Saddle Shopping... What Brands/Models Do You Like/Dislike?

[kiwihill3000]

So I’ve found myself in need of a new saddle. I’m looking for something that I can use for hunters/equitation. It’s important to me that the saddle helps my equitation (because frankly I could use all the help I can get). I like both front and rear blocks, adjustable is better. I like something that secures you well with a big moving horse but that you can get out of to jump as well. The saddle would be used on a variety of horses (mostly WBs and TBs) and primarily on my own horse (very uphill Friesian Sporthorse with a wither). Durability is also super important- I ride 3-4 horses a day 6 days a week. I am not interested in an HDR (have one that fits my horse but put me in the worst position, hence the search).

I had a Dover Saddlery rep come with the idea of trying a variety of saddles. She brought a whole bunch of models of the Dover Circuits and an M. Toulouse. The Circuits fit my horse okay but I wasn’t head over heels for them. The M. Toulouse fit my horse better and I also liked it a lot better. I believe the one I tried was a Celine. I felt very secure in the canter, but my lower leg was a lot more active than I’d like in the trot. I had wanted to try more of the M. Toulouse (perhaps one with rear blocks) but unfortunately Dover is having a very hard time obtaining saddles due to Covid so I am unable to try right now. I have also read about some quality issues with the brand and issues with these saddles putting you in less than effective positions, but I suppose those reviews come with just about any brand? Bates did not fit his back right, despite different gullets.

So what saddles (brands, models, etc) do you love? Which do you less than love? Why? I feel so lost in my saddle search and would love to get a variety of opinions. My budget is $1500-2000, obviously less is better and I’m not opposed to a lightly used one (if I can find one). I’m moving barns very soon and will no longer be able to borrow my trainer’s school saddle to use on my horse so I need to find something ASAP!

[Pennywell_Bay]

My story: I recently bought a new saddle. My budget was bigger and I rode in quite a few. I ended up with a brand that was semi custom for my horse and me, that I would not have looked for (but my friend is a saddle fitter, not associated with a brand).

I bought one for my horse at the time, who is not too unusually built. It also fits 2 of my other horses, but one requires a little half-pad. You won’t find one that "fits everything"perfectly.

My best friend: bought a exchangeable tree Bates in the price range you said. It fits her, her horse and I’ve had to use it a few times and is fine.

So- I’d tell the fitter "I need a seat XXX (if you know). I am X feet X inches and have a long/short femur. My horse is a Tbred/warmblood/ blah blah with no/high/shark-fin withers " A good one can help narrow down the search from there or you can ask for advice (which is helpful).

[MsJump21]

I personally love my CWD. I have the SEO1 (semi flat seat) so its easy to get out of the tack and it’s used by a lot of equitation riders. Their flaps come in several shapes and sizes (most saddles do). I’ve tried several from luc childric, decocoux, butet, beval, and Pessoa but I found that CWD has super soft leather and their saddles fit me very well (I’m 5’6 with long legs especially from hip to knee). I bought mine for a little more than your budget but it looks brand new! You can definitely find some in the 1500-2000 range. I don’t know their longitivtiy since I’ve had mine for less than a year but it fits my picky broad shouldered mare like a glove.

[Scribbler]

@kiwihill3000

So I’ve found myself in need of a new saddle. I’m looking for something that I can use for hunters/equitation. It’s important to me that the saddle helps my equitation (because frankly I could use all the help I can get). I like both front and rear blocks, adjustable is better. I like something that secures you well with a big moving horse but that you can get out of to jump as well. The saddle would be used on a variety of horses (mostly WBs and TBs) and primarily on my own horse (very uphill Friesian Sporthorse with a wither). Durability is also super important- I ride 3-4 horses a day 6 days a week. I am not interested in an HDR (have one that fits my horse but put me in the worst position, hence the search).

I had a Dover Saddlery rep come with the idea of trying a variety of saddles. She brought a whole bunch of models of the Dover Circuits and an M. Toulouse. The Circuits fit my horse okay but I wasn’t head over heels for them. The M. Toulouse fit my horse better and I also liked it a lot better. I believe the one I tried was a Celine. I felt very secure in the canter, but my lower leg was a lot more active than I’d like in the trot. I had wanted to try more of the M. Toulouse (perhaps one with rear blocks) but unfortunately Dover is having a very hard time obtaining saddles due to Covid so I am unable to try right now. I have also read about some quality issues with the brand and issues with these saddles putting you in less than effective positions, but I suppose those reviews come with just about any brand? Bates did not fit his back right, despite different gullets.

