M. Toulouse Billets

3348 Views 13 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Saddlebag, Sep 6, 2014

Horseychick94

Discussion Starter · Aug 26, 2014

Has anyone had any problems with Toulouse billets? I have a Toulouse Genesis Aachen dressage saddle and from day ONE (bought BNWT) the billets were not as good quality as the rest of the saddle. I shrugged it off and used it anyway figuring if I oiled them they would be fine. I oiled them and have used the saddle maybe 25-30 times and the billets on the left side are all flaky and one of them is so thin and floppy it looks like it will break one of these rides. I went to a local tack shop and saw the new Toulouses and the billets were just as stiff and crappy. I spoke with the shop owner and she mentioned she had gotten a Toulouse CC in and that one of the billets was so overly thick that a girth would not be able to buckle on it. She had to have it replaced by a leather worker. Intec doesn't seem to have very good customer service either. Anyone have this problem? I love the saddle to death but you would expect better billets on a French saddle! Especially if someones life could depend on the billets themselves!

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unclearthur

· #5 · Aug 26, 2014

They look like chrome tanned leather to me. If so, they'll always fray and crack a little as they stretch but the leather's usually pretty strong. It's also resistant to sweat so you shouldn't, oil because it doesn't absorb that well, just use a top dressing to give the surfaces some 'slip'.

It's also worth bearing the girth in mind. Modern stainless roller buckles cause less stress on leather than non-rollers, but the worst are chrome or nickel plated. Plain plated buckles rust, giving a rough surface which rubs the leather, and rollers on them often open slightly so you get a sharp edge which isn't very kind, either