So I've read a lot of good reviews from people who have sold and rode in these saddles about the strength and durability for the cost of the saddles made by Corriente Saddle Co. and I was rather impressed so I gave them a call.
On the phone I spoke to the owner and asked him a couple important questions:
1) Q: What sort of guarantee does my saddle come with?
A: All of the trees used come with a 5 year guarantee against breakage while roping, but if the horse falls over then it's not covered.
That's it? How do you prove that it broke while roping? Seems kinda sketchy.
2) Q: What sort of guarantee do you guys have on your craftsmanship? If I find any significant flaws can I return the saddle?
A: No.
Q: Wait, you don't guarantee your work?
A: No.
So now I'm asking you all. How does a company that seems to make a good product have these kinda answers to these questions? Has their quality dropped significantly from 1-2 yrs ago? Is this typical in the saddle making business?
My girlfriend has a Corriente saddle, and she loves it, but that saddle was bought 5 yrs ago.
The cost of the Corriente saddle at $700 shipped is at the max of my spending budget, but I don't know if I am just misunderstanding the man, or if I should really look elsewhere.