Can someone tell me how old this saddle might be?

It is a Crosby Prix De Nations Springseat saddle. to my knowledge, it was used 20some years ago (maybe less, maybe more- im not sure) by a showjumper. I think its an all purpose saddle, though (i am a dressage rider, and have yet to venture into the hunter jumper world...). Sorry I dont have pictures, I'll try to post them soon.

I have no idea what it looked like new, but when i came to me the flaps were a darkish orangey color. The seat and padding are a lighter tan, and are finished. It has the metal plate thing just beside the stirrup bars that says Crosby England, but it doesnt have a date. On the inside of the bottom flap it says Prix De Nations Springseat Saddle in worn gold paint. (very, very hard to read- I only noticed it a few weeks ago)

Crosby was a house brand of Millers Saddlery. They were made in England, by whoever gave them the lowest bid to manufacture. Millers has been out of business for probably over 10 years. Prix de Nations cam out as I recall late 60's early 70's. The saddle of choice of that era was the Steinkraus model Hermes. The Prix was a low cost knock off of that style. They were popular in the early 70s. It is most likely about 30 years old unless you got one of the late ones.

I still have my Crosby Prix de Nations - they were still popular for those of us on a budget in the late 80's, early 90's. I think I bought mine in 1990. They were still well made at that time - but they started to go downhill after that.

Used to LOVE getting the Miller's catalogue in the mail! I'd pour over it cover to cover. :cool:

There is a big hunter jumper barn near where I used to live. Over the years I've been there for lessons or clinics every so often.

It's kind of funny to notice the saddle trends over the years.

In the 80s everyone had Prix de Nations
Next everyone had Butets (I might have these out of order in the middle)
Then everyone had PJs
Then everyone had Devoucoux
Last (3-4 years ago) time everyone had Anatares

Wonder what they all have now?

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Originally Posted by ChelseaR

There is a big hunter jumper barn near where I used to live. Over the years I've been there for lessons or clinics every so often.

It's kind of funny to notice the saddle trends over the years.

In the 80s everyone had Prix de Nations
Next everyone had Butets (I might have these out of order in the middle)
Then everyone had PJs
Then everyone had Devoucoux
Last (3-4 years ago) time everyone had Anatares

Wonder what they all have now?

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CWD :winkgrin: (and many other brands :P).

This is one of those saddles that, if kept up, is probably better older rather than newer. Just like Stubbens of a certain age are better than when they went to S. America manufacture.

I have two Crosby PDNs from the late 70's/early 80's in the lesson program. They are a close contact saddle that is used to teach/learn seat and strengthen. I like to say, "you don't know CLOSE contact until you've ridden a PDN". There is nothing there in the way of padding or blocks or rolls. It is a hard, flattish seat with ultimate contact for the leg, usually a very very narrow twist.

If you can ride a PDN, you can RIDE. They are IMO the best saddle to put intermediate riders in to develop the elusive feel in the seat, ability to feel and use seat bones, the ability to stick anything, and of course a strong, immoveable perfect leg. If your leg is less than perfect, you will instantly know. We all ride them, still, many many days a week to keep the humans strong. They are great for without-stirrup work because there is no block or padding to show where your leg should be--your leg has to find and stick the sweet spot for you and your horse at all times. I start my young horses with them too, as they are indestructible. If someone doesn't yet know what they want in a saddle, this is the go-to saddle for them. It has nothing, so nothing you don't need, no crutches, and will both make the body/leg strong and show what your weaknesses might be.

They age much better than those of us people who used them. :) The leather is so nice yet indestructible it has made me spoiled when I see how easily seat and flap leather wears on new middle to high end saddles these days. (Like the admonition against riding in jeans or pants with blocky seams "for the saddle" I see with new saddles--you could seriously ride a PDN with sandpaper on your rear, I think.)


The drawback is back in the day they did not make either a large channel nor a very wide wide tree--I have a PDN in XL wide tree and it is barely what we now call a medium. They don't work for a flat back, muttony withers, or drafty/haflingery type builds well at all.

