I have a 3 year old Bates Caprilli dressage saddle. The tree has broken: snapped into two at one of the points. I can get it fixed under warranty although it is still going to cost me ... although much less that it would cost to replace!
However I have heard that english saddles suck after having a tree replaced and most advice I have is not to go ahead with the replacement and trash it.
So my options are:
1) Have it replaced.
2) Have it replaced, then sell it and buy another saddle. ... Would you buy a saddle with a replaced tree ... and would it be ethical not to mention it?
3) Trash it and go into debt to buy another one.
I haven't been 100% happy with the fit on my horse although I love this saddle, and I am not in a financial position to throw money around, but my horse has to have the best option for him. I have never known anyone who had a broken tree in a well cared for saddle, so this is out of my range of experience!
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Please, any help, stories or advice you have would be appreciated!
My experience with Bates/Wintec is that when they 'fix' a broken tree, they replace the whole saddle. Yes, you have to have the paperwork and send the thing in (better to do this through a tack store, even if it isn't the tack store where you purchased it) and stand the cost of shipping. We only had 2 trees break, in the 4 years I worked at the tack store; both the saddles had been reared up with and fallen on. Both times the saddles that were sent back were completely new saddles
I would say it is worth it.
You cant really rely on a fixed saddle, it isnt as durable as it was before, its worth getting a new one, i've heard of this new saddle, it's treeless and can fit any horses shape, that might be worth trying??
hope i helped.
No. Really can't be fixed. I've asked my saddler before. They have to tear the whole thing apart and put in a new tree. Makes no sense.
Most of the time when a tree breaks in an English saddle it is a faulty tree, I would call the company and tell them it is under warranty and have the tree replaced not fixed, otherwise their warranty is no good, they are the ones who were paid to build the saddle and they put the warranty on it, whom ever you talked to will probably get paid from the company to replace the tree which the saddle company will send them free of charge plus they are going to get paid by you, call the company who built it not a repair person, they may even give you a new saddle. Any saddle that has had the tree replaced in it is almost like a new saddle, I have replaced the trees in many saddles both english and Western plus some side saddles. I was paid by the manufacturer to do the work and they sent me the tree.