So what saddles (brands, models, etc) do you love? Which do you less than love? Why? I feel so lost in my saddle search and would love to get a variety of opinions. My budget is $1500-2000, obviously less is better and I’m not opposed to a lightly used one (if I can find one). I’m moving barns very soon and will no longer be able to borrow my trainer’s school saddle to use on my horse so I need to find something ASAP!

I personally would not buy any saddle that is $1500 or $2000 brand new and expect very much out of it. My advice is to buy a quality brand second hand. Work with an independent saddle fitter to find one that is a good basic fit for you and the horse and then get it reflocked to perfect the fit.

I would prefer to buy a well used quality brand and have it restuffed to spending the same money on a new budget brand. If it fits you and your horse, you can do very well with a second hand County or Stubben or Passier or Black Country or a number of other quality brands that are sold new semi custom by reps in the $5000 range.

I’m not sure if the currently in popular French foam panel saddles like CWD or Voltaire have been around long enough for second hand saddles to be in your price range. It’s possible.

Note that no saddle will fit “a variety” of horses and if you are buying for your Friesian sporthorse it’s unlikely to fit the TB

[akhunterrider]

You can get a nice saddle for $1500 to $2000, but not a brand new one. For instance, I have a Pessoa with an adjustable gullet. It is not a saddle I ever thought I’d own (I’m a bit of a leather snob), but it was what fit my horse in my budget and I actually quite like riding in it. It’s a nice saddle for what it is, but I absolutely would NOT buy the same saddle brand new. It is worth the used price tag, but it is not work $2000 plus. Personally, the saddles that are $1500 to $2000 new are not worth the price tag. You are much better off buying a higher quality saddle used. Not only will the quality be better, but it’s also going to hold its value a lot better should you need to sell it down the road.

[vxf111]

@akhunterrider

You can get a nice saddle for $1500 to $2000, but not a brand new one.

I don’t agree. You can get a Kent and Masters or a Thorowgood new for that budget and they’re excellent quality saddles for the price with wool flocking and proper design. They’re not FANCY and they don’t have a bunch of bells and whistles like calfskin or piping or a fancy foreign name-- but they are 100% quality saddles and often a BETTER choice than saddles with all the doo-dads and hype. A lot of people would be better off with one of these fitted by a saddle fitter who knows what she is doing and actually flocks the saddle to fit as compared to sinking $4000+ in a saddle sold to them by an unreliable and not sell trained sales person from a company that is not going to stand behind the saddle once the check is cashed.

[tohorse]

I agree that in that range you can’t really expect to see many options for a decent new saddle. That being said, that budget should be pretty comfortable for pretty much any brand of used saddle in a decent shape. I’d probably look for something that fits your main horse and if that’s an option - haul to your local consignment store to try and fit everything they have to your horse.
I’m exactly like you - need as much support as possible especially on the higher jumps. Growing up I used to ride a lot in German saddles and could write an entire chapter on Stubben (how I liked Lohengrin, was OK with Roxanne and to some extent Siegfrid but hated Artus and Parzival), but would generally advise against Stubben, Kieffer, Passier and Sommer, because most of them, at least about 10 years ago, were quite slippery and hard. They do last a century though, so if you find one that you like and fits your horse hang on to it.
If I had to give you suggestions on the brands that I have enjoyed riding in I’d start off with Prestige (own one and it fits most horses, plus, I do think some older models like the Red Fox have adjustable blocks), Bruno Delgrange (very solid, used by many pros and I’ve seen older models on ebay for low-ish 4 digits), Tad Coffin (I’ve ridden in 2 recently and they’ve pleasantly surprised me and horses seem to like them), French CWD & Antares (I think they’re OK, but many people love them).

[Scribbler]

I would say that ten year old saddles are not that hard and flat. They already look “contemporary” to us.

30 year old saddles tend to be flatter and more minimal. That was probably what you were seeing on resale 10 years ago.

I looked at new Stubbens about 5 years ago and am following a Stubben rep on FB and the current saddles have all the blocks and padding you’d want, like Biomex seats. Five years ago I tried out a Stubben Roxanne second hand that didn’t fit my horse but was totally comfortable and already down in the $2000 resale range. Same with Passier.

