# Sue Carson saddles



## ann-jen (27 March 2009)

Anyone got one and what do they think of them? I'm having one of their fitters out on Sunday to try probably a jump and dressage saddle as I'm having huge problems getting my current saddle fitted correctly. So far I've heard mixed reviews. Any comments welcome.


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## Scarlett1980 (27 March 2009)

Yep I have one.  I love it.  I usually struggle with new saddles as i find them really hard to sit to until they've been broken in a bit but my Sue Carson is lovely.  I have a close contact jump one which fits both of us really well.  My dressage is an Albion which I have always sworn by but am now an advocate of two!

Also they were great and came and re-fitted/re-flocked when she had built up a bit of muscle and changed shape without any hassle.


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## teabagtoyota (27 March 2009)

I have a Scope model and think for comfort for me its fab but tobe honest its most definately not worth the price tag, I have had to have it refitted and widened(x3) for the horse that it was "made to measure" for and to be honest I don't think he has widened that much, more a case that the saddle never really fitted him properly, I had it returned and refitted last year and had a local saddler look at it and she says its still too small for him, the points are digging into him as like I say it was just newly refitted so I am extremely unimpressed as the Sue Carson fitter charges an absolute fortune everytime they appear, also the air bags only lasted two years and I had to pay to have them replaced, I have been told by  local saddler that Ideal make the saddles up for Sue Carson and if thats the case I would get an Ideal distributor out to do your horse!! Hope thats of help!!


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## Halfstep (27 March 2009)

I've heard that you have to be VERY careful who does the fitting.


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## teabagtoyota (27 March 2009)

From my experience I will totally agree on that!!


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## teddyt (27 March 2009)

Check the width of the gullet is sufficient for your horses spine. I have only seen a couple of these saddles but both were too narrow in the gullet so the panel ends up sitting on the spine instead of either side of it.


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## teabagtoyota (27 March 2009)

Hi,

Cheers for that, the gullet is good and plenty wide enough for him, its the points, you know the bits under the pommel/stirrup bars so to speak that appear to dig into him hence the reason  it was widened and is now at its max so can't be widened anymore so pretty hacked off considering all in all I have paid over 2k for saddle and fittings and new air bags etc and I'm left with a saddle that is still too small for him, I did complain and was told that as he had grown and widened it was nothing to do with them, what annoyed me most is that when I spoke to fitter before going ahead with purchase I told her his breeding his age (5) etc and that as he was quite a well rounded warmblood I didn't want to buy anything at that price that wouldn't fit him later in life, she assured me that this would be taken into consideration and that it would be made to fit but with plenty of adjustment so saddle could get widened and grow with him! Not so. He is now 8 and it doesn't fit and its been expanded to its max, I don't find them very helpfull at all esp now they have my money!!


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## KatB (27 March 2009)

Pretty much the reason why I wont touch them as above! The saddles cost about £500 for them, they arent as well made as Ideal IMHO, and the seams on the panels sit right on the horses backs creating pressure points. Really not a fan


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## teabagtoyota (27 March 2009)

Totally agree with you, sadly I learnt the hard expensive way!!


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## seabiscuit (27 March 2009)

Complete rip off saddles


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## ann-jen (27 March 2009)

I seem to be getting very mixed reviews on here and by PM, so thank you to everyone who has bothered to give me any info. There's still a slim hope that I might be able to get another fitter to rectify the wow (fingers crossed).
If not, and I don't get on with the SC - I would appreciate any more info on the Ideals - if anyone can oblige.
Thanks


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## millimoo (27 March 2009)

God, some of these comments are worrying.
My mum has one that has now been used on two horses.
She has the close contact dressage saddle - the one without the saddle flaps underneath (Harmony I think???)
Hers has FLAIR fitted, and to date has been ok.
Although I do know of someone else who's airbag keeps deflating and they've been back twice and Sue Carson Saddles reps doesn't think it's leaking???


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## superstar342 (12 April 2009)

I have both a Sue Carson dressage saddle and a jumping saddle, and I have both very positive and very negative views on both it and the company!

My horse went away for schooling whilst I was at uni and it was agreed to get a new saddle. Nothing that was tried would stay central, even without a rider on!  Eventually we bought a second hand Sue Carson (complete with 2 punctured airbags - apparently only 1 in every 2500 punctures . . .) which was fitted by one of their fitters, but 2 days after the newly fitted and airbagged saddle returned the horse was injured.  After 6 months off work and bringing her home we have brought her back into work and could not get the saddle to sit level at all.  But, due to the horse losing a lot of condition we gave the fitter the benefit of the doubt and put it down to this.  We organised a new saddle fitting with Sue Carson herself, who said the saddle was far too narrow for the horse now, with a lot less muscle than when it was originally fitted!  She could not believe herself that it had been fitted for that horse!  However, after a lot of pumping and widening and sewing on of new straps, I now have a very comfy dressage saddle that does not (touch wood) move at all when riding, even when my mare has a tantrum.  Furthermore she is moving far better in it than anything I have ever tried before.

I have now bought a second hand Sue Carson jumping saddle which she fitted herself and also having no problems with that.

My advise is get a second hand one (there are plenty around in very good condition), and if you can, travel over to Sue Carson and get her to fit it herself.  I now have a dressage and jumping saddle that seem to cause neither me or the horse any problems at all, with the total cost being no more than buying a single new one.  However, be careful if you are having one of her reps out to fit it!  I could have saved a lot of time and hassle if I had gone straight to her!


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