What's the best way to find/purchase a used saddle?

[blumchen]

In my area, we have a serious shortage of tack shops–at least ones that specialize in English. Dover Saddlery drove out the few remaining places. To my knowledge, Dover doesn’t have saddle consignment… Someone, please correct me if I’m wrong!

I’d like to purchase a “new” (to me) saddle. I’m 5’4 and still riding in a 16" HDR that I bought when I was 14. I’m a re-rider and just got back into riding in July so the saddle has been okay and served its purpose, but I’d like something that fits me a bit better. I was about 30lbs lighter back then and while the saddle doesn’t feel super small, when I see myself riding in pictures, I think, “That saddle is definitely too small for me.” I can fit a hand behind me on the cantle but the flap seems too short. Also, my HDR is so slippery and I’d like to find something a little more grippy.

So anyway I think I’m in the market to buy a used saddle. My budget is going to be less than $1,000… I’m hoping to find something a bit nicer than an HDR but as a very casual rider, I don’t need anything too fancy. And as a 14 year old, when I was trying to break in my HDR, I promised myself I’d never buy a new saddle again. It was a pain.

I see so many people buying/selling saddles on Facebook, but it makes me nervous! You occasionally see a horror story where someone sent the money for the saddle and never received it. I could post to my local area’s equestrian page and perhaps find some people I could meet in person so I could actually see/sit in the saddle and we could exchange the money and saddle in-person.

Is eBay still a viable way to buy a saddle?

I’ve been out of the market for a while so just wondering the best way to go about this!

[Scribbler]

First get an independent saddle fitter on board. Have them do tracings of your horses back and explain how to use them.

Start shopping locally with individual sellers. Go out with your tracings and see if the saddle looks like it should fit. You can walk away from many saddles that way.

When you find one that fits arrange to try it with your saddle fitter present. Maybe the seller will need to bring it out for the appointment or maybe they will let you walk off with it.

Saddles are hard to sell so often sellers are willing to put the work in!

Once you exhaust your local market you can start thinking about shopping by mail. By that point you should have a better idea what you want.

As far as where local saddles are posted, that depends on your area. There is probably a face book group called tsck trader or tack sales or similar for your town or region. I’m finding most ads hsve moved off Craigslist onto Facebook in the past decade.

But most important is find a saddle fitter who will help you avoid expensive mistakes and teach you a lot.

[HiraethFarm]

Where are you? I’d try craigslist. I’ve been able to have people meet me at my barn and I could try it out. It is tough to sell a saddle and often sellers are willing to do a little work to get one sold. I have a Passier I want to sell and it isn’t moving (but I’m not putting in a ton of energy recently either. It sat at a tack store for 6 months and didn’t sell). I’ve also been really nervous about buying from ebay. I did buy from several of the online tack stores that I could try the saddle and then send it back. Shipping killed me but I had a mare that was super hard to fit and that was really the only way. My current saddle was purchased through a saddle rep that came out and helped me figure out what would work for my current (again, hard to fit, ottb).

[Bluey]

I seem to remember Dover has some used saddles for sale?

If you can’t find other, stores like Pelham saddlery have used saddles:

http://www.pelham-saddlery.com

You can watch their video and description and try for the cost of shipping.
They can help you with your questions.
I have tried and bought from them and sold thru them and all was exactly as represented.

Could you go to some local shows and ask directly there who may have some for sale?

[WildandWickedWarmblo]

I’ve bought some saddles from visiting consignment shops and they were very good.
I’ve bought some saddles on eBay, both here in the states and from overseas, and they were all great.
Only one I didn’t think was worth the money was a saddle I bought from a consignment at a tack shop where I did not go look at the saddle.

[NancyM]

I found one on a “For Sale” notice board at a local grocery store. It was kinda crazy, “I” am like the only person in the area (we live in “cowboy country”) who would have been interested in buying the saddle, and it was exactly the saddle I was looking for. Karma, I guess. It was advertised as a 16", but I figured it was probably a 16 1/2", and it was. Just my size.

I found another at a tack sale, that we just went to for something to do. It was such a good deal, and such a nice saddle, and exactly my size, and a model that I had always been quite attracted to, VERY expensive as a new saddle, and there it was, older, but hardly any wear. I paid $200 for it. It’s lovely.