These really long-lived saddles just circulate in the second hand market forever. My Passier Optimum dressage saddle is 19 years old and totally comfortable. My Passier jump saddle is 25 years old and is very comfortable to me, but doesn’t have the huge blocks the OP wants. But it isn’t one of the scary pancake saddles from 1975 that my coach still loves!

”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹

[kiwihill3000]

Thank you all for your replies! I have a friend who just posted a 2004 CWD SE02 with a 3C flap that is in my price range. It’s currently being tried by someone but if they don’t want it I’m going to try it out. I’m going to have an increase in income in the near future, so my budget does have room to expand in the future, but it is pretty firm right now. And I need something for right nowish. I think I’m going to go the used saddle route. Does anyone have any recommendations of where to look?? I’m a little lost there too.
Also to clarify, I’m not searching for the unicorn dream saddle that fits every horse like a glove. But as we all know, some brands/models fit some types of horses much better than others. Some fit the extremes, and some fit more of a variety of in between types decently well, and that’s what I’m searching for.

[akhunterrider]

@vxf111

I don’t agree. You can get a Kent and Masters or a Thorowgood new for that budget and they’re excellent quality saddles for the price with wool flocking and proper design. They’re not FANCY and they don’t have a bunch of bells and whistles like calfskin or piping or a fancy foreign name-- but they are 100% quality saddles and often a BETTER choice than saddles with all the doo-dads and hype. A lot of people would be better off with one of these fitted by a saddle fitter who knows what she is doing and actually flocks the saddle to fit as compared to sinking $4000+ in a saddle sold to them by an unreliable and not sell trained sales person from a company that is not going to stand behind the saddle once the check is cashed.

You’re correct. When I think $1500 to $2000 saddle, I think Pessoa, Ovation, Circuit, Toulouse. I forget about KM And Thorowgood. Both very nice saddles that have fit options for a lot of different horses, plus the added benefit of wool flocking.

[akhunterrider]

@kiwihill3000

Thank you all for your replies! I have a friend who just posted a 2004 CWD SE02 with a 3C flap that is in my price range. It’s currently being tried by someone but if they don’t want it I’m going to try it out. I’m going to have an increase in income in the near future, so my budget does have room to expand in the future, but it is pretty firm right now. And I need something for right nowish. I think I’m going to go the used saddle route. Does anyone have any recommendations of where to look?? I’m a little lost there too.
Also to clarify, I’m not searching for the unicorn dream saddle that fits every horse like a glove. But as we all know, some brands/models fit some types of horses much better than others. Some fit the extremes, and some fit more of a variety of in between types decently well, and that’s what I’m searching for.

I would search with used saddle retailers. Many of those people post their saddles on Facebook groups (Double Oak Tack, Redwood Tack, Bonjour Tack, etc). It’s at least a good starting point. Even without looking for something that will fit everything like a glove, it seems as though you’re shopping for some very different back types. Not sure where you are located, but you may be better off contacting a saddle fitter and getting their input for ideas on things to look for that are more likely to fit what you are shopping for.

[mollymoon]

@kiwihill3000

Does anyone have any recommendations of where to look?? I’m a little lost there too.

I have tried saddles from Highline tack (google the site, the store is located in NC but ships all over) and was pleased with the shipping speed, trial period, trial policies, and customer service. The Highline site focuses on used high-end and French brands, but its sister site Fineline tack focuses on more mid-level brands.

[MsJump21]

@kiwihill3000

Thank you all for your replies! I have a friend who just posted a 2004 CWD SE02 with a 3C flap that is in my price range. It’s currently being tried by someone but if they don’t want it I’m going to try it out. I’m going to have an increase in income in the near future, so my budget does have room to expand in the future, but it is pretty firm right now. And I need something for right nowish. I think I’m going to go the used saddle route. Does anyone have any recommendations of where to look?? I’m a little lost there too.
Also to clarify, I’m not searching for the unicorn dream saddle that fits every horse like a glove. But as we all know, some brands/models fit some types of horses much better than others. Some fit the extremes, and some fit more of a variety of in between types decently well, and that’s what I’m searching for.

I would contact a CWD rep to come out and fit you and your horses. I’ve had experience with Toni and she is absolutely the best! CWD has some great used saddles in your price range.

