Saddle Fitting

Hayburner
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Saddle Fitting

Postby Hayburner » Mon Jan 13, 2020 1:00 am

I did find a really nice used MacRider saddle but it is way too narrow for my mare.

I have a saddle fitter coming in 2 weeks, but I found out she does not have the machine on her truck to adjust it. She will do a tracing and take it to their office to be adjusted, they said the flocking can also be adjusted if need be. Then it will be shipped back to me.

Is this the "norm"? The fitters I have seen at the barn do have the machine to widen it at the barn, no need to ship it elsewhere.

I'm worried that how will I know it's right? How do they know where flocking may need to be adjusted if it totally can't be put on the horses back? It is so narrow it doesn't come close to sitting on her back.

Doing it this way will cost close to $350.00 ! That seems high to me, but I've not had this done in the past since I've been using my Wintec for many years. You pay for travel, refit/reflock, tracing then shipping back to me.

Thanks

piedmontfields
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby piedmontfields » Mon Jan 13, 2020 4:10 pm

"Way too narrow" as in you need an XW and it is a W? Or you need an XW and it is a medium?

It doesn't sound like this saddle is close to right. A good fitter helps a saddle go from close to perfect.

blob
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby blob » Mon Jan 13, 2020 5:15 pm

MacRiders are a bit of a different beast, which is partly why you're running into this problem. They're very adjustable--not just width, but shape as well. However, they require a special machine to be adjusted fully and properly--not what fitters use to adjust nearly every other saddle. And unfortunately MacRider doesn't have certified fitters or reps scattered around the country like most saddle brands do (despite what their website would have you believe).

So, to answer your questions--normally a saddle fitter would do the adjustments themselves. But, for MacRider, the saddle fitter is simply going to take the tracings and act as the liaison to getting your saddle adjusted by by the MacRider folks in Florida.

I had found a great deal on a macrider that i liked quite a bit. But when I learned what the fitting/adjusting process would be like and got a taste for how unhelpful their customer service is, I decided not to go with them.

They are really nice saddles, though. So, hopefully you won't have to adjust this one again for a long long time.

Hayburner
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Hayburner » Tue Jan 14, 2020 12:41 am

Piedmont, matching it up to my Baines Elegance which is a wide, I'd say this is a medium at best. My Wintec Isabell is set to extra wide as she did plump up over the summer. She has dropped some weight, and since not every saddle width is the same, this may only need to go to a wide.

Blob, the MacRiders built before 2015 did need a special machine, since this was built late 2018, the MacRider rep said a standard tree machine can adjust it. I think they had to heat the older ones. The rep I spoke to is in NY and she was very helpful even when I told her I was looking at used ones on-line. She doesn't travel to my area unless there would be a handful or so of people that needed her service.

The saddle is very nice, the leather is so nice and this saddle doesn't appear to be used all that much.

So, a good fitter can adjust the width and flocking off site, just by doing a tracing ? Since it doesn't sit on her back, I'm still fretting over how they can get a perfect or near perfect fit and I can't even ride in it for her to see if it's right.

Thanks

piedmontfields
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby piedmontfields » Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:06 am

Maybe there is a local fitter who can help you assess the fit? Even if you use MacRider to make the adjustments? That might be an option.

I know this is more appointments and $$$. I agree that the leather and overall quality of MacRiders is very nice.

blob
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby blob » Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:11 pm

Yes, a good fitter can adjust off site based on tracings.

Hayburner
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Hayburner » Tue Jan 14, 2020 2:40 pm

Thanks for the replies

Fitters are not easy to come by in my area. The last fitter I had look at my Wintec and I also tried a couple of saddles out, made me a wreck! Which only resulted in my anxious horse acting up. She kept barking at me - I finally gave up listening to her and fighting with my horse - got off and said: "I'm done" !

I am going to take some more photo's and let them see how it currently fits or should I say doesn't fit to be sure they can do the width and any flocking that may be needed. I really don't want to pay all this money out only to find that I need them to still come back when they are in the area, which could be months, to make more adjustments.

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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Silverado » Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:43 pm

Hayburner how did the saddle fitting go with the MacRider? I need to get my MacRider adjusted and the saddle fitter for MacRider is over 7 hours away!!! It's a gorgeous saddle but no MacRider saddle fitters nearby at all....sigh....

Hayburner
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Hayburner » Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:35 am

Silverado, since I was not using a MacRider fitter the company that I booked with contacted me about 2 weeks before my fitting asking if they could bring other Saddles for me to try in case the MacRider was never going to fit.
I said yes, but I really would like to use the MR.

A day or so later I get a text that they are cancelling my appointment , the girl wrote that MacRiders as CHEAP Saddles and they won't adjust it for me.

Talk about Rude! They knew when I booked what saddle I had, then months later they decide IMHO since they won't be able to talk me in to their brand of saddles they won't adjust my current saddle either.

To say another companies Saddles are CHEAP is unfair play in this business!

So, I have another fitter actually closer to me that is coming once this heat wave breaks.

Where are you located?

blob
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby blob » Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:33 pm

Silverado wrote:Hayburner how did the saddle fitting go with the MacRider? I need to get my MacRider adjusted and the saddle fitter for MacRider is over 7 hours away!!! It's a gorgeous saddle but no MacRider saddle fitters nearby at all....sigh....


