If you're going to spend $7k+ on a saddle...

[bathsheba8542]

You may want to look at the Fichtbauer. It’s not particularly well known yet in the US, but it is an incredible game changer. I resisted when I first learned about, and tried most of what has been mentioned above, and I could kick myself for waiting so long. This saddle, and the way it is constructed, is balanced on the horse’s back in a unique way that has made all the difference for me and my horse, who freely gives his back and the change in his happiness and willingness to display his natural athleticism is obvious. The placement of the stirrup bars encourages a much more correct leg position. It is custom, with specific measurements of both the horse and the rider (and can be done by you). The leather can be upgraded, but the standard is far, far superior to any of the leather used on other saddles I have owned. It is distributed in the US only by Sycamore Station - find them on FB.

ETA: I included lots of decorative add ons, and did not get close to that price tag. (and it is gorgeous!) And, we do have a saddle fitter trained on this saddle that makes regular trips to the area for checks, etc.

[eponacelt]

At that price, I’d only be looking for a brand that had excellent customer service and someone who can come to me and adjust the saddle for my horse on an annual basis.

I spent a lot of time at Land Rover last year sitting in every saddle I possibly could. In the end, there were several that were incredibly nice, including a DelGrange that reminded me of my favorite jumping saddle. However, I immediately ruled out any brand that didn’t have a rep in my area that could assess me and my horse.

In the end, I purchased an incredibly nice, brand new, built for me Detente for under $4K that I adore. The bonus is that unlike County and Custom saddles, as well as a lot of the French brands, the tree is very neutral and fits a range of horses. In short, it isn’t curvy, and it fits both my (dissimilar in many ways) horses quite well. And the person who sold it to me makes regular trips to the area to help me maintain the wool flocking.

[js]

It isn’t the brand it’s the fit, for you and your horse, hard to suggest something without knowing. I’m a fan of Stubben, as other’s have mentioned they aren’t for everyone but they work well for me and my horse(s) and they last. I love Amerigo but had two horses that didn’t, didn’t care for County or Albion. If you are spending $7,000 and obviously getting custom, remember it is a custom saddle, resell may not be as favorable since it was made to fit you and your horse, however that may not matter to some. Work with a company that has the BEST customer service during the purchase and afterwards, have good fitters and make sure they are willing to work thru any issues to keep you a happy customer.

[blue_heron]

Another vote for Trilogy or Hennig!!

[meupatdoes]

I ride in a Kent and Masters with an adjustable tree that is customizable and reflockable to new horses. It was fitted by a certified master saddle fitter and cost between $2,500 and $3000. My saddle fitter provides fantastic customer service, and she ensures and excellent fit.

I just can not imagine that another saddle would be $4,000 better.

[HereComesZach]

I personally am a fan of saddles made with spring trees and wool flocked. If you’re looking for resale value, you’ll definitely want to stick to a name brand. I love my Albions, but wouldn’t hesitate to shop with Stubben or County.

[Lucassb]

Saddle fit and preference are so individual; what works for me might be awful for someone else and vice versa! So frustrating.

I have gone through way too many saddles trying to find the perfect fit for my horse. Turns out he had not read any of the saddle fitting books and didn’t buy into all the “conventional wisdom” we see so often on these pages. He routinely liked saddles that were wider than he “should have” based on measurements, for example. What finally worked for him was an Antares - the Tempo, which has a rather unusual front panel shape that gave him a lot of freedom in the shoulders (turns out the need for that freedom was the reason he preferred saddles that were “too wide.”)

I liked the balance so well for myself that I bought another one for my other horse who is actually much simpler to fit. (My checking account was NOT happy, but hey life is short.)

I do love the aesthetics of the saddle - the leather is amazing and the fit and finish is superb. (As it should be for such a pricey piece of tack.) There is also reasonably good service locally, which as someone else noted upthread, is a big deal.

Other brands I have had success with in the past include Prestige and Hennig. (I will keep my old Hennig Classic forever, actually.) Brands I have had less luck with: Custom (great for me, but made both my horses back sore) and Devoucoux (nice product, very poor service.) I reserve a special place in h*ll for Schleese - crummy product with abysmal “service” - sadly I bought into their hype like so many others have done, and was one of the poor souls who took a loss of thousands of dollars on my relatively new saddle when it became clear it was never going to work for either me or my horse (there is a reason you see so many newer ones on the secondary market.)