[2nd_time_around]

I second Highline and Fineline Tack. They are great to work with both selling and buying. As someone who is living the saddle fitting nightmare - it really, really depends on your build and your horse’s build and preferences. In your budget I would look at Prestige saddles and maybe some of the older french saddles if they aren’t so old the foam is shot and the channel over the back is too narrow, and the English tree saddles mentioned above. A lot has to do with your structure - I can’t stand CWDs - I’m stuck in a chair seat and they make everything I have hurt. I’ve tried to like the English tree saddles as in theory they would seem a better idea for fit, but they too put me in a chair seat and my horse was a definite NO to them - he wants me as far forward just behind his wither as possible, and has a very curvy back that requires a very small seat, so the French trees - once I found one wide enough - were better for him. If you can get reps and/or fitters to bring out multiple different types of saddles that is a lot easier way to go then randomly buying and shipping back and forth. I found just emailing the companies web sites often got me to a rep eventually - some did just that companies saddles, some did multiple types of saddles…best of luck in your search!

[mychestnutvalentine]

I recommend trying the saddles if possible. Many saddle consignment shops offer trials. I went the whole 9 yards with county, bought a dressage saddle and jump saddle, had it fitted by their fitter, to discover- my horse prefers a lighter tree!!!
I ride in equipe now. I was fortunate to try many saddles and find what worked best. That’s the key thing- don’t get hung up on brand but what your horse goes best in.

[OTTBs]

@vxf111

I don’t agree. You can get a Kent and Masters or a Thorowgood new for that budget and they’re excellent quality saddles for the price with wool flocking and proper design. They’re not FANCY and they don’t have a bunch of bells and whistles like calfskin or piping or a fancy foreign name-- but they are 100% quality saddles and often a BETTER choice than saddles with all the doo-dads and hype. A lot of people would be better off with one of these fitted by a saddle fitter who knows what she is doing and actually flocks the saddle to fit as compared to sinking $4000+ in a saddle sold to them by an unreliable and not sell trained sales person from a company that is not going to stand behind the saddle once the check is cashed.

Beat me to it.

[mmeqcenter]

I agree with @vxf111 , and honestly it’s like on my last nerve to constantly see people saying $1500-2000 is a small budget for a saddle. It’s not.

FWIW, my favorite saddle I’ve ever sat in in my entire life is my Collegiate Diploma. I bought a used one years back, sold it to a friend last year because I’ve been focusing on dressage, and missed it so much that I bought myself a new one a couple months ago when they were on closeout (got it for $750). The leather came out of the box like butter, it was so comfortable to sit in first ride (no break-in required). I got constant compliments on my old one (when people were trying a horse I had for sale), people always asked if it was a CWD or Black Country, and I have already gotten compliments on my new one.
I’ve seen and ridden in several M. Toulouse that were quite lovely and quite comfortable.

To each their own but, I vehemently disagree that you must have a $4000 budget if you want something “good.”

[Momateur]

I agree with Scribbler. If that were my budget, and I were riding lots of horses, I would be looking for a quality used saddle with wool flocking. Wool flocking gives you more freedom for adjustment over time to fit multiple horses. County and Black Country come to mind. They can come with deeper seats, front and rear blocks, etc. They strike me a little as armchair rides, but it seems that’s what you’re wanting! (Can’t blame you, btw!)

They make several different jump saddle models to choose from, and there are good used ones floating around in your price point.

[vxf111]

@mollymoon

I have tried saddles from Highline tack (google the site, the store is located in NC but ships all over) and was pleased with the shipping speed, trial period, trial policies, and customer service. The Highline site focuses on used high-end and French brands, but its sister site Fineline tack focuses on more mid-level brands.

For whatever reason that combination of store names really tickles me

If I was in OP’s shoes I’d be looking for a used Black Country Quantum (or one of the other jumper models). If you’re patient you can find one for $2000 or under. Ideally with trap panels for the greatest possible variations in adjustment with flocking. And I’d buy a saddlerite shim pad with all the pockets so I could shim to adjust.

[anon510129]

Very much like you, I used to work at a barn of about 30 hunter/jumper horses and ranged from giant hunter warmbloods to OTTBs.

I used to have a Tad Coffin that I LOVED, but had for a very long time & grew a bit since first getting it. I rode 6ish horses a day for years in that thing. Loved it.

I rode in my boss’ Butet Premium and never looked back. That being said, a used premium will run you a bit more tan your budget. I bet you could get a nice tad coffin for your price range. I love the close contact feel, quality (I had mine for 10 years & just needed to be reflocked), and mine had blocks like you want.

CWD has a horrible reputation from fit (horse, mostly) to durability. I’ve seen plenty with various rips (pommel, flaps) & I think they’re very heavy.

Voltaire’s also notoriously rip on the flap.