For what its worth, I could not find any fitter who could/would adjust the MacRider that was not an official MacRider fitter. there are are several independent fitters in my area and all of them said they couldn't adjust the saddle. I don't know if it's because of a lack of familiarity and not wanting to take the risk (which I understand) or if the saddles are actually more complicated/different to adjust. But 4 of them turned me down, 2 initially said they could but then when I tried to actually nail down an appointment 1 said she couldn't and the other actually came out and looked at the saddle and said she couldn't after seeing it.

I ended up getting rid of the saddle for this reason--finding a fitter was so hard and the customer service was so rude when I reached about finding a place to send my saddle for fitting based on tracings that I just felt over it. It's a shame because it was a really nice saddle.

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Chisamba
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Chisamba » Tue Jul 07, 2020 4:13 pm

I do not know if this is helpful but I had my Emporio refitted. the fitter took measurements. the saddle had to be shipped. it came back in excellent condition and fit well.

total cost around 450 dollars.

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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Silverado » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:16 pm

Hayburner I am in Virginia, I believe when I got the saddle there was a somewhat local saddle fitter in Virginia but apparently not any more. The "local" saddle fitter is located in New York, if I remember correctly near Syracuse.I believe at this point the saddles are more popular in Europe than here. I think that the saddles are very well made but fitting some of the saddle requires a special machine which makes it difficult unless you have the machine, I could be wrong. A saddle fitter told you the saddle was cheap, yes VERY RUDE and quite unprofessional. I am sending you a pm with the saddle fitters name and phone number. I was hoping that the saddle fitter might be doing a horse show circuit and be in my area but of course with COVID 19, that is highly unlikely.

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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Silverado » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:51 pm

UPDATE

I just got off the phone with a MacRider saddle fitter Valerie McCloskey (315) 335-3557 (yes, I got permission to post her name/phone number). I am very excited, she seems like she will be very easy to work with and very knowledgeable. She also does saddle fitting for other saddles.

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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Silverado » Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:01 pm

Hayburner I sent you a pm

Hayburner
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Hayburner » Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:45 pm

Silverado : I just checked my pm and did not get one from you. Where is Valerie located? Do you know what states she covers?

Blob, do you remember what year your MR was made? From what the fitter in NY ( Patty Baker) told me ones made before 2015 had to be returned to the factory. Those trees had to be heated at the factory to adjust them.
After 2015 any fitter can adjust if they have a tree press machine.

Patty Baker who was in NY has since moved to Fl. So, she definitely would not be able to come to PA for a fitting. I will say when I spoke with her, she was very nice.

blob
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby blob » Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:58 pm

It was a 2018 model. It's very possible the fitters I spoke to could have adjusted it. It's just that none of them were willing to, perhaps because they weren't familiar enough to feel confident doing so? I'm not sure!

The most frustrating part was that when I contacted macrider instead of putting me in touch with someone who worked with their saddles or telling me where it could be sent with tracings or telling me anything helpful at all they very rudely said they wouldn't help me unless I came to Florida. All of their email communication was one line or in some cases one word "no". Really, really put a bad taste in my mouth. I wish they'd put me in touch with Patty!

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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Silverado » Fri Jul 10, 2020 1:31 pm

Hayburner I checked my outbox and it said it was sent and actually I sent you several pm that perhaps you didn't get. Sorry, not sure what happen it says they were sent. Computers!! Love them and sometimes don't know what happens!

Okay, Valerie is in New York and is the only MR saddle fitter that the MacRider gave me as a local for Virginia. She does travel! She is very experienced in saddle fitting and dressage. She earned the USDF (L graduate with distinction) https://www.whisperwindequestrian.com. She does clinics and if you can set up a saddle fitting day, it would help cover her travel expenses. You should give her a call!

I got my saddle December 2015, not sure what year is was actually made. I spoke with Valerie, she got the serial number/model and is checking on the saddle so we will know She does have "the machine'" that can adjust it if necessary. I have my fingers crossed that she can adjust with her machine, not sure what I will do if it has to go back to the factory.

Hayburner
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Hayburner » Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:12 pm

Silverado, got your PM's and replied

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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Silverado » Wed Jul 22, 2020 8:29 pm

Hayburner. MacRider will be doing saddle fitting/service in Westfield, IN and Hobsrt, IN. I sent you a PM with more details

Hayburner
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Hayburner » Thu Jul 23, 2020 11:16 pm

Thanks Silverado!

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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Silverado » Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:25 pm

Hayburner, MacRider now has a saddle fitting in western Pennsylvania. I sent you a PM!

Hayburner
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Hayburner » Thu Jul 30, 2020 1:22 am

Thanks!

redsoxluvr
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby redsoxluvr » Thu Jul 30, 2020 5:15 am

This thread is timely for me. I am saddle hunting and found a decent price on an Arlando. After hearing what a PITA this is, I will continue looking. It doesn't sound like the manufacturer is even remotely reasonable to deal with.

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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby Silverado » Thu Jul 30, 2020 11:40 am

redsoxluvr It might truly depend on where you are located and the availability of a MacRider saddle fitter. They have started to do road trips and covering different cities/states. If you love the saddle, it still might be worth.

blob
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Re: Saddle Fitting

Postby blob » Thu Jul 30, 2020 1:08 pm

redsoxluvr wrote:This thread is timely for me. I am saddle hunting and found a decent price on an Arlando. After hearing what a PITA this is, I will continue looking. It doesn't sound like the manufacturer is even remotely reasonable to deal with.


yes, this was my conclusion and so I also moved on. Nothing like terrible customer service to turn you off a product


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