Good luck in your search.

[beowulf]

If I was to spend $7k on a saddle, I’d want one that comes with a built in bar and makes me drinks…

All that aside… If your budget is $7k I wouldn’t look to be spending that entirely on a saddle, but, would package the “all in costs” – fitting appointments, reflocking, etc… Lots of nice saddles in the $4-5k range, that would make your horse happy and give you a little extra money for fitting and involving different experts before making your choice.

I have learned the hard way that more money spent on the saddle, does not guarantee it will fit. And, that “more money” is no guarantee you are working with a competent fitter, either.

My favorite saddle at the moment is a BC Vinci Solare… We picked it up used for $2k after dropping $5000+ in a brand new semi custom Stubben Zaria + fitting, only to have the horse hate the saddle a few months down the road. Luckily the Stubben does fit another one of my horses, so I didn’t have to eat the big bucks there… but it was a lesson in hindsight that even going with the “best” fitter in the area can still be a loss.

[Jealoushe]

@BigMama1

There is a also smaller, custom made Canadian brand called Paramount that you might want to look into . That’s what I am currently riding in and loving, but I did buy it used. I am also intrigued by the NSC brand but haven’t tried them in person. Love the quality of Antares, Devoucoux and CWD but as mentioned above,foam panels are a no go for me after a frustrating experience with a developing horse.

One of my absolute favourite saddles I’ve ever had was a Trilogy. It was just the perfect twist, feel, alignment and depth for me. Sadly, it was completely the opposite for my gelding so I sold it when I bought him. It was several years old when I bought it and in excellent condition. However I only had it for 2 years myself so can’t speak to durability. Resale value was great - sold it for more than I paid for it. Same with my Prestige - sold it 2 years later for what I paid for it. Another benefit of buying used - the depreciation is much less than with new.

I’ve heard about quite a few issues with people getting their Paramounts or having issues with them once they get them and service being terrible. just a heads up.

[sparkygrace]

A used Hennig has worked well for my mare who is round in the withers and has a flat back. It’s my second Hennig and I love it. It fits her perfectly. They are very expensive new, but you can find one used for a decent price, Since they are mostly custom, you need to know what will fit you. Hennigs are known for putting the rider in a good position. In my experience, they fit a wide variety of horses.

I also have two other saddles that have been comfortable for my ponies and me. One is a Regal made in Canada, the other a Max Benz made in Germany. Both were purchased in like-new used condition. I’ve also ridden in a Custom Wolfgang and find it really comfortable. They are reasonably priced compared to other brands.

It’s best to try lots of different saddles. For example, a few people have mentioned County saddles. They were a terrible fit for me. You do really need to ride in a saddle more than once to see if it is right for you and the horse. It’s also imperative to have a good fitter look at the saddle if you don’t have a lot of experience with dressage saddles.

[24eventer]

I bought a county, it was supposedly custom fit for my horse, but did NOT fit and made her so back sore. County refused to do anything but send out fitter after fitter and let me PAY to have it re-flocked. I have found so many people since then that have had the same problem with the saddles and also got no help from County. My recommendation is stay away! I bought a Patrick Saddle and had it fit by a Master Saddler. I highly recommend this! Especially going with a master saddler, they have extensive training, a lot more than the quick course most saddle fitters have taken.

[AltersAreUs]

@Scribbler

I definitely agree that lots of people seem to unload fairly new Schleese, and my guess is they get oversold something that doesn’t ever fit their horse quite right.

But the Passiers I see for sale second hand are usually quite old once you look their serial number up. My dressage saddle is a 2001 Optimum I bought basically unused/ shopworn in 2013 from a friend who bought it on clearance from the US. My Passier jump saddle is from the 1990s and I paid $500 then had it restuffed. All the Passiers I see for sale at low prices are at least 20 years old, often more.

Perhaps the lack of newer Passiers on the secondhand market is a function of me being in Western Canada with no Passier dealer. Do you have a Passier rep or dealer in Eastern Canada?

