Anyone have any info on these? Do you have to go through a rep to order custom? Custom trees or pre-set trees? Other customized options? What kinds of backs to the trees fit best (i only know LG and verdades have this saddle)?
Prices for brand new and customized?
I took a Dresch saddle out on trial and I really really loved it. As soon as I took it out of the box, I melted. I was so disappointed when I realized that the saddle seat was a half size too big for me.
I do believe you need to go through a rep to order a custom saddle.
My understanding is that there are two lines, a fully custom and a semi-custom line.
When I last spoke to the rep, these were in the $5k+ range.
I have two, though I’m currently riding my three horses in two Customs. When my new baby outgrows the Custom she’ll likely be in one of the Dresches - right now she and my gelding can share, but she’ll end up needing her saddle wider as she fills out, I assume. My custom one was from a rep who is no longer repping them, and the instability regarding their initial reps and ability to replace parts was a turnoff against the company. I don’t know what they’re like now, though. My other Dresch is a young horse saddle which didn’t fit as well as my Custom, so I’m not using it on this specific young horse. She’s abnormally uphill and balanced, though - and I love the open seat and variable balance possible with the young horse saddle.
It sounds like they’re now more expensive than they were when first in the US, so I don’t have answers on that. The website used to be pretty clear.
I bought mine (used) from a rep 3 years ago. Before she came to the barn, she had me take very specific photos from certain angles of my horse’s back, then she came out with a van full of saddles to try. We narrowed it down pretty quickly to which tree would fit him and she watched me ride in 3 models of saddle with that tree. Again, this is for a used saddle, so my choices were limited to the used stock she had, but when I picked my favorite, stuffed/fit it on the spot and I’m super pleased with my purchase.
The rep I worked with was awesome, but she does travel all the time, so you do have to make a fitting appointment months in advance.
If you are buying new, you can either go full custom, or they do have a semi-custom (Pret-a-porter) line as well. But even with the semi-custom line, you cant just order it from the website. To make sure the saddle is the best for you and your horse aa rep will need to come out. pricing is what you would expect for a well-made custom saddle.
I have a custom Dresch and love it for my pony. I went through a rep and it was fitted to meet her needs as she’s short backed and wide through the shoulders. They made adjustments to the seat for me.
LetItBe
I went through a rep…love my Dresch. Unfortunately they started making the flap way too thick for some reason (couldn’t get leg on horse) One of my clients bought one…we had to send it back to get the flap thing redone. They were difficult about it for some reason.I am hoping if I need another one in the future they have fixed that problem.
I bought one on consignment in August because even just sitting on the plastic horse it felt wonderful. Its the Legolas tree apparently and after sending the closest rep pics of my horse’s back I was told it would never work and might damage my horses back…well its been a few months and my horse and I still love it. It hasn’t been fitted or adjusted. Its the first saddle that I have ever ridden in and forgot it was there basically. I have worked at a tack shop so have the benefit of training from various reps and as a trainer myself have ridden in clients’ saddles of all makes and models for over 25 years, so I am not uneducated about fitting. I have even gone treeless with a Moffett Vogue which is the only other saddle my horse approved of. He gets balky and threatens to rear and I joke he is a Prince always looking for peas!! As for price, I see them on ebay in the $3k and up range but I got mine for less than half that. I have no idea why it was priced so low but definitely feel like the horse gods were blessing me…lol The difference in my horse’s way of going was huge from the first ride and we have made rapid progress in comparison to the time spent prior trying to deal with the other saddles that he didn’t like.
Bumping this old thread to see if there are any newer experiences. I’m looking at a 2023 Verdades. The reviews I’ve read seem mostly positive!
I have a friend who uses Dresch saddles. The old ones are well-made, she says. The newer ones are built on an Argentine tree and are CROOKED. She’s had all sorts of trouble getting left lead canters, left bends, etc. She took a careful look at the (newish) saddle and realized the tree was warped.
Dresch started cutting corners when they went to Argentina for their trees.
Always check saddle trees for straightness, used or new! Even a well-built used saddle can warp over time with bad riding or bad care.
Wow, good to know! They are not cheap, so why are they cutting corners on the tree? I have it on the way for a trial, I will bring it to my local person the check out for sure!
I’d guess they want to increase their profit margin. Good trees aren’t cheap, or cheaply made.