When PDNs came out and were popular, they didn't need to have a wide tree because everyone had THOROUGHBREDS and you could pop your PDN on and it fit everything (except that odd horse that may have come over from Europe and went ka-THUD, ka-THUD, ka-THUD as it went around the ring ;)

When I sort of got back into horses I was amazed to see the emphasis on saddle fitting because as a teen and in college everyone had PDNs and it wasn't a problem. Now that everyone is riding and showing warmbloods and draft crosses saddle fitting can be very difficult.

Back in the early 1990's - EVERYONE seemed to have a Crosby PDN. Very very common saddle - they were "close contact" jumping saddles (not all purpose).

Does yours have a padded flap? There were padded flap and plain flap versions.

Plain Flap

"California" version with padded flap

Which reminds me, I need to pull mine out to work on my leg this winter ;)

Like some of the other posters - THIS is what you rode in "back in the day".

It has a plain flap- and a square cantle. I took pictures and made a photobucket account, but now I need to learn how to upload the pictures from my camera to my computer... (new camera, and im not a techy person :lol:)

if anyone has a fujifilm XP20 camera (i think thats what it is...) and knows how to upload the pictures to the computer, if you could PM me that would be great...

https://www.fujifilmusa.com/products...s/page_04.html

Dewey, you are a lifesaver! Ok here are the pictures... I apologize for the super long links.

Whole saddle: http://s1280.beta.photobucket.com/us...07146587495351

Billets: http://s1280.beta.photobucket.com/us...75337970603818

Label 1: http://s1280.beta.photobucket.com/us...76287872090313

Label 2:http://s1280.beta.photobucket.com/us...15498270691656

Underside: http://s1280.beta.photobucket.com/us...86814192771225

(yes those are my toes in the side of the last picture and my finger holding the flap down in the first)

;) I love Google.

Glad you figured out how to post the pics. For future reference, you can post a link to an entire album on photobucket.

Your saddle looks to be in excellent shape. I had a PDN back in the late 70s, and yours looks to be of a much more recent vintage. I am guessing 90s.

Thanks! it does look a lot better now then it did when i got it, since i dumped a whole bunch of olive oil on it. It was so dry it started to crack when I bent the leather. Now it looks about a decade newer! Its also a few shades darker then it was, too.

I adore my old Crosby.

I love mine! i havent been able to try mine on the horses yet, but I like how it fits me. I ride very thouroughbred-withered horses so fingers crossed it fits them, or at least one of them... (since ive heard thats what it fits mostly)

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Originally Posted by Kryswyn

When PDNs came out and were popular, they didn't need to have a wide tree because everyone had THOROUGHBREDS and you could pop your PDN on and it fit everything (except that odd horse that may have come over from Europe and went ka-THUD, ka-THUD, ka-THUD as it went around the ring ;)

When I sort of got back into horses I was amazed to see the emphasis on saddle fitting because as a teen and in college everyone had PDNs and it wasn't a problem. Now that everyone is riding and showing warmbloods and draft crosses saddle fitting can be very difficult.

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This - exactly.

Although I have an OTTB, and my PDN was too narrow for him, even though he's pretty fine boned...:(

What I'm frustrated with right now are saddle pads! Spent $150 on a sheepskin pad that is falling apart 6 months later. Can't bring myself to spend over $300 on a Mattes. Miss the double sided fake fleece ones that were cheap but thick, and you could throw in the wash - and that's all we used! (Unless hacking around, we threw the PDN on a "machine woven Indian rug". ;))

I would say it's from the 90's, I'm going by the pencil roll and the nylon lined billet straps. Likely pre-'95. (square cantle) the square cantle fell out of fashion in the late 90's.

Yeah, early 90's would make a lot of sense, now that i think about it. Im not going to sell it anytime soon, but if i did, what would you price it at?

Your saddle is in great shape, however it's not quite as old as you may think.
There are clues on the billets - the way they are re-inforced & lined is not something that was done on the earlier models. Without looking at the serial #'s (you can usually figuare out manufacturer date from those)
I would estimate it's manufacturer date between 1988 - 1995.

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Originally Posted by skippy60

Yeah, early 90's would make a lot of sense, now that i think about it. Im not going to sell it anytime soon, but if i did, what would you price it at?

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Look on ebay. Most PDNs go for $200-$400 depending on condition. I saw that one seller is asking $600 as a starting price for a nice clean one; IMO he'll never get that. PDNs aren't popular though they are well made. Most people want padded seats, padded flaps, and knee rolls or blocks.