Need Opinions-- budget dressage saddles

[piedmontfields]

If you want new, I think Thorowgood or Wintec would be the best bets. The challenge is that they simply do not work for all horses. If you could stretch your budget to ~$1500, I think you’d have a bit more choice on the used market. In today’s economy, who know how low an offer people would take. An 18" seat is not that hard to find. Are you in the US? If so, I would also look at:

https://www.aikentackexchange.com/
https://shop.olsonstack.com/

If you are new to saddle fitting, this is a helpful resource (and remote service):
https://www.thesaddlegeek.com/english-saddle-fitting-in-one-hour-what-to-watch-and-read-first/

[outerbanks77]

I’ve never had my hands on a Dover dressage saddle, but I came into possession of one of their close contact saddles several years back and it was the most poorly designed and shaped saddle. Even though it was a wide tree, it had a lot of angle to the back of the panels, so they perched up on my not-that-wide horse’s back. Never even bothered to ride in it.

Thorowgood or Kent and Masters is probably your best bet. If you want leather, you can probably find a used K&M in your price range, then you’ll have the advantage of changing the gullet if your horse changes. I have a high wither in an 18" and it sits bigger than my 18" Black Country saddle. However, they are NOT for a horse with a short or curvy back. This saddle fits my straight backed 16.3 warmblood, but is a little too long for my 15.3 H quarter horse, who is straight backed, and not all that short-coupled.

[enjoytheride]

I found the HDR and Dover saddles to be nice quality mid range saddles.

I purchased a Cavalleti saddle, which is the off the rack line of Bliss. Leather is surprising good quality and comes with cushy wool flocked panels. Nice wool too. There’s a gusset that can be let loose for a better fit and the tree is adjustable. I paid $1500 new.

It was the best option on a budget as we were able to verify fit in a demo with a fitter. She adjusted my new saddle tree and panels for me twice after I bought it.

[PintoParty]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, it looks like I have a lot of research to do! My current plan is to try out the new saddles in my price range, and if the doesn’t pan out I will return to checking out the consignment saddles. I will check out the T4 series from Thorowgood–maybe it was just the high wither T8 that has the narrow channel issue. The most frustrating thing has been the lack of decent pictures for these saddles, so I will try and take some detailed shots with measurements for anyone else who might be interested in a closer look.
Let me know if you have anymore thoughts on the matter. I think a conversation about affordable saddles is always a good one to have; and knowing the pros and cons of a lower/mid-range mass manufactured new vs a used high-end saddle will help inform the decision of anyone searching for a saddle.

[theresak]

I may have missed it, but has a saddle fitter done a tracing or have you worked remotely with a saddle fitter? Once they know your horse and you and what you like, they can often provide models and specifications to help your search or do a search through their own contacts.

I know I like County saddles and my seat size, so I told my fitter my budget and she told me the specific County model and specifications to look for online and I found something well within budget after a few months. Then my fitter adjusted the flocking to the horse and off we went.

[NoMoneyBecauseHorse]

Would your budget allow for a saddle fitting? The saddle I managed to snag–Passier Relevant–is very high quality, well made. It’s a discontinued model, but there is a lot of new/like new stock left out there if you look for it. The reason that I love this saddle is because it’s quite “fittable.” My last horse was a medium tree with a pretty flat back (which is why I bought it). But the tree is quite fittable by a saddlefitter and the flocking is easy to mould. So, my saddle fitter was able to make this quite wide and adjust the flocking to fit the back. Just a regular independent saddle fitter (but you can ask if they do passier saddles). I keep seeing these saddles for sale “like new/demo” for even less than I paid, so maybe you can find one to work!

[NotGrandPrixYet]

FYI…I started off many years ago with a Wintec AP and then a Wintec dressage. While I loved that they worked for my high-withered boy and were light weight, I could not get my thighs down and back as far as I wanted because the stirrup bars were too far forward.

I ride in Custom Saddlery dressage saddles (one bought brand new, the other used from ebay for 1/5th the price). They do have a wide channel and a good wither clearance. I was lucky to find the used one when I did, and actually my horse goes with a freer shoulder in the used one (different model).

i wouldn’t rule a good used one out if you can find it for the right price, because you could probably sell it for the same price if it doesn’t work out. You won’t be able to do that with a new one.

i also have a Hennig for my other horse, but you won’t find a used one of these in your price range.

