Saddle fitting etiquette

[nwjumper]

Hey all…I am in a saddle search and contacting several local saddle fitters and brand reps, yes I am keenly aware of the difference.

What is the etiquette, if you have a fitter or rep out to try a saddle or saddles are you obligated to buy, or can you say you need to think about it? this comes up when they do not have demos, it is a huge purchase and it seems like it would be beneficial for everyone to ride in a saddle more than once before you commit to the purchase.
Please educate me, I have been out of the loop for a bit.

[TheJenners]

You are definitely not obligated, that’s why they charge a fee to cover their gas and time.

[Scribbler]

@nwjumper

Hey all…I am in a saddle search and contacting several local saddle fitters and brand reps, yes I am keenly aware of the difference.

What is the etiquette, if you have a fitter or rep out to try a saddle or saddles are you obligated to buy, or can you say you need to think about it? this comes up when they do not have demos, it is a huge purchase and it seems like it would be beneficial for everyone to ride in a saddle more than once before you commit to the purchase.
Please educate me, I have been out of the loop for a bit.

You need to ask each rep what their contract says.

I would say in general though, if you actually order a saddle, especially a semi custom saddle as most of the rep saddles are, then you buy it and can only fight for a refund if something has gone very wrong in the manufacture.

You are not obligated to buy just because you had a fitting session and discussed options, if that’s your question.

Even if a fitter has demos they likely won’t have your exact configuration and size and it won’t be tweaked to your horse

Ordering a new semi custom saddle for $5 to $10 thousand is a huge gamble, can be great or a disaster.

[nwjumper]

Adult- just wanting to understand that common practices. I have had some really bad experiences recently so asking the village for help.

[Scribbler]

@nwjumper

Adult- just wanting to understand that common practices. I have had some really bad experiences recently so asking the village for help.

I would suggest researching locally the reputations of fitters in your region. It’s one of those side hustle jobs that sometimes isn’t as lucrative as the reps hope, and there can be a lot of turnover. So you could have a great professional rep who has been doing the job well for a decade. Or one that has been doing well financially but over promises and sells saddles that don’t fit. Or one a month away from giving up the job who is losing their mind and will to go on. Or someone who just started who is wierd and toxic and will be gone in 5 months. It’s horses. Whole gamut of types.

Which is to say you could get any kind of response. I would be clear up front. I want you to visit, explain options, but I will need time to think about it so I will not be actually ordering the saddle on your visit.

[nwjumper]

This is an accurate description of the folks I have been running into.

[greywithchrome]

Anytime I’ve had a saddle fitter out it seems understood that what I am paying for is tracings, seeing how my current saddle fits, and a discussion on what type of saddle would be best for my horse. After that I can do what I want with that information… either purchase a saddle from that fitter or take it and find something on my own (at which point I’d probably have the fitter back to “fit” it anyways). If you use a brand specific rep then they might only give you information that is suitable to then find a saddle of that brand.

[LCDR]

Strong recommendation for having your trainer present to watch you ride in the selecton of saddles a brand rep brings out - and pay the trainer a lesson fee for doing this for you. A trainer who knows you and the horse will spot things a typical sales rep will seldom see or tell you about .

[Posting_Trot]

I don’t think having a brand rep out will be as helpful as an independent fitter, unless you already know/think that a saddle in that particular brand will definitely work for you and the horse and it’s just a question of fine-tuning it. Brand reps (most anyway) aren’t going to tell you that their saddles won’t ever work for you and the horse, and they won’t suggest that another brand will work.

Most brand reps will charge a fee that they then might waive if you buy a saddle through them.

An independent saddle-fitter will also charge a fee, and some may carry a stock of used saddles and may waive a fee if you buy one of those. But there’s less of an expectation that you’ll buy (in my experience anyway), and at the end you’ll have some tracings and some suggestions about which brands and models might work for you.

And independent fitter can also help you evaluate any saddle that you do try out which is very helpful if you’re trying out used saddles. That evaluation costs money as well, but it’s very much worth it.

Don’t forget that you have to fit both you and the horse, so the suggestion to have your coach there to comment on whatever saddles you might try out is a good one.

[sheltona01]

I will chime in as a saddle fitter. The only etiquette is not to have different saddle fitters out at the same time or even the same day. You need to ride in the saddles and it is not fair to the horse. It is also hard to get a good saddle fit on a tired horse. Their posture changes and how they hold a saddle. I also would encourage your trainer to be there.

You are not under any obligation to purchase anything and your success really does depend on the fitter. However do make sure you ask about the fees before the appointment. You are not just paying for their time while they are there, but the driving time and their education. Everything has gotten a lot more expensive the last couple of years including our bills.

[McGurk]

I would also network and get some feedback on the various independent fitters and brand reps. Some are terrific, some are less so.

I work with a brand rep who is ALSO an independent fitter, she has no problem fitting a brand other than the one she reps. She also happens to ride in my discipline, so that’s a huge plus. However, there’s another brand rep and a couple independent fitters in the same general area who I just wouldn’t use.

[nwjumper]

This was super helpful! Thank you