I am looking at this saddle (CWD) for sale, but there is a small tear at the bottom of the knee roll. Otherwise it is in great condition, good price, and fits my horse and I perfectly. Would you consider buying a saddle with a tear in this location or keep looking?
For the right price, I would if everything else is right.
Have you reached out to someone who does repairs and figured out how much this would cost to fix?
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If it truly fits the horse perfectly I would snap it up. That shouldn’t be hard to fix if you have a place to get it done.
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The calf is coming away from the knee rolls and that’s pretty common in French saddles over 5-8 years old, depending on style and use. I would expect the tearing to continue if you bought this saddle - maybe look for a newer one in the same specs, but at the very least get a price on repairing the issue before you buy it.
Here’s a newer version of the same saddle, I think? Seems in better condition.
In addition to the tear, the knee roll looks really wrinkly. It probably need both knee rolls replaced. Used CWD saddles are pretty common so I would keep looking.
Finding a used saddle with paneling that fits your horse well, along with flap/seat configuration that fits you, and you’re able to try it (local) is NOT easy!!
I would snap it up in a heartbeat. And I bet you can get it for a reasonable price because of that.
I had a CWD SE02 with grain/buffalo. There was a small tear in the buffalo right on the seam where it always wears, above the skirt. Rode in it for several years and it didn’t move at all.
Then had a CWD SE02 full calf that had a hole worn right through the calfskin, middle of the right flap under stirrup leather. Couldn’t see it when mounted. Enjoyed that saddle for a few years too.
Because of the damage- I got the saddles for $1,800 and $1,600 cad (which is a STEAL in the market up here) - used both of them quite hard for several years on project horses and sold both of them for a few hundred more than I paid, because even with damage they don’t depreciate below a certain point as long as the tree is sound. Years of use and then made money on them.
I would buy it in a heartbeat.
