----- Original Message ----- From: "Laura T" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, April 01, 2002 4:39 PM Subject: [RC] Saddles, my saddle tale.
Laura T [EMAIL PROTECTED] I was highly displeased with the oh so "custom saddle" I had made for me, and my horse. There were so many things wrong with it, I feel now that the maker did it on purpose just to make a buck on me returning it. Then upon notification that the saddle fit so poorly, one of the Wyoming co-owners of this particular saddle maker said she would give me 100% of the cost of the saddle back to me "because I was so dissatisfied" her words. Well, I was so happy about that. But the money was not an issue since I went into the whole saddle order thing thinking I would get 80% back only But guess what?? She told me that I would get 100% back, THEN she screwed me over, and didn't send the 100%, but only 80% of course the signature on the check was of her husbands not hers. Interesting. And after she promised me verbally over the phone. She lied, and only sent just a bit less than 80% back to me. Yes, of course they NEVER returned all of my phone calls or emails. There was no way they could have fixed that saddle to make it work for my horse nor me, there were so many problems wrong with it. It clearly didn't fit me nor my horse, it is as if they sent me the wrong saddle, maybe they did?? Of course, when I spoke with her after I let them know the saddle didn't fit, she basically blamed ME!!! for why it didn't fit me nor my horse. I did NOT mis-measure me nor my horse. I measured him 3 times, and me twice! I just can't grow a few inches or put on alot of weight at in a given amount of time to justify the change of the saddle. My horse is 5 and I am 40. So there are not going to be any changes in a few weeks time span. Talk about pain in my private areas from that saddle! Lordy, it was none like I had ever felt. I rode in it 2 hours one day, and 2 hours the next, then 30 minutes the next. I was in the middle of trying to get my horse fit for competion (which delayed me in riding), and he wasn't going to just stand in the pasture eating grass. The saddle maker told me I had to break it in slower. Heck I bought that saddle to ride in, not to look at the thing on the saddle rack, or to watch tv with it in my living room. Also she told me I had to oil it with LOTS of olive oil to break it in. Go figure, olive oil. I use better stuff than that like neatsfoot oil, or my expensive german stuff. The area that caused so much pain was not my seat bones but the "have the baby bones" yes those bones, my husband even sat in the saddle and felt he had them too. OUCH. The pain from the saddle was soooo painful that I seriously and honestly considered selling my horses, truck, trailer, house, property, everything related to horses, and move to the burbs! My best friend is the same size as me rode in it, on my horse, and felt the same pressure, in the same place. She also said the saddle was not conducive to even post in. I agreed. How could I trot for miles on end in a saddle that I couldn't even post in? The saddle bridged SO much on the horse it rode on the top of the rump of my horse. Yes, I had it placed correctly. It rode 2 inches behind the hip bone, on his rump. From the sweat pattern, it had 95% of the weight on the back of the saddle and the rest of the weight was carried up the saddle into the pommel area, and that was about 5%. I told them upfront that the horse had a VERY short back, and over tracked 12" ++ at the walk. "Oh we can fit him", "We can fit any horse and rider". WRONGO!! Now I feel like one of the children in Hansel and Gretle with the witch luring me into her gingerbread house. Darn, I should have recognised that. There were several other flaws in my $2295 custome made to me and my horse saddle. I have seen $250 saddles from south of the border with less flaws. I am 5'6" and weigh 133#'s. They put me in a 14.5" saddle seat. I am not skinny nor a petite! The saddle weighed so MUCH that it put me from the featherweight to the lightweight. I weighed with tack 170#'s. I almost had a come apart right there when I got on the scale! Poor service from them. Yes 'um, yas suh. I dislike their product, and persuasive advertisements. Especially their stupid video that they send out for **free**. If they had done what they said they would, and I would not be venting. I would only be cautioning that custom saddles are not what they are cracked up to be. If you want to know the saddle maker, email me, see below. I won't post it here. You might not be surprised though. I wish I had know. That saddle caused alot of problems. Now I am wondering whether my thin skinned horse will develop white patches on his very chestnut rump. The hair is pretty short there. I can't wait to explain that to the ride vet. My first ride on this particular horse is in FL on 4/20. Yes I will take some pictures of cya howard. Maybe we can share some beer, horse too! What saddle DID I buy? And am TOTALLY 110% satisfied with their beautiful saddle, and GREAT customer service???? The Arabian Saddle Company!! I have been enjoying the Solsitice model. Bev placed me in an 18", 32 cm tree black saddle. That saddle fit the moment I put it on the horse, me too. It still does. Gosh it is a pretty saddle, and so much cheaper than the Wyoming made saddle. My horse rides wonderfully. After the BAD Wyoming saddle I went to a professional master saddle fitter out of Prospect, KY. I had been riding in a size 3 tree, and my horse needed a size 5. A 32cm sized saddle. 3 is a medium, and a 5 is a wide. Big difference yes! Caution on custom made saddles, I learned an expensive lesson. Also learned about saddle makers, they do not know everything, but there are some that are knowledgeable. Thanks Bev for a great saddle. 2 of my friends here want one now. They rode in mine and really liked it. It is a beautiful saddle to boot. I will take some dressage lessons in it. Who would have know that an "off the shelf" saddle would fit better than a custom made to exact specifications expensive saddle? Don't believe the advertisements, use somebody else's saddle before buying one of that brand. Or you may only get 80% back, instead of the 100% that was promised by one of the co-owners of the saddle maker. Happy Trails, Laura T. AERC #8313 Yes, I am back to competing again. 25's this year, and 50's their after, goal is 100's. email - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Diamond - yeah I love my new saddle, I have a black bridle to match. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. 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