I think we can all agree that there has been both good and bad experiences with all of the high-end, semi-custom / custom saddle brands and their respective representatives. I personally live and breathe CWD, absolutely love their products, but can vouch that their customer service is satisfactory.
My local rep was extremely difficult to get a hold of and converse with, countless confusion after confusion (and one involved having my credit card charged an extra $2,000 deposit - ouch) and couldn’t even deliver on some of the end products (saddle needed lifts installed, shipped out to be altered, came back after two months WITHOUT the lifts, only needing to be shipped out again sigh). However, once I received my product (finally), it was well worth it. I can definitely say some reps and saddle companies have a higher regard to customer service and potentially take more pride in their clients, but I don’t think that’s a reason to dismiss an entire brand and gloat about it.
I would call the owner in Va and tell her about your experience. But I agree about the time. Double their estimate, and maybe you will get it then. Of course, I had the loaner, so it was no problem.
I find it fascinating the way that everyone accepts this kind of “service” for what I’d certainly consider a luxury item. And they all do it - it’s not just Antares. I spoke to the sales manager at one point when I was really over the wait, and voila!!! In an absolutely stunning coincidence, my saddle was being worked on right that very moment!! (insert eye rolling sarcasm here.)
Was your loaner free? Or did you pay the $800?
When I handed over that check for two brand new saddles and was told, “oh, of course you can get a loaner while these are made …” there was no mention of an $800 charge. That came when the office eventually located a loaner and sent me an invoice. The rep supposedly “forgot” to mention it. Hmmmm.
I have plenty of saddles to ride in, including my older Cadence which is what I continued to use while the new one was being made, so a loaner wasn’t life or death to me. I just wouldn’t call it Nordstrom level service.
HELLC, thank you so much for standing up for your clients!!! From the client / amateur perspective, THANK YOU!! We trust that you trainers have our horse’s and our best interests in mind when you recommend a $6000 + saddle. Most of us are hard working people who are doing their best to ride on their days off and are saving up to buy the items our horses need. A $6000 + saddle that will expire every two years is not acceptable. I have saddles from my junior days that are still in good physical shape, but we have learned so much about human and horse ergonomics since then that we know they are no longer effective. Nevertheless, I believe that good, high quality saddles are still out there.
For whatever it is worth, I bought a Voltaire Palm Beach saddle 6 months ago at the insistence of my trainer and the Voltaire rep. I had a lovely Antares but both trainer and rep told me it was unacceptable for the horse. Wanting to do what was right for the horse I bought a lightly used demo that met the horse’s specs for $6000. When it came to me it was heavily used, but still beautiful buffalo leather and fit the horse decently.
I realized I was over-mounted and sold the horse a month later. I contacted the rep by text then then by phone to ask if she had any interest in buying the saddle back, or at the very least, if she would let me know the market value so I knew what to ask on the second-hand market. I heard nothing despite several attempts. Discouraged but not defeated, I contacted Voltaire headquarters in Florida and explained my situation. I was told there was no buy-back option as I had purchased a demo saddle.
Fair enough. This was all in the paperwork that I later read. I just felt so disappointed that that Voltaire rep never responded to me. This is terrible customer service in any industry. In my line of work this kind of non-responsiveness would be unacceptable for many reasons. How sad for her that she could not stand by her product enough to even respond to me. When I tried to sell the saddle through a very reputable high-end tack consignor, I learned that I had payed about $2000 too much.
Lessons learned. I just want to keep other people from throwing money away on these saddles. Voltaire has only been around since 2010, so we have no idea how these saddles will hold up over the years. Voltaire’s customer service is garbage, and their saddled are not far behind. Thank you HELLC for being willing to break your contract to stand up for your clients! We appreciate you!
I know two people who owned Voltaires. They started falling apart after less than two months of riding. Both are professionals and ride a lot but this is really not acceptable. I did not try Voltaire when I was shopping for a new saddle. Stay away from these unless they have massively overhauled the quality.
