Where do you buy your saddles from?

[Scribbles]

Where do people get their saddles from? Do you buy brand new and get a local saddler to fit/adjust, or do you buy from the saddler's store?

 

[vicksey]

Hi, I bought a 4 year old, with slight cold back, very very green and fresh so thought it best to get my saddle first hand and properly fitted by a qualified master saddle fitter.

I was borrowing a saddle at first and when I got my own I could not believe how different my horse felt to ride. I also Have it re flocked every year.

I dont think people appreciate the importance of having a correctly fitting saddle. It may be more expensive this way but at least you know your horses saddle fits well. Hope this helps.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

I think it depends on whether you have an "off the peg" ned or not! Some horses have such odd shaped backs, withers, shoulders, muscles, bellies, you name it that "off the peg", ie standard fit from a good tack shop/catalogue/on line would never work. In this case, I think the only answer is a master saddler. As vicksey says, the difference between the right saddle and a wrong saddle is enormous.

 

[sillygillyhorse]

I am fortunate to have a very very good chap local to us, he has his own range of saddles that he gets made up by established saddlers in Walsall. He is particular about fit, shape of the tree to suit the horse, conformation, shape of the rider etc. Now only really use him for saddle fitting and if I need a new one. The last saddle I had from him was made specially to suit me and the horse as nothing off the peg came near. That said I am particular about saddles fitting.