High end saddles...

[Skyedragon]

I am honest to goodness curious about this. What makes “high end” saddles worth their high end price?

I currently have a collegiate diploma that I have had for two years now. Bought it in just about new condition from a friend for $600. I love that this saddle has a pretty neutral shaped tree (not too curvy, not too straight) and has fit a lot of different horses with just some minor adjustments. The leather feels nice to me and has worn like iron. Even after riding in it for two years 3-4 or more times a week it still looks new. It puts me in a good posistion for jumping, though I do wish I had a little more adjustability with my stirrup length for flat work.

I am currently shopping for a dressage saddle. My budget is up to $1200. I have two tack shops within 45 minutes of me that do a ton of consignment. I was hoping that maybe I could get my hands on a “high end” saddle used for a fraction of the new price.

However, I feel like I am missing something. Am I missing something? I have sat in a Souther Star Saddlery, several Albions, several Countys, a Bates, and countless Toulouse saddles, and I can’t wrap my brain around what makes them $2000+ saddles. The leather doesn’t feel any nicer than my Collegiate, I don’t think that they put me in any better position than the Wintec Pro I am borrowing… So, I am really curious what makes people so willing to shell out so much money for these saddles?

[Guilherme]

Some answers:

1. Better design. More appropriate to discipline/use. Often more “eye appeal.” That’s secondary, to be sure, but if you’re spending a lot of $$$ then of consequence.

2. Better engineering. The design translates into better tree shape, better selection of components, etc.

3. Better construction. Better materials, better cutting, better craftsmanship, etc. It also means consistency of workmanship from saddle to saddle.

All these items, and probably more that I’ve not thought of, require man hours and that means labor and labor is not cheap. Quality materials are not cheap. Proper packing and shipping is not cheap.

Cost is clearly an important point in saddle selection. Some low end saddles will work, but many will wear out and become unserviceable long before their better made, and more expensive, competition.

G.

[NBChoice]

I have a cutback saddle that is a “high end saddle.” I also have a cheaper, older cutback that is decent.
I gotta tell you that my high end one just FEELS better. It has nicer leather, the seat sits better, my leg is in a better spot, I feel more secure, etc, etc. I got it about 4 years ago and it still looks pretty new. I think that there is a major difference between the quality of a cheap saddle and a more expensive one.

[furlong47]

Some of it is quality, as covered well above. But that doesn’t explain everything, since the price of the very same saddle may vary at different times depending on what is in style. Some of it is just the premium you pay for a popular name. You should certainly be able to find a good quality used dressage saddle with a budget of $1200.

[wildlifer]

This is kind of like asking why it is better to drive a BMW M3 over a Kia. They are both cars, they will both probably get you from point a to point b if you take of them and they will both look shiny when they are clean.

But one will probably last 30 years instead of 6-10 if cared for well, one will have better engineering, better balance, better performance in sport and training, and will just plain feel better when it fits.

You have to pick which is the best fit for your horse, you, and your budget. Keep in mind that the saddle will feel TOTALLY different on a moving horse than it will on the little tack shop dummy.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a Collegiate Diploma jump saddle (bought new as a gift for $900) that I use for SJ and XC. It rides just fine and fits me. But I also have a Black Country dressage saddle (bought new as a gift for $3200) and it is complete freaking butt candy and fits my horse like it was made for him. I feel like Robert Dover riding in that thing, the balance is so fantastic. That intangible feeling of quality and craftsmanship exudes out of it and there is no comparison.

[Equibrit]

Your needs are very much more refined and particular when chosing a dressage saddle. Balance has to be perfect, and is affected by fit to the horse, and fit to the rider. The fact that a saddle may fit many horses is of very little importance. What you require is one saddle that fits one horse and one rider PERFECTLY. In order to assess this, you need to have learned how to sit in perfect balance with independent use of each of your limbs, on a moving horse. Unfortunately this can only be appreciated when you have experience in that discipline.

It’s a sort of chicken and egg thing !

[Jo]

One of the pluses for me on a “premium” saddle is that it have wool flocking. I’ve sat in a lot of saddles for cheap that fit me well, but do not offer the same level of customization to my horse than a wool flocked saddle with. Having ridden for years in foam and switching to wool and being able to specially flock to fit my horse - I’m a believer!

[RubyTuesday]

As the owner of four Albions, I can tell you it is because of the fit for both me and my horses. I send them out to the warranty shop in New York with tracings to be fitted (only because she doesn’t travel this far). I also like the quality and the grippy leather of the Ultima line, which all of mine are.

I used to be a fan of several other brands, but it’s only been Albion for me since I bought my first one.

[ILuvmyButtercups]

[QUOTE=RubyTuesday;7065317]
As the owner of four Albions, I can tell you it is because of the fit for both me and my horses. I send them out to the warranty shop in New York with tracings to be fitted (only because she doesn’t travel this far). I also like the quality and the grippy leather of the Ultima line, which all of mine are.

I used to be a fan of several other brands, but it’s only been Albion for me since I bought my first one.[/QUOTE]

Amen! I’ve ridden in, or owned just about every brand out there, high and low end, and there is no saddle brand better than the Albion. I have two now, a medium tree, and a wide. I only need the medium tree, but I love them so much I won’t sell the wide. Never know when I might need it.

