I've recently been doing "stuff" (as you do) and came across a lead for repro C16th saddles for only £325 including girth stirrup leathers and irons.

The guys contact details are..
STANLEY WATTS
stanleyj@watts82.freeserve.co.uk
(01604) 770799
And a picture of the saddle is held at... http://www.smartgroups.com/picvault/3555434.jpg/Saddle2.jpg

The exact text in the mail he sent me is as follows...

You are right English workmanship costs. We can make anything, but if we
soil our hands on the manufacture of a saddle (lol), including research u
are talking £1,500 up for a Great Saddle. Nonethelless the 'off the peg' we
do is a good and a very serviceable saddle. The saddle shown as Geoff Burns
is infact our saddle. We are the sole importers of this saddle from Germany
and all others sold in this Country would have originally come from us.
Hence by coming to us direct u cut out the middle man and gain the price
advantage. I ride on one, have taken them apart. i know what they are
made of. Their construction is almost identical to the Grat saddle in Tilden
the only difference is ,these are covered in skrim.

I have supplied all of Hungerfords as a unit with them, also large numbers
to English Heritage. It is a proven saddle at a super price.

I also do a bronze horn (cast from one found in a field in Lincolnshire) to
fit this saddle at £25-00.

We do a large range of historical tack to go with our saddles such as period
irons etc.

If u want more info give me a ring i am more than happy to talk to people
who want to get on, especially with horses.

I hope this is of some help - not strictly period, but pretty close..!

I've done some specific searching on the web for makers of spanish saddles and sela portuguesa, and have found at least two makers, both Portuguese, who make saddles for roughly the price you've quoted. The advantage of going directly through a maker is that you have options of leather color and type, where you might not get that from a dealer. You may also be able to get a specific fit, though I have not thoroughly investigated that. The disadvantage of dealing with a portuguese saddler is that they usually don't speak English, but there are translators available on the net.

Overall, I would feel more confident dealing directly with the maker, despite the language barrier. In the states, you're going to pay shipping and possibly duty from Portugal, if you get one from an English dealer you likely will have to pay VAT on top of the other stuff.

Just to follow on from what I said all that time a go.

The saddles as mentioned above are made in India, flocked with straw and news-paper, have no tree, and come flat (!?!?!?).

Having seen a guy use one in a charge it slipped right down the horses back, and he had to use a breastplate in the end that was so tight it restricted the horses movement.

Other folk have mentioned these saddle "spinning round" on the horses back if crupper and breastplate are not used (I can't see how if the girth was done up right, but I have no reason to doubt them)

If anyone tries to put one on my horses back, I think I should have to think bad thoughts about them :-(

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