Saddle appraisals?

[StarPattern]

Hey all! In my area, there’s been a huge increase in both house break ins and saddle thefts (unrelated, but scary). During the winter months, my saddle lives in my house and with my luck… it would get stolen. I talked to my insurance adjuster and it’s possible to add my tack to my policy, provided the value exceeds $2000. According to the adjuster, adding the saddle to my policy would also protect it at the barn, just in case it happened to grow legs from there.

Does anyone have experience with getting a saddle appraised? I could speak to the maker and see what he would value it at, but would insurance accept that? Do they have actual saddle appraisers like they do horse appraisers?

For those that might know something, my saddle is a Cowboy Classic/Don Loewen wade that was built in 2003. It has a rough out seat and fenders, and a distinctive barb wire and rose tooling on the skirts, with basket weave tooling on the back of the cantle. Hard seat, with a pencil roll cantle. Jeremiah Watt conchos and a customized silver horn cap with my initials is installed. According to the maker, the base models for these saddles start at around $4000 and that’s with absolutely no tooling or anything special. Sheepskin was replaced last year and saddle itself is in fantastic shape - soft, well maintained and clean. Finding used replacement values for this saddle online is difficult, as I can’t seem to find any Don Loewen wades for sale to compare. I guess people don’t really sell these saddles when they have them - I can see why, I love my saddle.

In addition, I have almost $1000 worth of other tack - headstalls, reins, bosals, bits, etc etc. The adjuster told me I could add these to my policy as well, at replacement value. Luckily, I have receipts for most of this stuff.

Thanks!

[Draftmare]

I would ask what type of testimony your insurance company wants. They might be okay with your local tack shop appraising it, or the maker, or they may have other crazy requirements to asses its value.

[StarPattern]

[QUOTE=Draftmare;8940409]
I would ask what type of testimony your insurance company wants. They might be okay with your local tack shop appraising it, or the maker, or they may have other crazy requirements to asses its value.[/QUOTE]

I did, the adjuster wasn’t sure and is asking her underwriters. I figured I’d do my own research while I waited for her to get back to me. COTH is a wealth of information, so I figured it wasn’t unlikely that someone would know about saddle appraisals.

[TC3200]

If Don Loewen is still around, I’d get an appraisal from him. If the saddle really isn’t available used, then maybe you should consider insuring it for full replacement cost of a brand new one with the same options.

I used to keep my sterling show saddles in my basement chained together with a logging chain + a vinyl-wrapped braided steel cable through the rigging rings and through the gullet hole and through the stirrups, and then around the steel posts, locked with a commercial padlock. I draped bedsheets and a nondescript piece of upholstery fabric over them. They looked pretty much like a couple stacks of patio chairs to anyone looking through the basement windows. Someone could have possibly managed to steal them, given enough time, but it would have taken time, effort, metal-cutting noises, and swearing. Even after they cut the chain and cable in several places, it would still have been a pita to unwrap everything and cart off the saddles. My philosophy is make my home harder to steal from than my neighbors’ so the thieves go pick an easier target.

[StarPattern]

[QUOTE=TC3200;8941153]
If Don Loewen is still around, I’d get an appraisal from him. If the saddle really isn’t available used, then maybe you should consider insuring it for full replacement cost of a brand new one with the same options.

I used to keep my sterling show saddles in my basement chained together with a logging chain + a vinyl-wrapped braided steel cable through the rigging rings and through the gullet hole and through the stirrups, and then around the steel posts, locked with a commercial padlock. I draped bedsheets and a nondescript piece of upholstery fabric over them. They looked pretty much like a couple stacks of patio chairs to anyone looking through the basement windows. Someone could have possibly managed to steal them, given enough time, but it would have taken time, effort, metal-cutting noises, and swearing. Even after they cut the chain and cable in several places, it would still have been a pita to unwrap everything and cart off the saddles. My philosophy is make my home harder to steal from than my neighbors’ so the thieves go pick an easier target.[/QUOTE]

HAHAHA. I laughed harder at this than I should have, probably because I’m sleep deprived. I tried to make my house as unappealing to steal from as possible – alarm systems, two large dogs and a sign on my door that says, “My Doberman can do the 100 yard dash in under 2 seconds… can you?” Plus I come and go at such varied hours that anyone casing my house would have no idea what the best time to break in would be. No one even visits me anymore. haha.

On the plus side, the maker is still alive and well. I spoke to him a few months ago when I had some questions about the saddle and somehow, he remembers making my saddle. I guess the tooling was a one-off thing and he remembers making it for the original owner. That’s a good idea though - if it were ever stolen, I would want the exact same saddle since it’s amazing.