It is so interesting, the difference in quality these saddles appear to have. My trainer has 2 Voltaire’s and rides upward of 7-10 horses per day, and her saddles are in beautiful condition. One is from 2016, one from 2018. She takes great care of the saddles, cleaning after each ride and conditioning when appropriate.
I am waiting for my Voltaire Palm Beach and expect it to last as hers have. My rep has been nothing but responsive and helpful; he has also been with the company for several years. It seems I have been lucky in this regard, from reading replies on this thread.
FWIW my Palm Beach is a little over 2 yrs old and is in what I would call demo condition, aka light wear but almost new looking. I am extremely pleased with how it has held up and it fits my horse and I beautifully. I’m only an ammy and typically only ride one horse an average of 4 times a week.
Have a 2018 BlueWing and it still looks nearly brand new. Trainer’s Palm Beach (buffalo) is ridden in daily (multiple horses) and is a few years old and while well broken in, is in great condition too.
Just oiled both of mine and my 2015(I think) Palm Beach is still in great condition. Other than some wear on the seat and a pair of boots that killed the bottom of my flap (which the company fixed for free when I bought my second saddle in December), it looks perfect.
Yeah, if you don’t oil the saddle and don’t get the sweat off and don’t take care of it, it will break down. Duh. It’s soft leather.
I can’t get over people trashing a brand without putting in the effort. I’ve never seen a Voltaire wear completely through when it’s well taken care of and oiled.
I have seen every other brand deteriorate the same way when they’re used, abused, and not cared for.
There’s a reason so many people are switching to Voltaire.
I love my 2013 Palm Beach. Used 2-3x per day, 4-5 days per week. Fits everything from ponies to horses. Only saddle besides the very affordable Dover Circuit that fits well. My rep has been excellent. When she’s on the rd she sometimes takes a day or two to get back to me but of course I understand that. I’ve never had any saddle fall apart but had a client with a brand new CWD that did. I take care of all of my tack impeccably. I do think that like anything there are sometimes lemons off the assembly line, good/bad years/models. I’ve had a great experience with Voltaire over the years and so have my clients. I won’t ever trade in my 2013! 🤣
I think it is that more people are likely to come online to complain than to describe a normal experience! I’m in a barn full of Voltaires, including my trainer’s that she uses a ton and loans to customers when needed too, and our experience is the same as yours, I haven’t seen anything wear out like people are complaining about. Doesn’t mean their situations didn’t happen, but people shouldn’t assume that’s the norm or a company-wide problem, because plenty of people aren’t having that experience and are very happy with the saddles.
It’s a 5 year old saddle. It better damn well be in good condition and it shouldn’t have some wear on the seat, just saying.
Saddles are supposed to last a lifetime… I’ve got 20+ year old saddles with zero wear on the seat, used daily too…
Voltaire has a very poor reputation in my area. I have never owned a Voltaire, but I’ve seen several now that have had worn down seats or destroyed flaps - from people who do take care of their tack.
I don’t know OP, or most of the people in this thread, but I wouldn’t be so quick to blame people who are complaining about defective products…
Blame the company that won’t stand by their product.
The company does stand by their product. They really do right wrongs and make things work for everyone.
I ride many many horses in my saddle and the fact that it is showing wear this far along really is something. I also live in a humid, hot climate which can break things down even faster. I have big thighs, they rub the sides of the seat.
I don’t think any professional out there would tell you they expect their saddle to last a lifetime… I ride in between an army and a professional. I expect wear on anything I use every day off the weak.
I think that some people have different expectations of longevity. I do not expect my saddle to last 20 yrs, or if it does, I expect a lot of maintenance and repairs during that time frame.
Personally, I would not be interested in using a 20 yr saddle that hasn’t had significant work. Wool saddles will need to be reflocked many times over a 20 year period. Foam panels will need to be replaced (probably several times), and I would expect at least a few repairs of the leather itself.