[MyssMyst]

You know, I thought the same thing until I splurged and got myself a high-end saddle for hunt seat riding. The quality is better, the fit is better, the balance is worlds better… Things I’ve struggled with eq-wise for the last bit (regardless of saddle) suddenly stopped being an issue. It was EASIER to ride correctly, and I was much more secure.

[vxf111]

Often the difference in price is the difference between a saddle that comes off a rack pre-made and a saddle that is made specifically to you/your horse’s measurements by a trained fitter. It’s the difference between a dress off the rack and a dress handmade by a tailor. Or Nikes vs custom orthopedic shoes made by a podiatrist. Now, if you buy used that benefit partially goes away-- but to those of us really knowledgeable and focused on saddle fit-- it’s worth extra money to have one fitted properly and with flocking that can be adjusted over time. If you buy a used higher end saddle it will typically be wool flocked and more adjustable.

[Skyedragon]

[QUOTE=Equibrit;7065043]
Your needs are very much more refined and particular when chosing a dressage saddle. Balance has to be perfect, and is affected by fit to the horse, and fit to the rider. The fact that a saddle may fit many horses is of very little importance. What you require is one saddle that fits one horse and one rider PERFECTLY. In order to assess this, you need to have learned how to sit in perfect balance with independent use of each of your limbs, on a moving horse. Unfortunately this can only be appreciated when you have experience in that discipline.

It’s a sort of chicken and egg thing ![/QUOTE]

Well for me my saddle fitting several different horses was very important. I took a years worth of lessons from a trainer whose largest lesson saddle was a 17. My saddle is an 18 so I was dragging it to my lessons with me. Then last fall I was helping a friend leg up her former show gelding. Now I am leasing a draft cross gelding and am hoping that it will be at least a 3 year lease, unless of course my friend decides to sell me her draft mare which will open a whole new can of worms with saddle fitting.

I might have to take a closer look at Albion. I owned an Albion Legion a few years ago and my friend had an Albion SLK dressage saddle, and I didn’t find either to the end all.

I would like something with a deep seat and nice big knee rolls. I never use to be a fan of huge knee rolls, but my lease gelding is awesome 95% of the time before he will throw in a spook and spin. Having a little extra there to hold me in the saddle is always nice.

[jaybird660]

It is much of what is mentioned above as well as, leather quality, consistency in construction, fit, options available, workmanship and so on. The ability to work with particular saddle companies to modify the fit whereas, some of the lower priced saddles mean that you get what you get with no chance of modifying. There also may be more tree shapes and widths available.

[AllWeatherGal]

[QUOTE=Jo;7065065]
One of the pluses for me on a “premium” saddle is that it have wool flocking. [/QUOTE]

There are premium saddles with foam (Voltaire) that promise even better custom fit – the top is for the rider and the bottom for the horse. The downside for me of foam, however, is that it’s not constantly adjustable as the horse (and rider) change shape.

[Skyedragon]

Talking to a member on here about her Schleese got me wondering, how wide can these saddles be adjusted? XW? XXW? Still holding out hope on that draft cross mare.

[rabicon]

Size is different from saddle to saddle. I have a stubben dressage saddle I’m trying to sell. It didn’t fit my new horse, it’s a wide. Had a county rep come and fitted my horse with a wide county. Got NY new saddle and the size is night and day. The county is much wider than the stubben, even though they are both wides. County seems to fit the wider shoulder type better IMO then some. A draft cross would probably go well in a custom county.

I have a courbette jumping saddle. I bought a cheaper saddle becomes I’m mainly a dressage rider. It has a spring tree that I do like actually but the leather after two rides had major rubs! All the way down. Annoyed me a lot since the saddle was still 800 dollars. Yet, my stubben and my county have yet to have a rub mark and the stubben is now about 7 years old.

[Jo]

Skye, in your situation… You seem to change horses fairly frequently so buying a custom high-end saddle for the horse you are riding now probably isn’t the best solution. You could easily work with a local fitter to find something that would work for your current ride, but keep in mind that there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution. Does the horse’s owner have a saddle that fits the horse that you could use?

[Skyedragon]

Does anybody have any input on the Classic Saddlery saddles or the genesis system? How does the system work and how wide can it make the saddle?

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

Skyedragon – I tried a Lazer dressage saddle with the adjustable gullet once for a very hard to fit horse. It seemed like every time I adjusted the gullet for width, it also changed the twist. By the time it was wide enough for the horse, it was very uncomfortable for me. I won’t try another adjustable gullet again. But maybe other systems are different, or maybe it was just that saddle. A friend had a Bates with the interchangeable gullet system, and he loved it.

But I will second everyone else – I rode crappy little saddles forever until I bought my first Kieffer dressage. Such balance. Such soft leather. No thigh blocks, no problem. Didn’t need them! That saddle is about 30 years old now and still looks new. I currently also have a Frank Baines, a County, and a Silhouette (which isn’t well-known or even exactly high-end, but I’ll put it up against my County or Baines any day for comfort!) What sets them apart is the quality of leather, the comfort for the horse, the wool flocking, and the attention to detail.

What’s most important for dressage is that it fits you and your horse. If you have horses that are different tree sizes, no one saddle is going to fit them all quite right.

[jnel]

I have a Laser Universal all purpose saddle and love it! I always tell people that wonder about adjustable saddles that they a for tweaking a fit. If your horse is on the wide or narrow extreme then its not the best choice. However, when my guy loses or gains a little weight it is nice to be able to go one notch up or down and still have a great fitting saddle.