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Very frusterated! Need to vent

5K views 30 replies 13 participants last post by  gothicangel69 
#1 ·
So, I got Flash almost a year ago now and I still havn't really ridden him yet. He was very underweight when I got him and had major holes in his training, so for the first summer and fall we did lots of easy ground work and worked on his weight. I left him alone all winter (except for grooming and hanging out) to finish growing(he'll be 4 in July). Come spring, we really got into the training to get him ready for saddle work. I hoped to have him ready for the trails this year. He has progressed amazingly on his ground work, and is ready to start under saddle. Unfortunately, I have been looking for 3 months, and do you think I can find a saddle that fits him and is under 2500? No! There's really not much else I can teach him on the ground- he's ready, but we can't go any farther until I find a saddle. I'm getting very frustrated as if I don't find a saddle soon, he won't be good enough to take on the trails this year (we go around a lot of busy roads, so he has to be very good in the ring before we can go outside). I was going to look at a saddle tomorrow that I am pretty sure will fit, but the woman has not been answering my e-mails all of a sudden, so that will likely be a no go as well.
I am just very frustrated with this saddle thing right now and needed to vent.
Thanks for listening!!
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#2 ·
I read, I hope you find a saddle. I am squishing my brow really hard & hoping for you, honestly. Next week post pics of your new saddle, since I know my "hoping really hard" vibes will work for you.
 
#5 ·
I've never heard of tack swap- I'll have to check it out. I've been looking on craigslist, kijiji, atlantic rider, and even online internet stores (which I'm a little nervous to buy from as I can't see and feel the saddle before buying it (none of them had what I needed anyways- even after e-mailing the companies). My boys very hard to fit- he need semi bars, and almost no rock as his back is pretty flat. I literally have been looking like 3 times a day every day on all these sites, hoping something would show up. I even called the tack stores in the next province over, hoping they might have what I need- it would have been at least a 4 hour drive there and back, but would have been worth it if I found something.
The only person I know that has a saddle which fits him is my BO, but unfortunately, that saddle fits all three of her horses, and is almost always being used (she teaches lessons). I will ask today though if I can borrow it until I find something- maybe we can work out a schedule or something).
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#10 ·
I bought a used Big Horn endurance saddle on ebay for with shipping $290 my friends and sister loved it, so my sister went out and bought a used Big Horn endurance saddle in a different color for $300 on ebay. I just typed in used Big Horn saddle it took me about 2 weeks to find one for my sister. Hope you find one soon.
 
#12 ·
He's an almost 4 year old standardbred- 15.1 hands.
I found a saddlery about an hour away, and went to visit them this morning. He said my best bet is to get something a touch too big and pad him up this year since he still has some filling out to do. He said we can try as many as we need to get a decent fit, and I can also trailer him down if I want so he can help. Only problem is the saddles are about 1500 + tax, and my budget is 1000 right now. I think I'm going to save up another 1000, and see how much it will cost to trailer him down. I'll probably need 2500 at least for everything. Hoping to sell my old car tonight, and should get at least 1000 for it, so then I'd only need another 500. I just don't think I'll be able to find a used one that will fit anytime soon, and am a little nervous about buying online. The one I was looking at was a reinsman saddle.
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#13 ·
I don't know where you are at, but I see decent saddles all the time for less than 700, and they are of all sorts too, used of course, but still in great condition.

And I would run from the Dixieland Saddles, as I know a member on another forum that had custom saddle built, that was so far from right it wasn't even funny, and even after Dixieland "repaired" it? It left the sides uneven, from front to back, one was several inches shorter.

The woman who bought the saddle wrote several times to the owner of Dixieland, and got increasingly more hateful replies. I also wrote to her telling her how disappointing it was to see the quality of these saddles. Her e-mail back was testy. The saddle had to be taken to private saddlemaker to repair, meaning not only did she spend the money for a "custom" saddle, and pay to ship it back to Dixieland to repair, which wasn't done even close to right, she is now out money to repair a brand new saddle.