If my French saddle lasts 10 yrs without repairs I’ll be a happy customer. $600/yr feels like a reasonable investment to me (and probably throw in a panel replacement in that time frame so maybe another $700).
I didn’t go into this purchase expecting a 20 yr lifespan, so maybe we just have different expectations, which is totally fine! I would expect slight wear on the seat after 5 yrs and not be upset at all, but that’s just my perspective.
I don’t know about that. I have a Bruno DelGrange that is at least 20 years old. It’s calf on the seat and pebble grain on the flaps. That saddle is still in fantastic shape and I ride in it nearly every day. It gets daily attention and nothing has ever touched it except glycerin and pure neatsfoot oil. Oh, I ride in jeans, too.
Why wouldn’t you be interested in a 20 year old saddle? Is it because you want something modern and up to date, or something else? Saddle innovation hasn’t changed much in the last forty years. Even tree construction has remained largely the same… Panels, tree point configuration, and flaps have changed a bit (but not across all brands).
I can totally see why someone would want modern innovations versus older models. Saddles aren’t like other pieces of technology where modern breakthroughs have made older models obsolete, though. They’re not quite there yet, though I think Tad comes close with some of his newer saddles.
There’s something to be said about a high quality staple in your program that you can rely on… for me, that’s my Kieffer Wein. It’s been with me through two decades of starting horses, retraining OTTBs, and competing – and it still looks like it is less than five years old. That’s not a testament to my leather care program either - it went a long time between thoughtful conditionings and never fell apart. It’s been through deluges at shows, has been borrowed by Pony Clubbers for PC camp, and has seen a lot of abuse and hard work in its time.
It has never needed significant work and has had zero repairs. It has been reflocked regularly, any time it is on a new horse. It’s not a low quality saddle, so I wouldn’t expect it to need much. The other 20+ year old saddles in my program are two Stubben Sigfrieds and an Ainsley. The Ainsley has light wear on the seat from total abuse; the two Sigfrieds look brand new. These aren’t the only saddles I own, but they’re the saddles that I most frequently pull out for the young horses or OTTBs fresh from the track, because they are minimalist and versatile and seem to fit a decent spectrum of horses.
I’d be unhappy if a saddle showed any sort of poor wear within the first five years… I’ve always been of the school of thought a saddle is a long-term investment… Leather can last a lifetime easily if cared for, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t, in my perspective.
I just purchased a brand new custom Stubben Zaria 4 years ago. I expect this one to last me until I’m 70, at least :lol:
I would think saddles that only last 10 years before they need significant repair are not high quality saddles, regardless of their price tag.
My Voltaire is a far cry from the collegiate I started in 20+ years ago, and that was a progressive saddle for its time with pencil knee rolls! Integrated panels, lighter tree, shorter points, customized to my horse and me. The leather is soft and grippy, not slippery, and the seat is like riding on a cloud. With bigger moving, harder jumping horses, the new saddles help you stick with the horse better. I could easily ride a TB in my old collegiate but once I started riding warmbloods, the new French saddles gave me a lot more security, and fit the horses better. I still use 2007 my L’Apogee (which was my upgrade from my Beval), but Voltaire took the balance and security to a new level.
I don’t think that the newer innovations of super secure seats should be a stop-gap for riders to ride levels above what they’re capable of. I’m not saying that’s the case with you (I doubt it is), but your reply pointed out an interesting issue about balance and security provided by a saddle.
I have new and old in my string. I could take either or - I like my Stubben Zaria (new) for XC, my Kieffer (ancient) for trail riding, my Ainsley for hunting or going over steep country - I don’t really find any of them limited in their balance/security.
I find my older saddles comfortable, but it’s as much about anatomy as it is about anything else. I never liked the boxed in feeling I got in the “french saddles” - when things go south I’d like to be able to be in control of my body, and most of the french brands I tried were too restrictive and coerced you into a specific leg position that was not always correct for your anatomy – and worse, more difficult to get out of in a pinch.
Interesting discussion, and sorry for the hijack, OP.
