I have a huge vent...Buying saddles....?

I'm curious WHERE you had the saddle made! I've had 2 saddles made at Broken Horn (Western) but sounds like you're talking English and when you said "wool has time to settle" you're talking about the flocking.

I'd have simply gone with a Stubben, because my old Siegfried's NEVER had an issue about fit, wether it were on a TB who needed weight or a nice round little Arab or QH.

20% is standard, BUT seeing how they actually came out, measured your horse and it doesn't fit, you may have a case if you have it all documented. Call a lawyer tomorrow morning and see if you have one. Don't forget to add the lawyer's costs on the settlement amount.

Well for other saddles, what about Hermes?

Then there's also Passier, Kieffer, Crump, Crosby and Courbett.

Did the owner give you a written guarantee that it would fit? I know the 'expectation' is that a custom saddle will fit... however in court it would be iffy without it in writing.

I'd tell the owner that you'll be going to the Better Business Bureau, talking to everyone you can and telling them about it, etc. No business owner wants bad PR!

How long did it take to make the saddle from the time the horse was measured and the time the saddle was ready? If the horse changed too much in that time frame then that could be an issue also.

If you still feel that the owner is not living up to his end- go to Small Claims Court NOT with a Lawyer.

Custom made Baines are hands down my favorite saddles.

They are extremely nice saddles and I have never seen one with with problems you describe, which leads me to believe that it was a problem with the way this woman measured your horse.

As another poster mentioned going to a lawyer might end up costing you a lot more but you do need to discuss with her that she was the one who took the measurements, not you, and thus, it is her responsibility to make sure that it fits and you should not be out the money. Talk to her before you threaten her with legal action, once she sees you are taking a hard line on this she may back-off.

If that still doesn't work, call a lawyer to get some advice, many state bar associations have lawyer referral services which can help you find someone who specializes in this kind of claim.

Calling your lawyer will just cost you more money.

What brand is the saddle? You can try to sell it on Ebay. Depending on the brand and how it looks after 3 months, you could probably sell it for $2500 - $2700.

If you don't have any luck, just pay the 20% and return it, or get it fixed so it fits.

Good luck.

I dont live in the USA and dont know anything about horses!...but, i have a Texan friend who said that cowboy boots and leather stuff is usually soaked in water and worn until dry???...not sure if this is helpful or not...good luck...