To Have a New Saddle or Patience? That is the Question

[ColoradoCopper]

Hi everyone,

I’d love a little push in one direction or another regarding buying a brand new saddle or holding out on the perfect one to come up used.

I have a tough (I mean tough!) to fit horse that is ultra picky about saddle fit. I’ve tried numerous saddles throughout the years and while they may work for a little while, eventually she just says “no”. Veterinary issues have been ruled out so it’s more of finding that glass slipper fit for her that doesn’t pinch, bridge, or otherwise cause general discomfort.

I know of a saddle brand that fit her before but unfortunately it wasn’t my saddle and I didn’t have the option to buy. However, I’m looking at that brand again (Black Country) for its adjustability with wool flocking and shape that conforms to her unconventionally broad shoulders and high withers. However, they’re hard to find used and even harder to nail one down before it flies off the shelf!

So here’s the question - do I bite the bullet and buy new? Talk me off the ledge (or go ahead and push me right over) with this idea. I trail ride and leisurely hack. I don’t show (I’d love to eventually do some low level stuff but not a “hard” goal). Do I need a fancy custom saddle? No, I do not. Do I want to find something affordable that fits my horse so I can end this search and future back issues? Absolutely.

Any feedback you have on buying brand new or if it’s worth the painstaking wait for a used one is greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[Jo]

How sure are you that the custom BC won’t cause the same issues down the road? Does the saddle you have right now work for the time being?

[leheath]

I have a horse that matches your description - hard to fit and sensitive/picky about fit (and seems to disagree with professional fitters who say something fits him!). I found a saddle that works for him and was resigning myself to buying new (and I need 2 because I event!) because the saddles in question are fairly rare and almost never come up used. I was literally just about to place the order for the first one and exactly what I was looking for popped up on my FB feed used. I jumped on it and it worked out well. I didn’t get so lucky on the jump saddle, so I am buying that new (order went in yesterday).

All that to say, make the decision to buy new, but keep your eye out for the perfect used saddle and be ready to jump on it! The right saddle for horse and rider makes a huge difference in the health and happiness of both so it is worth getting the right one (assuming you are sure it truly is the right one) sooner rather than later.

[Renn_aissance]

I don’t have a great deal of familiarity with Black Country specifically and exclusively, but here are some factors that might influence your choice to buy used or buy new.

• Aside from the need for flocking adjustments, how common or uncommon are the things your horse likes? Does she need an extra wide or extra narrow tree, for instance, or did she like a medium?
• How common or uncommon are the features that YOU like? For instance- I ride in an 18" with an extra long double forward flap. That was not super easy to find used.
• Can you ride effectively and comfortably in a saddle that doesn’t perfectly meet your specs? Again using my saddle as an example- I can work with a couple of riffs on that flap that can make the key point, the forwardness, easier to find.
• Do you have a strong preference for different form factors- calf vs. grain leather, black or brown tack?

If you know what you need and what you can work with, you can do a historical search on eBay and other sales sites to look at sold items and figure out how commonly these specs come up on the resale market. If you realize you need a unicorn, this may influence you to buy new. On the other hand, if what you need is fairly common, then you might have better luck.

That said- and again, I’m not an expert in BC saddles- one person’s saddle made for one horse does not necessarily mean that another person’s saddle made with the same specs for a different horse will ride the same, even with flocking adjustments.

And, as the owner of a horse who also wants a bit of a glass slipper, I feel like I should point out that if you have a saddle that isn’t working perfectly now, and you put the horse in a saddle where she can really work well through her body… in 6 months you’re going to have a different back. So however you go, I’d recommend getting the best fitter you can find, even if it means schlepping two hours, so that you can discuss how to accommodate the horse you hope yours will become.

[Mercedes2]

Not sure where you’ve been looking for a used BC but I’ve seen plenty of them at Fine Line Tack. I’ve bought from them (not a BC) and highly recommend.

Good luck on your search!

[mvp]

Well, I’d say “Life is short; buy the saddle you want.” And I’d especially say that about a non-Frenchie, just from the perspective of fiscal responsibility, while telling you to ignore the future. I’m not sure I could tell anyone to buy a $7K english saddle. (But you have my blessing to buy that in a Western saddle since it will still be nice when you are dead.)

Someone above asked a smart question: Are you a hard fit? Also, have you been on enough dates with your friend’s Black Country to be sure that you want to give it a ring?

If you have found a custom butt cloud for you, I’d double-down hard on my initial sentiment. After all, you can saddle another horse with this one and still be happy.

That said, I have seen some BC saddles that didn’t have the most beautiful fit-n-finish. I don’t know if that extends to their overall quality control. There are some dressagey saddle companies that are a bit notorious for having ordered saddles show up and not feel at all like the demo version.

