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Why is buying a saddle so frustrating??

2K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  poppy1356 
#1 ·
Ok, sorry this is sort of a rant and a huge pet peeve of mine.

When you list your saddle for sale include measurements. Correct measurements, google how to do it if you have to. Also put up some pictures and make sure they are clear.

This is stressing me out more than it should. I need a saddle, I do not have one that fits my horse. I have been borrowing a saddle that doesn't completely fit. It sits on the withers, so I am using a band aid (riser pad) for now. Luckily it fits every other way and after a good workout she was completely dry under the saddle, sweaty around saddle, so I know it's fitting that way. But I cannot borrow tack forever.

I know what I want in a saddle but I am also willing to settle for anything that is usable that fits both of us. But how am I supposed to shop for a saddle when you put one blurry, dark, and off center, weird angle picture with a description that it's a medium tree because it fit your horse and you measured a 17 in seat, and I can only guess that you measured wrong due to the lack of information.

Does anyone else feel this is frustrating?? Sorry for the rant but this has been really getting on my nerves. Thanks to all who actually read this.
 
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#3 ·
Yes I do, but I don't think bars apply as I am looking for english. She needs a 7.25 in gullet, has a pretty flat back but very high withers. She has a slight dip above her shoulder as she needs to build muscle yet. She can have no bigger than a 17 in seat.
 
#7 ·
Haha I wish I would have started looking in January when I got her but I couldn't ride her then so I didn't bother. But it's just insane or people seem to think that their stuff is worth what they paid for it before they got it all dirty and didn't take care of it. It shouldn't be this hard. Grrr wish I could take my horse with to look at all the saddles.
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#8 ·
I actually brought cardboard cutouts of my horse's withers, back and shoulders with me for saddle shopping. I used a flexi-thingy (sorry I have no idea what it's called. You can find it in any store that sells architect type supplies). Anyway, I used the flex thing to get the exact shpae of my horses withers, then copied it to cardboard and made a cut out. Same with the back and shoulders. I definitely helped weed out the instant "no"s when I was looking.

I do feel your pain. Saddle shopping is a *itch.
 
#9 ·
I did that, that's how I know what I'm looking for. Everyone's idea of wide varies so pictures really help to tell if they are way off. And to look at one I could easily drive an hour or more around here which with gas prices I want to make pretty darn sure it's going to fit first. I really wanted a dressage saddle but I may have to settle with an ap. the tack store has what I want but I'm not depleting my savings for a saddle.

Oh yea and there's seems to be an abundance of people who don't respond to emails. How do you expect to sell something without responding to questions and giving me pictures. Ugh so frustrating. But on a better note someone finally emailed back, although I'm not very hopeful it will fit.
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#10 ·
It took me two years to find a saddle that would fit Dancer...and me. She's high withered and has a short, broad back. To make things more difficult, she lost a lot of weight at one point, started gaining it back, got sick, and lost a lot more weight. She wouldn't hold her weight long enough for me to try to see how wide a saddle she did or didn't need.

I had pretty much given up, when older daughter and her hubby surprised me. I should have known when they were asking so many questions about what size/type saddle I was looking for.

It ain't the best saddle in the world, but beggars can't be choosers!:D

Horse Bridle Vertebrate Horse tack Halter


Hang in there. Hard to fit horses are not impossible to fit horses - and think of how you will feel riding in your own saddle!

And there is a reason why it was so hard to find a saddle, it had to fit her back, and my backside! (I felt sorry for her the first time I rode her, (and it was in a saddle that didn't fit either one of us very well), but she seemed to enjoy it until she got tired of the saddle pinching her withers)

Mammal Vertebrate Horse Horse supplies Stallion


I can't wait to use mine!
 
#11 ·
Congratulations on the new saddle. I keep reminding my family my birthday is coming up in a couple months hehe. I can't go two years without a saddle I want to do some serious riding so I really need one that fits. But I know it's not to bad as the one I used twice she would start bucking but she doesn't anymore. Wish I could just win the lottery and I could have someone come make a custom one.
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#12 ·
It's my dream to lose enough weight that I can fit in a normal sized saddle. (And not worry that I'm too heavy for my horse.) Then maybe I can get a really good saddle and make sure it fits her properly!
 
#13 ·
saddle fitting

Poppy, Glad you posted this question. I rescued my mare from the Impound I volunteer at in April. She was extremely emaciated. She is slowly recovering & soon maybe another 3 weeks I'll need to find her a saddle. I haven't even decided if I'm going western or english. I've been told by just about by everyone that you have to do all sorts of measuring of your horse & the saddle must fit the horse not so much the rider. Have you found a saddle yet?
 
#14 ·
Dee- thats always a good goal and then you can save up to maybe even get a custom one, that's what I would love.

Tb lover- read the stickys in the tack section they are very helpful. But you do need a saddle that fits you too. Otherwise you won't be in the right position or you won't feel secure. This is why it's so frustrating what fits you might not fit the horse and vice versa. It can get complicated and frustrating.
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#15 ·
Maybe I just got stupid lucky. I bought my dressage saddle, a 35 year old Passier with a medium wide gullet and 17 inch seat, and it fits just about every horse I bother putting it on (even though every one tells me Passier runs very narrow). It fits me too, and I am superbly happy with how it fits my legs (flap is long enough for my leg). All I pad with is a thin line and a western saddle blanket or dressage pad. I ride some fat Walkers and QH's lol. Stupid lucky that I have had no fitting problems yet. And I got it off ebay with a piss poor description of its "aesthetic imperfections" meaning the broken stirrup bar wasn't named, but the tree is still good and the leather in great shape despite the smell of cheap lotion sticking to it. I had to deal with outrageous shipping charges too. Plus the seller waited until the last darn minute to ship it to me. Very aggrivating.

So you have to give and take and hope you get lucky. I passed up a 300.00 Stubben close contact dressage for a slightly cheaper Passier, and I'm happy I did.
 
#18 ·
Now I'm stuck between getting the saddle I really want or settling for something that might work for 200$ less. I haven't seen pictures yet but it is a wide and was used on a morab but don't know brand but then I have 48 hours to decide if I want to take the offer on the saddle I've been hunting for but it's about 200 more and doesn't come with anything. Money is a huge factor right now as I had to spend a lot on fly gear for my horse as fly spray doesn't cut it with her sensitive skin and I have to go to barn twice a day to put it on and take it off so more gas money.

So now I'm really not sure what I want. If I can borrow the money from my bf I will prolly get the saddle I really want but I feel I could get a better price elsewhere. So now I'm stressed even more. Ugh.
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