Anyhow I agree that Passier seems to be off the radar for trendy brands, but I just love mine and they are a great fit for my horse. I honestly don’t see better quality dressage saddles out there.

I also really like County for jump saddles, don’t like the configuration of the County dressage I’ve seen, but I expect the quality is the same.

In my area, the “cheap” Passiers are mostly Grand Gilberts and 10+ years old. There’s not much of a market for that style of dressage saddle any more. I have one I bought new almost 20 years ago that fits my old girl like a glove (and still looks amazing) but it’s like night & day, hoping off that old passier GG and onto my other horse’s Custom Omni People aren’t looking for open seat & minimum blocks for the most part and I include myself in that grouping. Those thigh blocks and deep seat on the custom have saved my tail a number of times.

[elleng0728]

@Cowgirl

I’ve ridden the last 15 years in Hennig, but sadly no one in the US deals in them anymore. I’d have another in a heartbeat. I need a narrow twist with cutouts and like a more flexible tree. I’ll be looking at WOW and the new Prestige saddles.

Dressage Connection in Wellington Fl still deals with Hennig

[Scribbler]

@AltersAreUs

In my area, the “cheap” Passiers are mostly Grand Gilberts and 10+ years old. There’s not much of a market for that style of dressage saddle any more. I have one I bought new almost 20 years ago that fits my old girl like a glove (and still looks amazing) but it’s like night & day, hoping off that old passier GG and onto my other horse’s Custom Omni People aren’t looking for open seat & minimum blocks for the most part and I include myself in that grouping. Those thigh blocks and deep seat on the custom have saved my tail a number of times.

Yes, that’s my experience too in terms of what’s for sale. You can also get the 40 year old flat as a pancake saddles my coach grew up with and still loves

My 19 year old Optimum has an open seat and definite knee rolls, but small ones by today’s standards. I feel very secure in it. Trail riding I can go up or down any hill that I think is not actually suicidal. But also I am not riding a huge moving horse, so I don’t end up needing the thigh blocks to stabilize myself.

[Bogie]

Wow. I’m not sure I’d ever consider spending that much on a saddle unless it came with a horse. I’ve had very good luck buying used over the years. I did buy a Roosli many years ago that was customized to me and I think it cost a bit under $2K shipped (because my trainer got the dealer price). I still love that saddle, although it’s not at all trendy.

So many people I know have had trouble with custom saddles not fitting. My preference would be to buy a demo or a used saddle that I know worked for me and my horse.

[Martina]

Those Patrick saddles are beautiful (went to the website). And the Veritas… gorgeous

[Martina]

To those who mentioned having access to saddles fitters, very good point!

[outerbanks77]

@meupatdoes

I ride in a Kent and Masters with an adjustable tree that is customizable and reflockable to new horses. It was fitted by a certified master saddle fitter and cost between $2,500 and $3000. My saddle fitter provides fantastic customer service, and she ensures and excellent fit.

I bought a used K&M for my baby for $800, and just happened to have it fitted today. The fitter remarked that she hadn’t worked on one of these saddles before (she is a Custom dealer), but she was impressed with the quality and design. It rides pretty well, but it is just not the same as my BC Vinici in terms of comfort and balance, so I’ll be shelling out bigger bucks when my horse is more mature, and keeping the K&M as a spare.

[alibi_18]

@elleng0728

Dressage Connection in Wellington Fl still deals with Hennig

That’s the name I was looking for!
I was there in person for my fitting and had my mare’s tracing with me when I went to the shop.

The saddle was then shipped directly to me in Montréal, Québec. I had my independent fitter checked and tweaked it but it was almost perfect.
It came with 3 billets but easily removable - I kept the 2 for the V attachment.

[LetItBe]

@Cowgirl

I’ve ridden the last 15 years in Hennig, but sadly no one in the US deals in them anymore. I’d have another in a heartbeat. I need a narrow twist with cutouts and like a more flexible tree. I’ll be looking at WOW and the new Prestige saddles.

Dressage Connections deals with Hennigs. They have at least one used one on consignment…

LetItBe