So I’d feel best about telling you to do this if you have a good fitter who has a lot of experience with Black Country and can help guarantee that you are getting the saddle you think you are getting.

[punchy]

You might want to try a thorowgood high whither. You can trial one for free through Smartpak. They are super adjustable: you can change the gullet to accommodate width and it offers 4 billet strap choices with recommendations for which ones to use based on how it sits on your horse. They aren’t very sexy because they are partially synthetic (but leather seat and knee pads) but for what you do you may not care.

[BlueMoonJumper]

I say if she’s really that difficult to fit, stop futzing about and get the custom saddle. (Sorry for the snark, I’ve been watching too much Peaky Blinders.)

[blondewithchrome]

I’d spend the money on the custom saddle. If it were me, a lifetime (for your horse) of comfort is worth every penny to ensure her humans aren’t causing her any further pinching or discomfort and she can be her absolute best self for you! It’s never fun to shell out a big expense like that, but I think investing in your horses comfort is a price worth paying!

[Rackonteur]

This is the question that came to my mind:

Are you willing to look beyond English saddles? There are lots and lots of other saddles that are comfortable for horse and rider for trail riding and leisurely hacking. I personally would look at some without horns for trail riding – but on the other hand a horn is handy for trail riding.

[ColoradoCopper]

I appreciate the feedback everyone! I’ve never gone the new/custom saddle route so it’s rather daunting!

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a tack snob and I want it to ~look~ good too, especially if I’m dropping a good amount of money on it. I don’t find the BC saddles to be drop dead gorgeous like some of the French saddles but something I can happily live with if it’s comfortable for the horse. If it fits well and she’s more comfortable, I’d really like to start jumping again occasionally.

I’m fairly average and not a difficult saddle fit myself so most of my focus is on her.

I guess I’m looking for confirmation (maybe some enablement?) that I’m not completely insane to drop money on a brand new saddle when I’m not showing or doing anything big. After reading your input, I’m leaning more towards the “life is short, buy the saddle” side of things but it’s quite a check to cut!

[Renn_aissance]

@ColoradoCopper

I guess I’m looking for confirmation (maybe some enablement?) that I’m not completely insane to drop money on a brand new saddle when I’m not showing or doing anything big.

No. We do this for fun. No one is having fun if the horse or the rider is fighting the equipment.

My caveat on buying a new saddle for a horse who does not currently own something that fits well is what I said above, that if the horse starts working properly over her back because her saddle suits her, you will have a new back in six months and you will then have to fit THAT back. This can happen even though you are mostly trail riding and doing other low key enjoying your horse sorts of things, rather than doing good dressage five days a week to change the topline. So, call a good fitter with Black Country experience to help you out here, so that you can leave room to future-proof things as much as you can.

I’ve done the custom new thing (twice) and the used thing (uh, more than that.) The custom new thing is your better option if you do not know exactly the configuration that you want, or if that configuration is very challenging to find. If you are not going to be comfortable buying a thing without getting to ride in exactly that thing, this is not the avenue for you. The used thing is good if you don’t mind waiting, don’t mind making modifications, and/or know the exact specs of what you want, and if you want to make sure you can give that exact saddle a trial.

[LovieBird]

I just bought a new BC myself, made to my horse’s tracings. He needed a k panel, wither gussets and serge panels. I needed the forward flap. Pretty hard to find used. All in, shipping and everything was 4100.

Check out the 2nd hand black country saddles Facebook group. I stalked the posts in that group before resigning myself to buying new.

[Equkelly]

I just went through this myself and I was super hesitant to go custom because my horse was 4 at the time. I waited for something to turn up and eventually I found a used Stubben with more of a “hoop” tree but I seriously considered a custom BC. When my horse is a little older I’ll probably go that route myself.

Can you try to find a used BC? Is it the hoop tree you’re looking for? There’s some other brands that have a hoop tree that are a little more affordable. Maybe reach out to your local rep?

[gallop_jump]

I think it’s a mere coincidence that my dream custom saddle, brandy spanky new was a BC but it didn’t fit the horse from day 1, out of the box. I wish I had just waited out to find something used. Plenty of BC saddles come up for sale. Is there anything specific to BC that a county, albion, pick any of the other british-made saddle brands can’t offer? That might open your used pool as well.