[sheltona01]

To answer the Hastilow questions. Hastilow buys the tree from Fairfax for their adjustable saddles. However it is not the same as most of the Thorowgoods, kent and masters and Fairfaxs especially. They do fit differently just because of their panel designs among other things.

[Scribbler]

@NoMoneyBecauseHorse

Would your budget allow for a saddle fitting? The saddle I managed to snag–Passier Relevant–is very high quality, well made. It’s a discontinued model, but there is a lot of new/like new stock left out there if you look for it. The reason that I love this saddle is because it’s quite “fittable.” My last horse was a medium tree with a pretty flat back (which is why I bought it). But the tree is quite fittable by a saddlefitter and the flocking is easy to mould. So, my saddle fitter was able to make this quite wide and adjust the flocking to fit the back. Just a regular independent saddle fitter (but you can ask if they do passier saddles). I keep seeing these saddles for sale “like new/demo” for even less than I paid, so maybe you can find one to work!

I really like Passier saddles. Excellent quality excellent balance and they do seem adaptable. They haven’t participated in the huge price increases of some other newer brands. But because they are such excellent saddles, there are a lot of very old Passier’s in circulation (from the 1970s) that are flatter and harder than anyone wants now. As is true of Stubben.

You can plug the serial number into the Passier website and get the year and model info. My Passier Optimum is from 2001 and is a totally modern saddle in all respects, with however less thigh block than the current models. Anything from the 1990s on is probably fine and you can get them under $1000.
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[arbeegirl]

I have a HDR Karla saddle that I bought almost a year ago. I didn’t want to spend a lot on a saddle for a young horse. I had an independent saddle fitter check the fit last fall. She said HDR saddles are very good saddles. She just said the leather tends to turn a greenish shade which mine is starting to do.

I also took advantage of smartpak’s test ride saddles. It was easy to ship them back. I was able to try a lot of saddles. I would look for a used saddle after I tried it if I liked it. But ultimately I ended up buying a new HDR from my local Dover.

[MsM]

Pelham Saddlery is a great resource in a couple of ways.
First you can check out saddles visually on their website. They have measurements and video showing the saddle. Even if you don’t end up buying from there it is a way to “see” a lot of different saddles.
If you do plan to buy from there you can send tracings and pictures of your horse and they will steer you towards or away from various models. You can ship saddles to try and they allow a trial period but the postage will add up if you do a few.
Good luck!

[PREconvert]

@arabiansrock

I have a T4 HIgh Wither dressage 18 in (that rides bigger) that is very lightly used. I will look at my gullet channel tonight when I get to the ranch. I remember it being quite wide, will take a tape measure to it.

I also have an HDR that may well be for sale if next ride on my boy doesn’t work. Again lightly used (had a rough patch of horses passing). It does not seem to fit my new boy, but am giving it one more try. HDR is a very mixed bag, they have had some very nice saddles and some dogs. I believe they have changed manufacturing locations and things seem to have gone downhill lately. I am not seeing their older models advertised anymore. The new ones look quite cheap and I would be very leary.

You are not going to find much selection new under 1000. You COULD go on a british website and look at Kent and Masters High wither, they go for right about 1000 after exchange rate in Britain (1500 here). BUT if you wanted to return it that would be a pain. The wintec line is a possibility but the gullet bars are very short and that is typically not considered good for high wither horses.

Hastilow USA is the US distributor for Kent and Masters saddles and if they have one in stock, you can demo it (carefully) and if it doesn’t fit, they will take it back. For a new saddle, I would say you get the most for your money with a K&M or an Ideal, but it’s hard to find an Ideal dealer in the US. To get new (to us) saddles that would fit our horses, especially my daughter’s hard to fit pony, I bought 2 saddles on consignment from Pelham and 2 from a consignment shop in VT, the Thorogood T8 compact from SmartPak, and a K&M high wither from Hastilow. Then I had a saddle fitter come and we did a try on session, Even with paying the fitter and some adjustments, we got 3 saddles for about 3k. 2 Ideal Eventers and an Albion Original Comfort.

it was a PITA to return everything that didn’t fit, but I got my money back for what didn’t fit except for shipping. Good luck!