Posted 2009-02-15 8:17 AM (#99488) Subject: English Saddle help
Regular
Posts: 99
Location: New Mexico
I was given a Stubben Edelweiss English saddle. I know next to nothing about English saddles. Not much found on internet about resell values and very few are selling. But saw new ones are $$$$. Is this a saddle worth keeping? I even had to look up how to measure and if I did it right it is a 17 in. It looks to be in solid shape just a few scrapes and wear marks. Lets see if I got lingo right, it has the leathers, irons and girth with it and the leather just needs a good cleaning. I have no idea if its multi-purpose, jumping, close contact ????
Posted 2009-02-15 9:45 AM (#99492 - in reply to #99488) Subject: RE: English Saddle help
Elite Veteran
Posts: 824
Location: Kansas
You have a VERY good saddle;Stubbens are an excellent saddle. Depending on your area you should be able to get from $650-$900 easily enough. I sent you a pm
Manufacturer: Stubben Model: Edelweiss NT Category: Close Contact Saddles
Purchase: I bought this saddle from a tack shop I found on the Internet that had it advertised at the lowest price I could find, which was $1260. They had to custom order it from Stubben due to the fact I needed a 29 cm tree in a 16 1/2" seat and I wanted the chocolate color.
Likes: This saddle has broken in beautifully in several months time. It offers an amazingly close contact feel and is extremely comfortable. I absolutely love riding in this saddle! My off the track TB enjoys having a saddle that fits him this well also!
Dislikes: The only thing I'm not real happy about is that the dye has come off the bottom of the saddle flap where my leathers and leg rest. I understand this is a common enough situation nowadays. I think it might be due to the fact that my horse sweats so much, since my sister has a Stubben she just bought but doesn't have this problem with.
Quality: I believe that the construction and quality are fantastic for a saddle in this price range. When comparison shopping for saddles, I noticed that some higher priced brands didn't seem to have the same level of craftsmanship that the Stubbens had.
Summary: I am very happy with my purchase of this saddle. It was well worth the 2 month wait it took to have made. Just a note: Stubben's customer service is fantastic! Before making my purchase, I called several times and was very impressed with how patient they were answering my questions and concerns.
Posted 2009-02-16 8:56 AM (#99546 - in reply to #99488) Subject: RE: English Saddle help
Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA
If you are not familiar with English riding, this may not be the type of saddle that will be comfortable for you. A close contact saddle generally has less padding, and allows a better feel of movement of the horse. For some riders, the loss of comfort is more important than the additional control they might gain.
The Stubben is of an excellent quality, and new saddles are commonly found in the $1400 range and up. You might be able to trade it with a used saddle dealer, for something more apropos of your usage. It certainly has a good value if it was taken care of.
Posted 2009-02-17 3:56 PM (#99642 - in reply to #99488) Subject: RE: English Saddle help
Elite Veteran
Posts: 681
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
You have an EXCELLENT saddle! Stubbens keep their value for many, many years.. Do you have any idea how old it is? Look under the flap where the nameplate is.. does it say made in Germany or Switzerland, or Ireland?? The older ones that were made in Germany are the better-made although ALL are good.. That's like saying that a true German-made BMW is better than one made in an outside plant (if they are).. I bought a used Stubben in very good condition from Germany several years ago.. I think I paid over $300.00 for it then, and was glad to.... The billet-keeper under the flap should have it's serial number stamped on it and it's size stamped underneath the serial number.... 32 is very wide.. Mine is as wide as they make them because "Miss Thang" is built like a barrel... Stubbens make wonderful light weight trail saddles A lot of endurance people use the Seigfreid vss (all purpose with a rather forward flap for jumping) or vsd (all purpose with straighter flaps as used in dressage)... i have the english cantle saddlebag and would Love the english pommel trail bags, but can't find one used and won't pay 50 plus bucks for a new one..
If you have any other doubt.. look on e-bay for an idea of what they are worth.. If it were me, I'd keep it.. But then, I have a tendency to collect too many saddles! My husband calls me (among other things) Ms. Horse Tack Pack Rat.. AND also Mrs. Fred Sanford.. If you are interested in getting rid of it, send me a PM
Posted 2009-02-20 12:11 PM (#99804 - in reply to #99488) Subject: RE: English Saddle help
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 522
Location: Tucumcari NM
Living in New Mexico, it is relatively odd to see a rider in an english saddle, but for those of us with bad knees an english saddle can mean the difference between riding and not riding. Stock saddles are so hard on my poor knees that I nearly gave up, until I happened to remember the Stueben that I used to endurance ride in. Problem solved!
Posted 2009-02-23 10:53 AM (#99981 - in reply to #99488) Subject: RE: English Saddle help
Expert
Posts: 1989
Location: South Central OK
I would try a local tack shop to see if they'll take it on consignment. Don't settle for less than $500. A little shopping online should help you ID the type of saddle.
I know I'm going against the grain here but I don't fancy them, personally.
Posted 2009-02-27 6:19 AM (#100264 - in reply to #99488) Subject: RE: English Saddle help
Member
Posts: 32
Location: indiana
I bought a Subben deland of of ebay 6 months ago and paid 600 dollars. I think the deland model is slightly better than most subbens. It was used but in what I would consider very good condition. It was also a 19" so a bit on the rare side considering how few 19" stubbens show up on ebay. I am not going to tell you I know alot about saddles but I really like this one. I think it was money well spent.