I was out to dinner last night with a friend of mine and she was raving about the Toulouse also.
You might also want to consider a Berney - made in Ireland - very straightforward, quality saddles - no fancy bells n whistles, etc, but well-made from quality leather, and you can find them used for around $4-600 or so.
Bates, etc, are purty, and comfy, but don’t last as well as some of the older European brands like Berney, Crosby, Jeffries, Stubben (ugh, jmho), Courbette, etc.
You’re definitely better off putting your $700 into a quality used saddle than a lower-priced new one with a pseudo European name (Henri de Rivel?!); if it doesn’t work out, you’ll usually recoup your investment in a used saddle when you sell it, vs a cheaper new one - won’t have lasted, and you’ll only get 1/2-2/3 of your investment back.
I’ve sat in the Marcel Toulouse Premia…toooo comfy!!! I’d love to get one in our shop on consignment :yes:
Ugh! Further proof I need to move! All the nice consignment shops are so far away! BTW, Kim, I love your shop’s name!!! I’d go there just because of that, if I were less than the 3 hr 6 min drive that mapquest is proposing
Just wanted to second the Passier suggestion above. I’ve found 4 of them in the last year or so for students/friends for $350-$500. I have one I’ve schooled and hunted in for 12 years now and while it would be a stretch to say it looks new, it certainly has another 10 seasons in it.
My vote is for a used Stubben Siegfried. They do seem to last forever, fit many different horses, are very comfortable, and they look good
There are always tons of nice used saddles on the Bit and Barter Board, see the link in my signature, lots of cothers on there. Good stuff.
They do last forever, but they are hard as a rock to sit in :yes:.
I sold mine and bought a County. Much better!
Do you mean the new ones? I have an older one and it’s very comfy!!
Ditto the Berney Bros saddles - tho not always easy to find.
At these prices (USD) definitely worth the shipping, if you are sure of your horse’s size.
I wore my Siegfreid out!
Granted it took about 30 years but the leather at the twist just wore through and no saddler could patch it in a way that didn’t just get worn again.
oh well.
Now, that’s impressive!!
Mine is a 2005 Extreme . . . don’t know if that counts as an older one. But it’s quite comfy for me and fits my horse beautifully.
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Do you mean the new ones? I have an older one and it’s very comfy!![/QUOTE]
