I really don’t understand the huge mark up on prices for a certain label. I’m a bargain shopper. A good deal thrills me.
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Send it to me. I love the old style flat HJ saddles. 16.5 or 17 inch. I ride in nothing else. I’m old, just like the saddles, and take my saddlery advice from denemathy.
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Well I was going to buy the gorgeous vest….
But they dint have my size, so I guess I’m out of luck. 
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I have an Arpege dressage saddle, and I love it. Also, the experience of getting measured for it was top flight (as it should be from a luxury brand) and I’d happily buy another. It fits my fat Oldenburg great.
The saddle are less expensive than the handbags. And less expensive than CWD, Devoucoux, et al with more personal fitting for the rider and horse available, at least in my experience.
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There was just a fight over on facebook over the listing price of a used hermes saddle, someone was asking 12k for it, which sent many into a tizzy lol
See, I feel that their saddles are more reasonably priced (although $12k is perhaps a bit steep for a used…?). $8, 800 (per their website) vs. something totally serviceable at your local tack shop, say $2,500 … the Hermes is only 3.5x more expensive. “Only” being a relative term 
Compare that to the grooming tote, 46x the average … or the saddle soap, 10x the average. Or the stable bucket, 100x what a standard bucket would run. And my new personal favourite, the hoofpick … 120x the average!
(I could do this all day… 
)
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Count me in as someone who used to own a Hermes Steinkraus. Lovely saddle for a narrow roof-backed Thoroughbred type. A friend has their Brasilia, which was along the same lines but had padded flaps and was a little less minimalist. Think early 2000’s Butet with a narrower twist.
I am curious about how “made to measure” their current saddles actually are vs. the typical French semi-custom model of mix and match premade parts to suit a particular geometry.
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We had clients who mainly shopped at Hermes for all their tack/grooming supplies, including color coordinating saddle pads and polos. I did not like using their polo wraps, as they were too long. Did not like their saddle pads either, I remember thinking the pads and polos were impractical (this was 20 ish years ago). And I didn’t find the saddles that comfortable. But the quality of the saddles and bridles was incredible. The bridle leather was butter soft, oh how I loved their bridles. The stitching was meticulous.
I’d love to get an Hermes scarf one day, they are beautiful.
I ordered a custom Hermes a few years ago. The rep (who was fabulous) came and measured my horse w the gadget they use that takes a bunch of measurements. I was really excited! When it came, it did not fit my horse or me. The rep came to check it out and said “I told them I needed a saddle to fit a big shouldered horse and a petite woman and they sent this???”. He gave me the option of trying again or giving me a refund. I elected to take the refund.
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I’d take it:) I love my old pancake saddles!
LetItBe
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This is probably my favorite scarf and one day I will own one… they are lovely.
https://www.therealreal.com/products/women/accessories/scarves-and-shawls/hermes-les-haras-nationaux-scarf-f345k
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My daughter brought me an Hermes saddle soap from France. I have not used it.
When I was in high school a friend had an Hermes saddle (Steinkraus?) She said it was great in eq classes where the riders had to switch horses because no one else could ride in it.
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When I visited NYC in 2006, my sister and I were waiting for our hotel room to be ready (arrived earlier than the check-in time) and to while away some time, we visited the Hermes store across the street from the hotel (Madison Ave.). They did carry some equestrian things such as saddles, bridles and some grooming equipment. I don’t have any pricing issues with the tack, however $300. for a plain rubber currycomb whose only difference from the $5.00 variety found in local tack shops was a Hermes-branded strap was a bit much. (I see it’s now $175.!!)
Also, Hermes does not make everything they sell: I had it on absolutely reliable authority that one of their Hermes-branded hunting whips with sterling silver collar was actually made by Swaine Adeney Brigg of England.
But I believe the headscarf shown on the saddle of Queen Elizabeth’s pony’s saddle during the procession to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor for the commitment service was a Hermes - she’s known to have worn them for decades.
Too funny.
My good friend had a Hermes Steinkraus she’d owned for decades. Then she leased out her horse and the young rider who was leasing the horse didn’t have a decent saddle, so my friend allowed her to use her Hermes on the horse. Well… young gal neglected to keep the Hermes zipped up in its cover inside the tackroom. Eventually the mice chewed into it. They really did some damage. The girl’s mom paid for the repairs but it was never the same saddle.
I have to admit I am surprised that there is surprise that Hermes has an equestrian line,… It has always been around my circles since I was a kid, and I am in my 40s. They even sponsor jumps at most big shows. Have never been able to afford any of it, but covet several items.
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They also sponsor some fairly well known riders. They had Lillie Keenan for awhile, and now have Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, Rodrigo Pessoa, Simon Delestre, Alexandra Paillot.
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Ah… @erinmeri
& I say this kindly, as an {ahem} Elder:
Child, Hermes has made saddles since 1837, their original product was harness*.
*apologies to @Xanthoria who posted this info upthread
A generous friend gifted me a Hermes scarf.
Which I wore while I was working, but once I retired it had zero usage.
I took it to a Tack Swap, priced at the Bar-Gain of the Century price of $50.
The 99% WP crowd was clueless & I ended up selling it for $25 to a Driving friend there who did recognize it for what it was.
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How else will anyone know you are sophisticated and very wealthy?
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Lol. What’s ironic is that the richest people I know walk around in a t-shirt and jeans so people don’t know how filthy rich they are.
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Yeah that’s really true IME both on the East Coast and in West Coast tech. People are discrete in every day life. I think a lot of European/American bling and labels get sold now in Russia, China and the Middle East where they are still seen as status markers in a way that’s faded out in North America except maybe among teenagers 
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