Who is the up-and-coming trendy saddle maker?

Meyer–nice saddles and they have wide gullet channels that fit on a variety of horses

I have and love my wool-flocked County, as I an a fully grown adult with one horse. BUT My Devoucoux was very comfortable, and if I’d been riding several horses or planning on flipping the horse I had within a year or so, I probably would have kept my Biarritz which was a fitter-approved “ok” fit rather than swapping to a fitted County. Mare really seems to like the custom-fitted wool a lot though, so IMO there’s also some horse preference to factor in.

If I was buying for a kid, who is likely going to need both new saddles and a new mount within a few year’s time, unless the current mount is an unusual fit, I’d absolutely be looking for a standard-sized French saddle because they hold their resale value. My Devoucoux was a fairly common/popular (adult) size, and I actually resold it for a bit more than I paid for it. You can find decent used French saddles in the $2-3500 range. I wouldn’t buy a new one, but if it’s used, you know you’re getting what you’re getting–no flap sizes that weren’t what you ordered or whatever.

I recently sat in a Prestige Renaissance and thought it was a great saddle. It is made by Frederick Butet but he cannot use his name on it since he sold his previous company.
https://renaissance.prestigeitaly.com/en/horse_saddles.xhtml

I just heard again “I’d heard of Harry Dabbs, but I never realized they were making saddles so similar to the French makers!” after taking a range of saddles to a new client. I keep thinking that once more people realize they exist they will be a very hot commodity.
They have a huge range of tree shapes, a bunch of different panel options, endless combinations of flaps and blocks, a variety of seat depths, even different twist widths. Italian calf leather is a popular option, and even with all the bells and whistles they are still significantly less expensive than most of you are used to spending precisely because they don’t have the expense of sponsoring trainers. Their time is coming. :nerd_face:

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I bought my second Devoucoux through the rep! What helped in my situation was knowing exactly what I wanted. I had sold my original saddle and wanted the exact same model just slightly larger. I wasn’t willing to budge on the size and I specified that it had to have pro panels. It took a little longer and by the end I was getting a little frustrated, but she ended up finding me the perfect saddle with everything I wanted for even less than I bought my first one. The saddle ended up being BARELY used (so much so that I actually had to break it in and really oil it) and perfect. I am still shocked that the price was so reasonable.

The first time I bought a Devoucoux I looked online and ended up buying maybe off eBay after a ton of conversations with the seller. I didn’t have as many specifications back then - I knew the model I wanted and that I wanted a wide tree (no pro panels back then!) and ended up getting the perfect saddle. I honestly hated getting rid of it, but I needed something bigger that I could keep forever.

I think that if you are advised by a fitter and know what you want, that makes the process a million times easier.

I had a Dabbs as a kid, I think shortly after they stopped being responsible for the original Pessoa because it had quite an A/O feel to it. It was great until I outgrew it… which was an expensive habit I had as a junior rider with disproportionately long legs for my height. If I had been in the market for a full custom design the last time I purchased, I would have found a Dabbs fitter. That company has designed for so many different rides that they know how to make a British saddle feel French or Italian or whatever and certainly the quality is well worth the price of admission.

For the OP: if you’re talking about a 15-16” saddle with a standardish flap and standardish panels, I don’t think resale is going to be a problem no matter the brand. Everyone needs them. Which can make them hard to find used because as soon as one goes up for sale someone lays dibs within the barn.

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Echoing those who have said that the “kid-sized” saddles in decent condition will re-sell quickly and easily. If you have a good idea of what you’re looking for, I would recommend searching online, it does really open up the selection of what’s available. I’m an odd fit (16.5 seat with a forward flap is surprisingly hard to track down) and the internet has demonstrated both of the two prior points for me in the past.

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Thanks, all, for the great advice. We’re meeting with one of the more well-regarded reps this week to see what they have that might work for child and horse - they have a few used options that we can try from a couple of different popular french brands that have been traded in. Fingers crossed that something meets the “good enough” standard.

Meanwhile, it appears our current saddle may actually work for child #2 and the pony she most often rides, so she’ll also be thrilled if we find something that works for big sis. Nice when you can make both happy :slight_smile:.

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