I’m impossible to fit, as is my horse. I’m tall (5’9”) with impossibly long femurs. My knee ALWAYS wants to go over the knee rolls. It’s almost as if I need a 20 in saddle just to accommodate my legs! My horse , on the other hand, is very short backed and curvy. I own every saddle that was recommended by various trainers over the years: Spirig, Schlese, Custom, etc., none of which work for me/ my horse. on top of this I suffer from back issues. The saddle that I’ve felt the most effective in is my 20+ yo Niedersusse, but it doesn’t give me any support. I had tried my trainer’s Fairfax world class saddle and felt that it helped balance my seat, but hers is a 17 1/2 in and I probably need a larger one. The rep was going to send one, but instead she sent a Patrick. It’s a lovely saddle, gently used, and it fits my horse. It’s actually comfortable and because the thigh blocks are well above the knee I don’t have the problem of hitting it. My legs actually end up in a reasonably good place, where I’m not constantly having to work to keep them under me. I asked my trainer how much it would cost and she told me that the rep had told her $5000. She said that it would be over $7000 new. However when I look up used Patricks they seem to sell in the $2000 price range. There are no prices on their website. And I have to decide soon or she needs the saddle back. Problem is we had to shim it with a rolled towel to make it work. I guess I can have a saddle fitter flock it to fit, but would it still fit the same for me? It’s the closest I’ve come to a saddle that feels right, but for that kind of money shouldn’t there be more evaluation by someone who knows more about saddle fitting? Any suggestions?
If you had to shim it with a rolled towel, how does that equal that it fits your horse? That sounds like it doesn’t actually fit your horse or you, if you have to dramatically shim your saddle.
Is this a long distance fitting or a local fitter? A good flocking shouldn’t dramatically change the balance of the saddle….unless it was way off to begin with. Patricks are very spendy - $7k for a new one is typical as they are entirely bespoke. I bought a used one for about $2700, but it was an old model he no longer makes anymore (the achiever). Spending $4500 to $5000 for a gently used Patrick sounds about right.
Just had a tweaking of my Custom. The fitter turned to me and said “Looks great for being 19 years old”.
One of those things I KNEW but didn’t REALIZE.
Has it been that long?
Thank goodness it fits my new horse perfectly though I don’t know how LOL
MCM, I’m your height and have the same struggle! As it happens, I needed an XW hoop tree and found a used Patrick Leggero last year. The block is angled and short enough that my leg fits just perfectly and doesn’t block my knee. I paid $3200 for it used from Flying Star Saddlery in FL, and have seen a few in that price range since then. So I do think you could find another one used. I believe they start at $6800 new, or that’s what I saw last spring. I’ve been extremely happy with it. IIRC, they build their saddles on seven different trees, so you might be able to find a tree that fits your horse better with the flap/block configuration that works for you.
My other saddle is a Black Country ViniciX that I had custom made with a 1.5" forward flap and short block, and it also works very well with my long femur. I think the Vinici is a little more compact on my horse’s back although my Patrick is built on their cob tree. The blocks are much more soft and minimal, which works since I use it on my smaller moving QH and the Patrick is on my 17H warmblood.
As someone who spent $14K on TWO separate custom saddles for one horse, only to have the saddle that I now use and love cost $0 because it’s actually my other horse’s saddle (I just got a compliment from my coach today on how much straighter I’m sitting and how well the horse is moving and I said “well GUESS what…”)…I agree with what everyone else said and would never buy a new custom saddle again. Fool me twice or whatever - fool me three times and I deserve to cut up my credit card.
Wow between my 19 year old Custom saddle and my 20 year old Ram 2500 pickup truck with 73,000 miles if I sold them I could buy a house LOL
It’s funny you say that, because neither of my horses’ saddles were bought for them. The Black Country I had made for a previous horse, but just had them build it on their standard wide hoop tree, not to template. That saddle has fit multiple horses quite nicely. The Patrick, I bought used for my Appendix mare because the bodyworker said she needed a wider saddle. Well she thinned out and has been back in the BC, while my younger WB hulked out and fits very nicely in the Patrick, which was total dumb luck but I’ll take it.
I hae to ask… is this Custom as in the brand Custom Saddlery ora bespoke ‘custom’ saddle from a different maker?
Not Custom Saddlery - custom as in custom-made. I have no problems with the saddle-makers generally so won’t put them on blast - one of the brands custom-made the saddle that I really do like, only fitted for my other horse. Just so happens it works rather well for both of them (with a half-pad for the non-bespoke fitted horse). It’s a great saddle…I just have to re-sell the other one they made me, which never fit right.
Another one that wouldn’t spend $7K for a saddle. I got a Prestige demo saddle so it was 2K less than a new one. Fits horse like a glove and (finally) very comfortable for me (after a 15 lb weight loss). It had a few very minor blemishes that I sit on so no biggie. I just don’t have that kind of budget for a saddle.
Susan
I bought a new custom jump saddle, and it’s now my least favorite of my three saddles. Several years later, I knew what I wanted and bought with my fitter’s input a used jump saddle that was the same make and model, but a couple tweaks that made it different (half size larger, slightly deeper seat, darker leather) and love it. From the same fitter, bought a 6 mos old consignment Fairfax dressage saddle earlier this year; it had been bought for a young lady who got hurt almost immediately and only the trainer rode the young lady’s horse in the saddle for 6 mos. Once the owner was cleared to ride, she discovered she didn’t like it, at all. I got it slightly discounted and already broken it and taken care of, I love it and so does/did my gelding - he tore both branches of his rear suspensory dorking around in the field after about 20 rides in the new saddle 
I’m keeping the saddle tho because it’s so adjustable (it’ll fit my 2 yo when the time comes) and fits me well, and he’ll come sound for flat work at least, I’m sure. The only thing I don’t love is the giant silver lion medallion on the flap, but it is too comfortable to care.
