Professional saddle fitting (X post Eventing Forum)

[ceciley13]

I’m looking into buying a Stubbens. I can’t afford a custom. But, seriously considering one of the used/demo saddles listed on their website. I have never had my hard-to-fit thoroughbred professionally measured/fitted. And, while a custom is out of my price range… even the demo saddles are an investment for me.

So, if I ask a Stubbens rep to come out to fit my horse, what obligation do I assume to the rep or company? Do they get paid for their time for the fitting, or is it assumed their payment will come from the eventual sale of the custom saddle? Can I be upfront with the rep with my reasons for the fitting, or will they not give me the time of day if they know I am not interested in a custom?

[kcmel]

They charge you $150 to come fit your horse. I just had it done. I don’t know if other manufacturers do this or not. I was upfront about needing to find something used.

[Herefordgirl]

I use Bill Wood who is a master saddle fitter. He charges $125 for a call which includes a basic fitting. He is great because he will tell you which brand of saddle will fit your horse best. He sells several brands but he will work with a used saddle also. He does not try to push his saddles on you. Hopefully he is in your area.

www.thesaddlefitter.com

[Bogie]

I use a saddle fitter who does not sell saddles. No farm call charge. Generally costs me about $150 to have a saddle tweaked if it’s needed and if my saddles are fine, I might have him do a bit of bodywork on my horses. Over the years he’s fitted multiple brands of saddles for me and has steered me toward saddles that would work for my horse. I have used other fitters who charge a fee for the call/evaluation – the ones that repped a particular brand always tried to sell me a new saddle and I got tired of that.

In general, I think it’s best to use someone who is not affiliated with a brand unless you want to buy that brand.

Certainly nothing wrong with finding a used Stubben and using their fitter. If you go that route, yes, I’d be up front that you want to buy a used/demo saddle. You would have to ask about the fee – not sure if they have a farm charge if they are trying to sell you a saddle but suspect you would pay to if the flocking is adjusted.

[MissMilly]

I was just given the name of Heather at www.Saddles101.com. She’s comes highly recommended although I haven’t had my appointment yet. When we spoke, she said her plan was to try to see if my saddle could be made to fit, and if not then she would help me find a new saddle. She’s not a rep, but she has access to many different brands depending on what works best for your horse. Not sure where you are, but her website might be worth a look. FYI- she leaves for the UK for two weeks today, not sure how responsive she’ll be until her return.