I have twin cousins, Ann and Jean. They’re fraternal (heterozygous) twins, born within ten minutes of each other, and contrary to the expectations that most people seem to have about children who share a womb, they’re not much alike. While they do share a familial resemblance, you’d probably guess them to be sisters rather than twins. Ann is blond and petite, fond of tinkering on engines, doing home repairs and deer hunting; Jean is a tall, redheaded vegetarian who spends her spare time reading poetry and planning her next tattoo. Growing up, everyone seemed to think they were clones: they were expected to enjoy the same foods and activities, they were dressed alike and given the same toys … and they hated it. It took a long time (and a lot of effort on their parts) for them to be seen individuals; as Ann once told me, “People had to learn that we’re not interchangeable.”
Saddles are like that.
We get a lot of requests for “clone” saddles: “My trainer has a 5 year old Black Country Eden, and it’s the only saddle that works for me and my horse. It’s a bench-made saddle, but if I get the serial number, can Black Country make me anther just like it?” Or, “I had a 2001 Frank Baines Reflex jump saddle that I loved, but it was stolen/lost/wrecked, so I want to get another just like it.” While these may seem like reasonable requests at first, trying to “clone” a saddle rarely ends in a satisfactory result – in fact, replicating a saddle is practically impossible – and when you take a moment to consider the nature of saddles and the way they’re made, it quickly becomes apparent why such a task is so daunting … and why the result is so rarely satisfactory.
The first thing to remember is that saddles are handmade – each is individually crafted and unique, and has its own character and personality. Like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike. Some modern techniques like injection molded trees and foam panels do guarantee a greater degree of uniformity than laminated spring trees and wool-flocked panels, but the saddles themselves are put together by people, not machines – which means there will be variations in each individual saddle, even those of the same model, tree width, seat size and panel design. Even on the most basic saddle, there are over 30 parts to be sewn, nailed and stapled together: the webbing/straining on the tree, the billet webbing and the seat foam; the seat, jockeys, flaps, pads, welting, sweat flaps and blocks; the panels and flocking, the billets, saddle nails, fall down staples, dee rings and gullet cover. Given the number of components and the amount of work involved in each saddle, the quality and consistency that a good saddler can attain is pretty astonishing … but it’s not humanly possible for even the most experienced saddler to turn out “cookie cutter” saddles. You also have to consider the fact that that each saddler will put the saddle together just a fraction differently; the Black Country Eden that Eddie makes will be subtly different from the Black Country Eden that Charlie makes.
If you’re looking for a copy of a bench-made saddle, you’re going to get a saddle built to the same specs (longer / shorter flap, particular tree, modified blocks or panel, etc.), but again, it may be made by a different saddler. Even if it’s made by the original saddler, s/he may stitch this seam 1 mm. higher / lower than the original, skive the seat foam just a hair differently, strain the tree a little more / less tightly or flock the panels a bit more / less full. Exact replicas aren’t possible with handcrafted goods. Try this: write the words (or print the words) “exact replica” 15 times in a row, and make them precisely the same. Let me know how successful you are …
Even if you’re ordering from a serial number or asking for an exact replica of your trainer’s bench-made saddle, AND even if said saddle is made by the same saddler, consider this: who’s to say that the saddle hasn’t been altered from its original state somewhere along the line? Trees can be widened or narrowed, panel configurations can be altered, dee rings and crupper bars can be added or removed, the channel between the panels can be widened and blocks can be modified or added/removed … So the saddle you have sitting before you, with a wide tree, gusseted rear panel and pencil knee blocks may have started life as a medium tree with a plain panel in the rear, big knee blocks and calf blocks. Unless you know exactly what modifications have been made to the saddle over the course of its life, what you see may very well NOT be what you get.
Finally, keep in mind that saddle designs sometimes change and evolve. Saddle makers are always looking for ways to improve the fit and ride of their saddles, so a “stock” 2011 saddle can be anywhere from “somewhat” to “substantially” different that the 2001 model. Flap length or set, panel configuration, tree, blocks … any or all of these may have been modified. And there’s always the possibility that the model has been discontinued, so you will either have to find a used one and hope for the best, or look for a different saddle.
So what are you to do if you want a carbon copy of a certain saddle? Frankly, you’ll need to accept some basic truths. First, a brand new saddle won’t feel at all like an older saddle that’s been broken in (think of a new pair of shoes vs. a broken-in pair). Second, even if can find the same make, model, seat size and tree width in a used saddle, it will have been broken in to someone else’s horse and body and won’t feel the same (again with the shoes: your friend’s size 7 Dansko clogs may suit you perfectly, but your other friend’s size 7 Dansko clogs might make your feet hurt and your back ache). So you’re going to be faced with a choice: 1) Find a used saddle that you (and your horse) like well enough, or 2) try a new saddle. Both will be different, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Give a different saddle an honest try – ride in it for a week or two and give yourself a chance to get to know it. What feels like a stranger at first may feel much more familiar after a few rides, and in a couple weeks, may wind up being your new best friend.