I don't know where they are made, but you can see on close inspection that they are very poor quality, look at the way the pommel and cantle are finished, it's rough job. There's no BS mark on the stirrup bars and, worst of all, the girth straps are all stitched to the same piece of webbing. Avoid.

 

[Tinseltoes]

I used to own a genuine Antill saddle and it was really well made and sadly had to sell it (eventually) as It was no use to me.I have seen a few on ebay and think they must be fakes.
Probebly made in India who knows??????

 

[glamourpuss]

I know someone who bought a tan antill saddle from EBay believing it to be English.. It clearly said 'made in Argentina' on the stirrup bars. She took it to a saddler to check over...
He said it was not a saddle he would sell, the leather was cheaper & rougher than anything English. But he did say the actual construction of it seemedfor & safe. Certainly not of the ilk of some of the hideous Indian saddles he had seen.....he told us about one that he was asked to reflock, he took it apart & discovered the girth straps were stapled in!!
She did manage to send it back & get a refund though

 

[glamourpuss]

Sorry my message got garbled :
The saddler said the construction seemed ok & safe.

 

[Posh Porsche]

Thank you for all your responses. Very helpful, and interesting. Please keep them coming.

The quality is actually not bad, it's very neatly made, much better than I would expect from a fake, and better than a lot of English saddles I've seen!

I also have a Kieffer Aachen and a Henri de Rivel and it's obviously not up to that standard but the leather feels and smells good, like the seats in my Porsche! The stirrup bars are solid (not wobbly) there is no writing on the stirrup bars, it does have red studs and the girth straps are all stitched to the same piece of webbing.

I bought it mainly out of curiosity really as I know Antill saddles aren't made any more, so can't really complain as I knew this before I bought it. Obviously without taking it apart I can't see whether the girth straps are stapled in!

There seem to be a lot of them and I'm curious as to where they are coming from.

Has any one used one over a long period of time? Do they wear well or fall apart?

I will try and upload a photo later but I have to go out this morning.

 

[s4sugar]

Thank you for all your responses. Very helpful, and interesting. Please keep them coming.

The quality is actually not bad, it's very neatly made, much better than I would expect from a fake, and better than a lot of English saddles I've seen!

I also have a Kieffer Aachen and a Henri de Rivel and it's obviously not up to that standard but the leather feels and smells good, like the seats in my Porsche! The stirrup bars are solid (not wobbly) there is no writing on the stirrup bars, it does have red studs and the girth straps are all stitched to the same piece of webbing.

I bought it mainly out of curiosity really as I know Antill saddles aren't made any more, so can't really complain as I knew this before I bought it. Obviously without taking it apart I can't see whether the girth straps are stapled in!


I will try and upload a photo later but I have to go out this morning.

You have a fake... Antill saddles should be at least as good as your other saddles and three girth straps should usually have two webbing fixers. Please get a saddler to check it or return it if you haven't used it. A word to trading standards wouldn't be amiss.

 

[OFG]

Came across a 2 tone tan 'Antill' saddle on Friday at a local table top tack sale.

Luckily I remembered this post and viewed it with caution. Definitely a fake The makers plate under the skirt wasn't even attached properly and overhung the stirrup bars.

Seller only wanted £150 for it - brand new. I commented on how cheap it was, yes bargain isn't it but apparently she was 'selling for someone else' and that was the price they put on it to sell.

 

[DragonSlayer]

I'm selling one on ebay, but it's a few years old now...! Definately not fake....

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

As an Antill retailer for over 20 years i can tell you they are not fake. The original Antill's were Walsall made, most were 17" and fantastic on those awkward 14.2hh chunky cob/native types and a godsend for arabs.Well worth seeking out on ebay- look for saracen or landau GP/VSD styles as i wasnt as keen on the jumping saddle- crusader. Metal saddle nails, usually silver nickel although i have seen the odd brass one with antill and a little shield engraved on it. I loved them as they were made and very good value. I had them on all my ponies.

Then Mr Antill decided to have them made in Argentina, the same as many saddle compaies have done- you would be VERY shocked at some of the names selling English leather saddles made over there... Anyway,these are mainly jumping saddles with close contact panels, red saddle nails and come in black, australian nut (tan) or a really plasticy looking chocolate brown. I didnt like these at all and coupled with paying upfront for four (genuinely english made) saddles which never arrived and Antill stopped returning my calls, you can understand why i ceased to have anything to do with them....But i still adore the original saddles and think it's a terrible shame they stopped making them.