Wintec gullet / CAIR change - should any saddler be able to adjust?

[Jericho]

I have booked the saddler to come out this Wednesday to fit my new horse up with a new secondhand dressage saddle. I could tell when I spoke to them that all the saddles she was planning to bring would be right at the top of/probably over my budget and she was umming and ahhing quite a bit about what she did have so I suspect that I wasnt going to get much of a choice (and I have tried several saddlers in the area and this was the only one who could offer me anything!)

As a backup I had been on the look out for an Isabell Werth Wintec saddle and luckily managed to find one this weekend. I have previously tried another identical one on my mare and liked it and had an experienced opinion say that it suited/fitted both me and the horse but I still wanted to get a qualified saddler to check it out etc as you would!

Anyway I rang the saddler today to enquire whether she would be able to bring some different size gullets as this was the one thing I was unsure about on the one we tried on. And I was quite surprised by their response - "oh no we dont stock synthetic saddles at all so dont have any accessories" as though it was a sin not to use leather! And when I enquired as to whether the saddler would be able to change the gullet if I could get hold of the narrow / medium gullet if necessary she said oh I suspect so and when I mentioned the CAIR she sounded as though she didnt have a clue and said again " I am sure she would be able to adjust it" - not really the kind of response I am confident about!

Anyway as title post, would i be better getting a synthetic saddle specialist in if such a thing exists?

 

[ihatework]

You can change the gullet yourself, you don't need a saddler to do that for you. However obviously a saddler can tell you if the fit/balance of the saddle is correct.
As for adjusting CAIR, you cannot adjust CAIR, it's in sealed bags. There is some scope to adjust flocking above the cair.

To be honest it sounds as though the saddler doesn't really want the work if it doesn't involve selling a saddle

 

[Roody2]

Hello!!

If your saddler doesn't sound confident/interested I wouldn't go to them. If you can't find a specialist near you then speak to the saddler at Frogpool as he is very good with wintec and he may be able to recommend a saddler near you who will be more helpful.

 

[Jericho]

yes that is immediately what I thought - i.e. now they knew I had a saddle and probably wouldnt be buying one of theirs they didnt really want to know. Disappointing really as I really respected them before.

 

[Jericho]

hello! Hope your trip back was as quick as the one out!

Saddle looks great - very pleased with it, fingers crossed it fits now. I'll ring Frogpool if this saddler is as uninterested as she sounded on the phone!

Thanks again