All newer (after 2022) bespoke Dresch saddles are made in Germany - the older ones have been made in England.
Every saddle is made to the measurements of your horse and designed specifically for you.
No cookie cutter saddles, but 100% handmade, bespoke saddles.
They all are made on English trees, not a single tree from Argentinia, India or China or elsewhere in the world ever went into a Dresch saddle.
I should know - as we are making them.
If your saddle has a warped tree - which can happen with ANY kind of raw material and any kind of manufacturing process, please contact your certified Dresch fitter.
They will be happy to check the saddle and have us swap out the tree if it is asymmetrical beyond repair.
Keep riding!
About 9 months overdue for a little fact-checking with Saddlery Dresch!
First, let’s address the biggest fabrication above: We can assure you and your friend that Saddlery Dresch has never—at any time—sourced even one saddle tree from Argentina (or anywhere outside the UK). All Dresch trees have always been made in the UK by the same BSI-certified (British Standards Institute) tree manufacturer we’ve worked with and trusted for years—because they’re the only makers who meet our standards. Our trees come with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty and go through rigorous quality control inspections both at the factory and again at our shop in Germany before they’re ever used in a saddle.
Second, on the topic of crooked trees: It’s true that any tree maker can produce a flawed or asymmetrical tree. But there’s a simple, cost-effective remedy for that: we take the time to measure and inspect every single tree for symmetry and balance upon arrival from the UK. Trees that don’t meet our standards get sent straight back to the manufacturer—at their expense, not ours. There’s no logic (or savings) in building a saddle on a flawed tree? We guarantee the fit to our client and would be obligated to immediately replace the entire saddle.
Third, regarding warping: Warping is a risk for plastic or synthetic trees—not with the wood-laminate, steel-reinforced (wood spring) trees we use. We don’t use plastic or synthetic trees. Period.
Fourth, the idea that we’ve ever tried to cut corners or reduce costs is really amusing!. Dresch has made Bespoke saddles from day one. From 2011 to 2021, we worked with the model-based manufacturing environment in the UK—and it was a constant struggle to achieve the level of quality and consistency we demand.
The goal of Model-based manufacturing is efficiency speed and volume to keep costs down. Factories are paid by how many saddles they ship each week, with little time allowed for quality control or the individual attention required to make Bespoke saddles. Dresch saddles contain nothing generic that can be pre-cut or batch assembled. Every component is made for one horse, one rider, one combination—which means the variation between saddles is exponential. There’s no way to rush that without very costly mistakes.
By 2020 it was clear to everyone involved that we couldn’t meet our standards unless we had control over the workflow processes. So in 2021, we invested in our own dedicated production facility in Germany—not to cut costs, but to slow the process down and put quality first. Even in the UK, our production costs were higher than any other brand, at least twice those of model-based brands. Today, they’re closer to three times higher—yet our prices remain extremely competitive. Saddlery Dresch was not a get rich quick scheme, not by any stretch of the imagination. Add our investment in training and support for highly skilled and qualified Saddle Fitters, each one takes 3 years of Mentorship and guidance to prepare them to work with our saddles and clients, while 50% “fail to launch” between the second and third years.
This is a labor of love—driven by our passion for horses and our determination to do what we set out to in 2012… protect horses from the damage caused by poor saddle design and fit by untrained Sales Reps.
Finally, if you still have doubts, we invite you to come see for yourself. You’re always welcome to visit our production workshop and watch each tree being inspected, measured, and approved before it moves into production and we’ll even show you the BSI stamps! You’ll see the lengths we go to build saddles that genuinely fit and protect the horses they’re made for.
We believe in transparency and are always happy to answer questions. Thank you for taking the time to read our responses—and for giving us the opportunity to set the record straight.
Julie Nelson
Managing Owner Saddlery Dresch US
SMS QSF and ESMTII
After buying two saddles through a fitter that were wrong for my young horses and made their backs sore, I custom ordered Dresch saddles through an amazing Dresch saddle fitter who took pictures and measurements and watched my horse move and then spent hours with me fitting the saddles when they were delivered. I have been riding in them for about six or seven months, with some fitting checks and adjustments, and the horses love them. Great saddles!!!
All good information – thanks for your response!
I was just repeating what this particular Dresch owner told me – but it turns out she’s twisted the truth about some other things.
That said, I check the trees on saddles, old or new, regardless of the price point.
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