What's my unicorn?

[la_Alice]

so. i’m a bit of a saddle hoard … but yesterday, after looks at a couple of saddles for one of my narrow kids, i practically tripped over what i considered to be a unicorn. it was advertised as unknown brand/model with no identifying markers, including the buttons.

whell. when i pulled the cover off…i was intrigued … when i picked it up in my arms like a baby, i was smitten, when i made a stupid offer, i was beaming … when i got it home …and started geeking out (after obsessing over it through 4 hrs of chores) for hours, i think i found my “new” saddle’s daddy … it would def be a vintage item considering teh stamps have changed on many saddles but wondering if anyone here has any experience (anecdotal or handson) with luc childeric?

… n btw… when i mentioned geeking out … i meant…eyeball-soring, mental-exhaustion geeking … should i post a couple photos? this kid still needs cleaning up and a very minor repair made to one of the panel buttons (i’d do both … like a bearings on a truck) but i sure feel lucky whatever it is!

[TheDBYC]

Congrats! It’s such a great feeling scoring a great saddle at a great price!

I’ve sat in a Luc Childeric jumping saddle at a local consignment tack store. Very nice. They’re not as common as brands like Antares, but they’re out there. Come to think of it, the leathers on my daughter’s saddle might be Luc Childeric but I’d have to double-check.They were still $$$$ even purchased on consignment. I’m really picky about leathers & don’t mind splashing out on them within reason.

[Redlei44]

Childeric had a bit of a trendy moment back in, what, the mid-2000s? I remember a few friends trying/buying them. The company never saturated the market like the modern French behemoths (CWD, Voltaire) that followed, and they don’t have quite the history of the classic premium brands like Butet. But they are a nice saddle.

Cori at High End Used Saddles says the following about the brand on her site:

• I have found that Childeric generally runs true to size in the seat.
• Balance, feel, and comfort for the rider is quite similar to Antares, Devoucoux, or CWD.
• Twist tends to be wider, similar to Antares, Devoucoux, or CWD.

[Scribbler]

I recently rode in a Childeric jump saddle at a trainers barn. It was too small for me but very comfortable. Very nice saddle. It’s one of the high end French foam panel saddles, but yes, lost ground to Voltaire and CWD in the marketing wars of the past decade. Of comparable quality I think.

[Renn_aissance]

Childeric makes a wonderful saddle. Congratulations on the find!

[Tackpud]

I have ridden in and bought at least 15 Childeric saddles and love them! Extremely well made and fit a variety of horses.

[la_Alice]

Here the stamps I found…the verticle numerals are at the rear of the off-side sweat flap, the horizontal numerals are underside and bottom. Of the same flap and then there is what I see as a patent feature of the LC in the stirrup leather keeper…the buttons are blank and the bullet guards are missing…anyone?

addendum photos finally uploaded a little further down in the thread.

[Moneypitt]

Did you post some photos? I don’t see them.

[la_Alice]

i don’t see them either and i took two stabs at it … n thought i’d succeeded the second try … balls.

[Moneypitt]

I think photos or links need to be to a public website. Like the old Webshots. Don’t think you can upload directly? Not sure though?

[la_Alice]

[SolarFlare]

@Redlei44

Childeric had a bit of a trendy moment back in, what, the mid-2000s? I remember a few friends trying/buying them. The company never saturated the market like the modern French behemoths (CWD, Voltaire) that followed, and they don’t have quite the history of the classic premium brands like Butet. But they are a nice saddle.

We got pretty flooded here (Ontario) back then, and after a few years they got a reputation for making horses back sore. But, I think that was more a reflection of everybody getting on the bandwagon and buying one, whether it actually fit the horse or not.

[Smiles]

I got a practically new one off Facebook market place for under $800. Its more balanced then other French brands and puts me in a correct position. The leather is beautiful like butter. I really wanted one “back in the day” glad I got such a good deal like you did.

[SugarCubes]

Yup, I had one for maybe 5 years and loved it! Didn’t fit my new horse so sold it and bought an Antares…which I ended up loving WAY more than my Childeric! But, it was a super nice saddle and I sold it for only a couple hundred less than I bought it for.

[la_Alice]

i finally succeeded in posting the photos i was trying to [post] … hoping someone can recognize the stamps (as the billet guards are gone)… the twist is narrower than my antares … having said that, this saddle has been purchased for a particular horse … but does not look dissimilar to the antares (which naturally, i love and the horse it was purchased for is happy and comfortable in it) aside the feature i commented earlier that i think is childeric in nature (patent).

[la_Alice]

this one is def not new, but its also not all beat t’**** either… yes, for a saddle that was apparently sitting around for a number of years, is lovely and soft … it needs a minor repair which i’ll have done this spring but above all… i got it for the price of about a week’s worth of hay