[Just Not Native]

Ok... If you could be so kind. A very loose survey. Could you list the 3 most important things you would look for, if you were to purchase a new jumping saddle (price point between 2500 - 3000 dollars). Would it be:
•QUALITY/PRICE COMPARED WITH OTHER NAMES.
•ADJUSTABILITY OF TREE / PANELS
•NAME REOGNITION
•COMFORT
•COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURING
•LEATHER OPTIONS
•SERVICE AFTER THE SALE (FITTING)

These are just ideas to get you thinking. Just tell me what is most important to you as a consumer.

[*jumper*]

Personally, the top of my list is how the saddle fits both horse and rider. I don't care if you hand me a butter-soft Devocoux if it doesn't fit right. After fit comes quality and comfort (although I think if a saddle is correctly fitted, it should be comfortable).

[Horseshowaddict]

Fit/Comfort - any saddle that I get needs to put me in the right place on my horse, where I feel secure on the flat and over fences. There are quite a few "popular" brands that I just cant deal with riding in...nothing wrong with the quality or workmanship, I just plain dont like it. If riding multiple horses I'd want something that I could use and adjust to each one easily.

A very close second is Quality/Price compared with other names. Id want the highest quality product that I could get for my money.

Its really a bit of a toss-up for #3, I guess maybe service after the sale. Ive been lucky enough to deal with some very good saddle reps, and it was really nice to have them around to answer questions, and help me out with things having to do with the saddles that they sold us.

Name recognition is important for resale purposes.
Others are definitely important, but the above are my top!

[hntrjmprpro45]

1. Fit
2. Quality
3. Options
The only reason why I would put options as #3 rather than service is that generally many/most of the saddle companies in the $2500- $3k price range are not going to be fully custom, so you wouldn't be needing to deal with too many customer service reps (hopefully). I like different options- especially in the price range you mentioned. You see LOTS of options in the $4k- $5k saddles but fewer in the <$3k saddles. It would be nice to get more of a "custom" saddle at a "off the rack" price (lol, saddle rack that is!).

[billiebob]

1. Fits my horse
2. Fits me
3. Quality and workmanship.

[ALTERnativeMotive]

1. Fits my horse
2. Fits me
3. Quality and workmanship.

This.

[Renn/aissance]

Comfort to horse and rider
Post-sale fitting
Adjustability

Are we sensing a pattern here? :P

[Madeline]

1.It has to fit me. You can't usually change that.
2. It should come close to fitting my horse, as that is adjustable by a competent saddle fitter. ( Don't give me no wide trees for my narrow TBs.)
3. Good reputation for holding up. For that $$ I want a 20 year committment.

[xxreddxheaddxx]

1. must be adjusted. horses are always gaining/losing muslcle and some weight and fit is the most important thing.
2. quality.
3. it must not throw me out of position.

[findeight]

Sorry, what are we talking about in the "adjustabilty" category? You mean getting it reflocked? A switchable gullet like on some lower end saddles?

See, I don't think you can simply adjust the basic fit of a saddle for drastic changes in the shape of the horse's back. And reflocking can be expensive plus you are at the mercy of the talents of whoever does it...and some saddles cannot be reflocked anyway.

For me it would be fit for me in that it places me in the proper position plus basic fit for the horse.

Price-because there is no point picking out something I cannot afford and won't buy anyway.

Reputation for quality and longivity. That way it should hold a good resale value if the horse changes shape so drastically it won't fit or I get another horse.

[morganpony86]

1) Fit me/my horse
2) quality
3) comfort
But all 3 are required; so I don't suppose one is above another in terms of importance.

See, I don't think you can simply adjust the basic fit of a saddle for drastic changes in the shape of the horse's back. And reflocking can be expensive plus you are at the mercy of the talents of whoever does it...and some saddles cannot be reflocked anyway.

You'd be surprised what saddle fitters can do with pads. My extra-wide saddle (with Cair panels, not wool flocking) needed to fit my Morgans & my narrow TB. One simple saddle-fitter half pad did the trick. Two fittings (before & after) and saddle pad advice (including specific wool flocking of the pad) all for $65 from a certified County saddle fitter.