Not a company I would ever consider buying from.
 
#15 ·
If your trainers saddle fits, is that what you are looking for? SHould not be this difficult if you know what fits. If you try to buy online, as I have, I measure the saddle I know fits. Then I ask the seller (online) to measure (for example, the gullt, which everyone seems to measure a bit differently) and take a picture of them measuring, so that you know exactly how they measured it and can compare to the known saddle. Shoot-I bought my Bob's custom for $2k. You can get a saddle for your price.
 
#17 ·
I had a heck of a time getting a saddle for my horse too. I wound up getting one that almost fit, and using one of those closed-cell-foam back riser pads. We rode in that all fall and winter, and the regional saddle-fitter came through town last week and did some adjustments to the flocking - now the saddle fits both of us like a dream, no riser pad needed any more, etc.

It seems like there are also a lot of saddles with interchangeable gullet systems - would something like that help?
 
#18 ·
I took the measurements off my Bo's saddle, made a diagram of where to take the measurements, and have sent them to everyone I have inquired about a saddle to- even the online companies. They either don't get back to me, or the measurements are too large. I think I need a semi or quarter horse type bars, with a gullet of 6 to 6 1\2. Almost all the saddles for sale locally are full bars, which are way too big. Also, almost every saddle I have tried has too much rock since his back is quite flat.
I don't know much about saddle fitting, which was why I was thinking it may be better to pay the little extra money to have him find the correct saddle and pad that will fit us both best. He is a very knowledgable man who has been selling and repairing saddles for 40 years. As much as I don't want to spend that much, I think it may be the best option for my boy (and his comfort is very important to me).
He has tons and tons of saddles there, all different sizes and brands, so if I brought my horse there, it would be a one time shot instead of driving all over the place or sending back saddles which don't fit. I am beginning to think that it may be cheaper to go this route, than to waste tons of money on gas and shipping expenses. Still undecided though.
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#20 ·
I did check out the same brand my bo has, but the were over 2000 new and I can't find any used ones around. I did send an e-mail off to someone this morning who has a few used saddles for sale at a good price. Hopefully they get back to me. I am continuing to check online as well. Does anyone have any links for sites which sell quarter and semi bar saddles? My searches always turn up the same companies.
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#21 · (Edited)
have you tried Tack Swap? I'm serious, there's over 20 saddles for sale on there atm. Just a quick search on there.. this one is semi QH bars. People will jump to help you find a saddle, especially if they're selling one you're looking for.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150890500958376&set=oa.10150779234570012&type=1&ref=nf

Just gotta look a little bit.

That one is $400 with free shipping. 6 1/2 gullet, semi bars.. it's really cool looking. I mean, that took me what.. 5 minutes?

You'll find the one you want, just gotta keep looking. Don't give up!
 
#24 ·
Most saddle companies sell both. You have not said what kind of saddle are you looking for? I have a Rocking R reiner, and if you have not looked at their saddles you should. THey are great middle of the line priced saddles. I have a reiner, and am thinking about selling it now that I have my Bob's....but I like it so much I am hesitating. It is full bars, and sat flat on my guy, who you can see in my pictures-Guinness..
As I said, check out Corriente-just google it and they will come up. Look at Horseclicks, tacktrader.com and I also checked ebay daily for new listings of used saddles to find my Bob's.
Unless you tell us what you are looking for it is difficult to help. What make is the BO's? Seat type (barrel, reiner, equitation, etc), seat size?

I got my Rocking R from Shells saddle shack-she is really nice and sells used saddles-you can google her also.
 
#25 ·
YES!! Found a saddle today!
I found an add this morning and drove for over 3 yrs today to go pick it up. It looks like it was made just for him. Its a Billy Cook saddle, only 4 years old, and I got it for 850.


Thanks for all the vibes! I gues they worked.
Now I can start really getting him ready for those trails!!
YIPPY!!
 
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