Saddles: what brands to look at?

[Bensmom]

@asterix

I absolutely love my Hastilow saddles. There are a number of English brands that are less pricey than county and very well made…Albion, Frank baines, and Hastilow to name a few.

Seconding this list! Frank Baines is my favorite, having had those and albions. I’ve been on the saddle builder part of the Baines website all morning putting together gorgeous dream saddles.

frank built my mare’s dressage saddle and then when we were ready for a jump saddle, he took what he knew, what my fitter told him I needed and pulled one from inventory that fit great. It wasn’t what I would have picked, but as I ride in it, I’m astonished at how good the balance is for us both.

check out the build my Baines part of the website. You can go back and forth between the descriptions of the saddles and then configure them. New prices are around 3k, which isn’t bad. You can also find them used.

[LovieBird]

Black Country

[Hinderella]

If there is a Bliss/Loxley rep in your area, I recommend checking them out. They’re made in England, good quality, wool flocked and reasonably priced. You can buy new for the price of a used County or Black Country. No, they’re not the same as a County or Black Country, and they haven’t been around long enough for anyone to brag about having one for 20 years. The trainer at my barn is a rep. She’s never pushed her saddles at all, but has made her samples available for us to ride, and several of us have bought saddles from her and been very, very happy. Decently deep seat, the blocks of your choice, and a forward/long flap if you need it. My pony needed a hoop tree, so being able to get that was also a big plus.

[BAC]

@Xanthoria

Thanks folks - lots of brands to check out here! I have a lovely independent fitter but her inventory of used jump saddles is not huge. I’ll have to gather up my wither tracing supplies… PPE is Monday :eek:

So what happened with the PPE?

[Xanthoria]

Vet found an issue, PPE was stopped, seller is working to resolve, I am on tenterhooks… :dead:

[BAC]

I’m sorry, I hope it works out.

[tikkamasala]

I am in love with my Stubben Zaria optimum. It fits both me and my thoroughbred beautifully. I’m short with a long femur. She is medium narrow highish wither. She picked the saddle. When I ride in it I honestly forget it’s even there. Super secure with blocks, soft on my booty.

[TheJenners]

@asterix

I absolutely love my Hastilow saddles. There are a number of English brands that are less pricey than county and very well made…Albion, Frank baines, and Hastilow to name a few.

Ehhh my Hastilow was still expensive (to me at least, IIRC somewhere between $3k-$5k but honestly I think I’m purposefully blocking it) BUT… it is definitely cushy, horses have all loved it, and now that I’ve been really riding in it and actually freakin cleaned and conditioned* it, I’m starting to like how it looks. I prefer the CC look and this is their Concept Jump saddle, which looks like a lot of saddle to my eye, but I’ll definitely tell you it feels nice. Wool flocked, quality leather that was never slippery without paying out the b-hole for buffalo or gazelle or whatever trendy leather is in, fit my chonky WB and also, surprisingly, my chonky 13.1 pony as well.

*I lamented about how my cha-ching saddle looked cheap and ick for a couple years because the seat and knee had a sort of dull brown blech look to it that made me think of those cardboard-y leather bridles… I’m the worse at tack maintenance tho, and once I cleaned it and applied conditioner, it actually prettied right up.