[asterix]

If the cost difference between a used Black Country and a new custom saddle is really 5k, it is worth making sure you haven’t left any options on the table…are you a member of that FB group mentioned above?
There are some other good british-made saddles that are wool-flocked and often fit high-withered, big shouldered horses (I have had several horses built like this) – county, albion, and my current favorite, Hastilow. I’m selling a nice well-balanced Hastilow with a tree that can easily be swapped out by a fitter if horse changes size (not shape), and I have a barnmate who is selling a BC - these things seem to change hands not infrequently as we get different horses etc…

[fourfillies]

I was going to mention Hastilow. I used a fitter that rep’ed both BC and Hastilow. In the end both fit my horse but were just too much saddle for me and I ended up with a Tad Coffin of all things. I thought the fit and finish on the Hastilow was a bit nicer than the BC. Five years ago the price point on both new was very similar.

[TheJenners]

@ColoradoCopper

I appreciate the feedback everyone! I’ve never gone the new/custom saddle route so it’s rather daunting!

I have twice, it’s is sorta not worth it especially now that I know better. I went custom new on a French brand, and while it felt AMAZING to me, it was not only not amazing for my chosen breed but was also effing crooked. Yes, made crooked. My experience with the rep sucked too, I had better luck calling the US main line to get what I needed. I also custom ordered an English type saddle (Hastilow) and the rep was good-ish and the saddle is amazing for adjustability and durability, but I honestly wish I had looked for one used (read below).

@ColoradoCopper

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a tack snob and I want it to ~look~ good too, especially if I’m dropping a good amount of money on it. I don’t find the BC saddles to be drop dead gorgeous like some of the French saddles but something I can happily live with if it’s comfortable for the horse. If it fits well and she’s more comfortable, I’d really like to start jumping again occasionally.

I’m fairly average and not a difficult saddle fit myself so most of my focus is on her.

I guess I’m looking for confirmation (maybe some enablement?) that I’m not completely insane to drop money on a brand new saddle when I’m not showing or doing anything big. After reading your input, I’m leaning more towards the “life is short, buy the saddle” side of things but it’s quite a check to cut!

I’m also a tack snob. I have two Hastilow Concept jump saddles and I will sing their praises but damn they are ugly. I prefer flat, close-contact looking saddles, French saddles, the new Voltaires, the CWDs etc. However my big butt and thighs cover most of them when I’m riding and I’ll be the first to admit they are extremely comfortable and my horses all without fail love them and go well in them. I have one adjusted specifically for my perfect pony (the supposed-to-have-been-resale-project who is now mine all mine stay away) and the other is a medium tree that is adjusted for my ISH gelding and should work on my ISH filly when she grows up. When the gelding came back from his lease because he is a jack wagon, I had already adjusted the first saddle to the pony, so I hit up the fitter to find me another one for him and she did have one that would work but it was black, which was a hard pass for me. I found exactly what I needed used on eBay after only a couple weeks of digging, and it was obviously custom for someone else due to some of the features and is nicer than my custom one, so they took a huge hit on the resale because I know how much mine was.

TLDR; honestly, I say go the used route, especially if you get something adjustable and are already working with a fitter.

[SecondInCommand]

@Renn_aissance

@ColoradoCopper

I guess I’m looking for confirmation (maybe some enablement?) that I’m not completely insane to drop money on a brand new saddle when I’m not showing or doing anything big.

No. We do this for fun. No one is having fun if the horse or the rider is fighting the equipment.

My caveat on buying a new saddle for a horse who does not currently own something that fits well is what I said above, that if the horse starts working properly over her back because her saddle suits her, you will have a new back in six months and you will then have to fit THAT back. This can happen even though you are mostly trail riding and doing other low key enjoying your horse sorts of things, rather than doing good dressage five days a week to change the topline. So, call a good fitter with Black Country experience to help you out here, so that you can leave room to future-proof things as much as you can.

I’ve done the custom new thing (twice) and the used thing (uh, more than that.) The custom new thing is your better option if you do not know exactly the configuration that you want, or if that configuration is very challenging to find. If you are not going to be comfortable buying a thing without getting to ride in exactly that thing, this is not the avenue for you. The used thing is good if you don’t mind waiting, don’t mind making modifications, and/or know the exact specs of what you want, and if you want to make sure you can give that exact saddle a trial.

Just wanted to quote this for emphasis - this is excellent advice. If your horse’s current tack doesn’t fit, then her musculature is shaped to avoid discomfort. It’s not even in a ‘neutral’ posture, it’s actively avoiding her current tack. The changes that come with well-fitting tack can be drastic.

Echoing Renn_aissance’s point - make sure you have a good fitter who can factor this in as well as possible when you make your choice. You will absolutely need adjustments down the road, and that will be a good thing.

[Scribbler]

The most important part of the equation is having a good independent saddle fitter on call, to give you tracings, approve your purchase, and tweak the saddle to fit.

Wool flocked saddles can indeed be adjusted unlike foam.