[Sebastian]

1. Fit/Balance
2. Quality
3. Cost

I've learned it's better to splurge and get what you really want, as they will last a lifetime if you take care of them. And, I HATE breaking in saddles almost as much as new boots...

Seb

[RugBug]

1. Fits me and fits horse
3. I can afford it

I numbered them that way because I won't compromise on fit for me OR the horse. They are both equally important to me. That doesn't mean I won't pad to tweak a fit, but I won't try to pad a too wide saddle to fit my narrow horse. For example, I could've saved $2200 buying a used TC, but it just wouldn't fit the horse. I tried a few pad combinations, but gave up when nothing was going to work. My Delgrange fits me beautifully and fits my horse nicely. I use a thin TC half pad to correct the slightly too wide nature of it. But it's only slightly too wide and I'm not trying to hold it off his withers with a wither relief half pad or some such.

[findeight]

...what saddle fitters can do with pads. My extra-wide saddle (with Cair panels, not wool flocking) needed to fit my Morgans & my narrow TB. One simple saddle-fitter half pad did the trick. Two fittings (before & after) and saddle pad advice (including specific wool flocking of the pad) all for $65 from a certified County saddle fitter.

Well, alot of saddles are foam and you do cite use of pads to "make them fit".

No knock, just saying...

[mvp]

1. Fit/Balance
2. Quality
3. Cost

I've learned it's better to splurge and get what you really want, as they will last a lifetime if you take care of them. And, I HATE breaking in saddles almost as much as new boots...

Seb

Yeah. You have to cheat this way in order to get the ranking right--cramming fit for horse and rider into the one top category.

If it doesn't help horse and me, it's over.

Quality materials and workmanship is key because I'll have to live with the thing every day. I also have to ask if it is doing the job so well and so beautifully that I'm happy to have spent the money it cost.

Cost has become a big deal to me in the past few years. That's primarily because I don't think any close contact or dressage saddle is worth 5 Grand. I choke on the figure. They just don't last long enough to justify the cost, IMO. I'm even fussy about the 3K range, but that's because I'm old enough to remember when middle-of-the-road saddles were nicer than they are to day and cost $400-500.

It's sad that middle-of-the-road saddles like Pessoas and Bates (maybe) and others think edging up to $2K-- or more than $1K at all-- is acceptable for the quality they are selling. It's also sad that used saddles don't hold their value anymore as they did in the Stubben era.

All this recommends a Post-Industrial Apocalypse type buying strategy: Buy the cheapest saddle you can stand and be happy your aren't losing more money as it ages badly and/or loses 40% of its value no matter what you do.

Sorry for the mourning-type rant. But see what you can get in the way of a $5K western saddle and then revisit the pricing versus longevity issue for CC saddles.

[findeight]

MVP? I grock..and if you understand that, I'll buy you a frosty.

I went with a Luc Childeric last time out after I was somewhat dissatisfied with the durability of a Butet and thought the Antares and various PJs put me in the rumbleseat-a place I am happy with after 20+ years in Western-that don't work so good in Hunters.

Got a deal on that one because trainer has sold alot of them and I bought directly from the NA distributer in Toronto.

Interestingly enough, I gave a local tack shop the opportunity to get it for me. They quoted a 5% mark up in price (at 3k that is not chump change), did not have the size and flap I wanted in stock and cited a 21 day minimum on delivery, paid in full before order would be submited.

Hades belles, I called Running Fox in Toronto and had it in 3 days-with an offer to send at least 2 to be sure of fit. No mark up, list price and they waived shipping-bought the Childeric leathers on metric (like half hole) too. Customer service is NOT dead.

[parlay505]

I just bought a jumping saddle last week and I looked for:
1)cost
2)fit
3)comfort/quality
4)appearance(since I show and need a presentable saddle)

Cost comes first because I am a student with a low budget. I knew if I searched hard enough and waited long enough, I could find a quality, nice looking and fitting saddle in my price range, (which I did).