I had a local fitter not allow trials on her DEMO saddles.
I passed on the saddle, as I hunk you need a few rides to determine if you like the model before you order one.
That’s crazy!
I don’t think it’s rude as she/he is getting paid for the fitting/tracings, farm call, etc.
I don’t know
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I hear you.
I do think it make sense from a friendly, “I don’t want to waste your time (as well as my money)” to ask if they have some good saddles that might work before they come all the way out to your barn. It becomes pretty awkward when the fitter has nothing to try on your horse but is still trying to give you some help or some education or your money’s worth for the fitting.
MVP I sent you a PM as you have an old thread that may be similar to this thread. I’m torn on this. The whole one ride thing is giving me anxiety.
I answered your PM.
But insofar as this rep just really does the one brand plus sells a few trade in Custom Saddlery ones he has on his truck, I don’t think he’ll be able to give you tracings and that broad education or suggests about where else to shop that an independent fitter would.
If you want to ride in some of his to see what they feel like, I’d keep the appointment and hope to be pleasantly surprised by meeting a saddle that made you sure you wanted to put a ring on it.
I am sorry saddle buying is so hard and so expensive!
If it is who I think it is based on the vague info, I would pass.
I would cancel the appointment, buy one of these:
https://www.fine-used-saddles.com/saddles/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=1778&idcategory=83
and ship it off to Pelham or another reputable shop.
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Just had a very similar experience with a “fitter” who also doubles as a rep. I said I wasn’t comfortable ordering a new saddle off of just one demo ride, she understood and that was that. I’m not really sure what I got out of the appointment- I feel like I paid to demo saddles 
Live and learn I guess - I’ll be doing my shopping where I can get a few days trial from now on.
That surprised me most when I was shopping was the number of sellers of used saddles that wouldn’t allow a trial. I have a used saddle that has been for sale for a while, and I haven’t had much interest in it even allowing a trial. It’s now on consignment and they think that the price is fair - just a slower selling brand.
Personally I’d never buy a used saddle without a trial. A new one I would feel like I could work with the company if it came to me with a broken tree or something, but a random person from the tack sale group probably wouldn’t care. It was surprising how many sellers told me no trial. I ended up buying one that was on consignment with a fitter because she let me do a trial, and she had a fairly plain black saddle that seemed to fit. The other one that a different fitter had for sale I truly didn’t like the colors of, and I just couldn’t go through with that.
