Saddle Question
deirdr...@yahoo.com
dressage saddle, the "Euro" model? I'm considering buying a used one
but have no idea what might constitute a good price since I don't know
what they cost new.
Relatedly, does anyone know if Dabbs maintains a web-site? All I've
been able to find via Google is the "Jaguar" site.
Many thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Tim
Brian
Harry Dabbs has been in business with saddles since the 70's.
I am not thrilled by the Jaguar marque branding myself, but that's
just a
marketing issue.
They were taken over last year by Vale Brothers who have been around
since the 1780's making horse brushes etc.
Dabbs has a Walsall phone number. I don't remember them in the phone
book
when I visited Walsall this spring, but that doesn't prove.... All
the Black Country
saddle makers are small operations. A quicky sample of Jaguar prices
runs
from $875 used for a year 2000 model to the three grand mark for a new
dressage.
Their leather is nice. They apparently use padding in the modern
manner.
( though I heard one Walsall maker grumble about this trend.)
They aim for comfort and that shows up in the reviews.
Brian W
JZMiller
Found this at http://www.charlottes-saddlery.com/english-saddles-h-n.htm
Jaguar XJS Paris Jump Suggested $3228.00 Charlotte's $2900.00
Jaguar XJS Deep Jumper Suggested $3641.00 Charlotte's $3276.00
Jaguar XKL Buffalo Dressage Suggested $3762.00 Charlotte's $3386.00
Jaguar XKL Paris Dressage Suggested $3360.00 Charlotte's $3024.00
Jaguar XJL All Purpose Suggested $3360.00 Charlotte's $3024.00
No Euro model, but model names change so they can move the "newer"
model each year. No doubt one of the saddles is much as the one you
are looking at. Second hand is always a good way to go for many higher
priced saddles. :)
Good luck,
Jody
sca...@gmail.com
I checked out Pelham Saddlery (http://www.pelham-saddlery.com) to see
if they had any. I just entered "Harry Dabbs" in the search bar, and
there were three, none of them identified as either Euro or Jaguar,
and all used.
Maybe one of them matches what you're looking at? The prices are
pretty low...
Susan
deirdr...@yahoo.com
Here's a photo of the "Euro" model, available in my size at Rick's
Heritage Saddlery.
http://www.saddlesource.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D500
My problem is that since I don't know what these things cost new I
don't know if $899.99 is a good price or not. (I was under the
impression that the Euro was one of Dabbs's cheaper models, though I
don't know that for a fact.)
I'm also puzzled by the absence of a web-site for Harry Dabbs
Saddles. I wonder if they've gone out of business (apart from the
Jaguar saddles) and I missed it.
Anyway, thanks again.
Cheers,
Tim
Sharon Potter
The Harry Dabbs saddles are quite nice. Dabbs also used to make the
original Pessoa saddles before Pessoa moved manufacturing to South
America. Good quality, and if the saddle fits you and your horse, $899
is a very good bargain.
Sharon Potter
Red Branch
JZMiller
I'm not entirely sure about the name Harry Dabbs. He seemed to be a
saddle *designer* for a couple of companies, then had a company that
made cheaper saddles instead of the Jaguar line. I suggest you ask the
question on the COTH in the Off Course forum, maybe a tack expert will
chime in on the HD saddle. I know that EBay has them all the time
quite cheaply, and most Jaguar's are not cheap when sold second hand.
My dim dark past seems to remember the HD "brand" all on it's own was
a knock off he made with lesser quality, I do know KNOW for sure. Or,
Jaguar is using his designs and the saddles are WAY over priced. Who
the heck knows! What I will say is the Euro is down to $1.27 as of
today, so saddle prices might be lower very soon. The only good thing
to come out of this crappy economy is products are going to be
cheaper. Or, companies are gonna die.
Jody
deirdr...@yahoo.com
> [...]
> I'm not entirely sure about the name Harry Dabbs. He seemed to be a
> saddle *designer* for a couple of companies,
Yes, as Sharon indicated, I think he started out as a designer/maker
for Pessoa
and other companies (I think he worked for Crump as well, for example)
before
striking out on his own. It's my impression that the Harry Dabbs
company
preceded his involvement with Jaguar; I was under the impression that
the
Jaguar saddles are made by a different company (i.e., *not* Harry
Dabbs
Saddlery), perhaps licensing the Dabbs name. I'm not sure about that,
though.
> then had a company that
> made cheaper saddles instead of the Jaguar line.
If by "cheaper" you mean less expensive, then you're partly though not
wholly
correct. Dabbs offered a full line of both dressage and jumping
saddles, ranging
from relatively low-cost (e.g., his "True Brit" line) to saddles going
for around
$3000 new. My general impression is that all were well made within
their
price range.
>I suggest you ask the
> question on the COTH in the Off Course forum, maybe a tack expert will
> chime in on the HD saddle. I know that EBay has them all the time
> quite cheaply, and most Jaguar's are not cheap when sold second hand.
Yes, I got my first Euro on Ebay for less than $300 because it was in
rather bad shape. Partially because of lingering doubts about the
soundness
of the tree (which could be resolved definitively only by radiology)
and
partly because it needs reflocking anyway, I've decided to replace it
if
I can find a used one in my size (17.5 seat, medium tree).
> My dim dark past seems to remember the HD "brand" all on it's own was
> a knock off he made with lesser quality, I do know KNOW for sure.
Not sure I would agree that they were all of lesser quality.
> Or,
> Jaguar is using his designs and the saddles are WAY over priced. Who
> the heck knows! What I will say is the Euro is down to $1.27 as of
> today, so saddle prices might be lower very soon.
The British pound (which is what new Dabbs saddles would be
denominated
in (if the company's still in business) is down even more than the
Euro
against the dollar.
Anyway, many thanks for your input.
Cheers,
Tim
Brian Whatcott
wrote:
>>... What I will say is the Euro is down to $1.27 as of
>> today, so saddle prices might be lower very soon.
>
>The British pound (which is what new Dabbs saddles would be
>denominated in (if the company's still in business) is down
> even more than the Euro against the dollar.
>Tim
Today's exch rates courtesy
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html
I pound sterling = $1.58 US
1 Eurodollar = $ 1.265 US
1 $ Cdn = $ 0.785 US (seems like only yesterday
it was worth more than parity)
(The US dollar has rallied lately against gold - AND against the odds,
during Wall St's wild ride...)
Brian W
Catja Pafort
> I've decided to replace it
> if I can find a used one in my size (17.5 seat, medium tree).
Be *very* careful about that, though:
I noticed that US dealers are offering saddles in medium, medium-wide,
and wide, whereas UK dealers will offer the same brand (Jaguar, as it
happens) in narrow, medium, and wide.
(The retail price on the Jaguar at Dover was $4.1K; in the UK it would
be around $2600. _Slight_ difference, eh?)
Catja
--
writing blog @ http://beyond-elechan.livejournal.com
deirdr...@yahoo.com
> question on the COTH in the Off Course forum, maybe a tack expert will
> chime in on the HD saddle.
That was a good suggestion; many thanks. No-one there knew exactly
what a new Euro dressage saddle would list for, but someone said they
thought that the Dabbs "Euro Prix D" close contact lists for about
1500. If that's correct, and if a new Euro dressage saddle costs
about the same, then I suppose $900 for used one in excellent
condition is probably about right.
Thanks again, Jody.
Cheers,
Tim