[Ruth0552]

Do you have a horse? Fitting to the horse is the #1 priority if so.

If you don’t, something adjustable might be good. Pelham is a great place to go for a new used saddle. I happen to have a 17" Bates CC for sale there that you should DEFINITELY look at ;). They have it listed as a 16.5, I don’t know why. It is stamped 17".

[Ladylexie]

horsemans exchange in Littleton Massachusetts has some used.

[OneTwoMany]

I buy/sell 1-2 saddles on e-bay a year. If you know what you are looking for, I think it is a great resource, plus you have buyer protection and other sources of recourse if something goes awry. As a seller the 15+% commission fees are a drag, but I guess nothing is perfect.

I haven’t bought a saddle on FB. It is a little too much like the “wild west” for me, with little buyer/seller protection.

[ecileh]

I have bought three saddles on ebay. If you know what you’re looking for and have some patience, I think it’s a great way to do it. Two of the three were barely used original Crosbys that I got for a song. The third was mis-advertised (had a SHORT flap and was listed as a long) and I used the ebay buyer protection to send it back.

That said, I wouldn’t just shop for a saddle on ebay. Meaning, I think it’s a good resource if you know exactly what you want, but can’t really help if all you know is “I want a new saddle.”

[cutter99]

Check out Facebook pages geared towards the type of tack you are interested in. I spent the last six months shopping for a specific western saddle that is no longer in production. I bid on some on eBay, but they went higher that I wanted to spend. I finally found one at a tack shop in CA through a Facebook page, bought it for a decent price and had it shipped to TN. It is a saddle I never would have found in TN, so it worked out well for me. It was within the amount I was willing to spend, even with paying for shipping.

[blumchen]

Thanks so much for the helpful advice, everyone! I’m in the Cincinnati area, for what it’s worth. We do have a tack consignment shop about 30 minutes south, but I’m not sure they have what I’m looking for right now.

We should be getting an Equus Now store here in April, so if I can wait that long, it may be a good idea. I’d like to go see them/feel them in person before making a commitment. The trials from these websites are awesome but the shipping costs will definitely add up if I try out a few different saddles!

@Ruth0552, I am currently leasing a horse and I tend to always find myself on fairly wide QH types, but you are right–an adjustable tree may not be a bad idea! Is the Bates Caprilli on there yours?

[Ruth0552]

One of them is. There are a couple. If you are interested, PM me.

[MissAriel]

Talk with your riding instructor, lease horse owner, fellow barn friends, pretty much any local horse people you know about where they got their saddle and if any know a good fitter and start from there. I have found a good consignment shop and a great fitter locally that don’t do much online advertising because word of mouth in the horse world is pretty good.

Then try to borrow or at least sit in as many different saddles as you can. When I was saddle shopping a bunch of friends popped me on their horses to just sit in their saddles and see how they fit me and I was even able to try a few others on my horse, which was extremely beneficial. I ended up really liking a friend’s saddle and finding the exact same model on ebay. I was super lucky that the seller happened to be local, so we ended up making the transaction face to face, rather than shipping.

[JeanM]

tacktrader.com can have some good prospects. Second the notion of looking for Facebook groups for tack in your region. Here in eastern CT, I have three (can be somewhat redundant in their listings, but not necessarily)

[kcmel]

I’ve bought and sold many saddles on Ebay. I try to make sure the saddle I’m buying is below market value, so that if it doesn’t work out I don’t lose money when I sell. Sometimes I even make a profit!

[mfglickman]

@OneTwoMany

I buy/sell 1-2 saddles on e-bay a year. If you know what you are looking for, I think it is a great resource, plus you have buyer protection and other sources of recourse if something goes awry. As a seller the 15+% commission fees are a drag, but I guess nothing is perfect.

I haven’t bought a saddle on FB. It is a little too much like the “wild west” for me, with little buyer/seller protection.

If you use PayPal goods and services you are protected on Facebook and can negotiate price and shipping costs, or even meet if it’s local. Always caveat emptor and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Walk away from anyone asking you to do PP Friends and Family, Venmo, Facebook Pay, Walmart, etc.