Corriente Saddle Co. Have They Changed Their Quality?

[FromGastoHay]

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.

[Denise]

Here is a thread that talks about the cost of materials in a saddle, both the hand made ones built by the members of this site but also some information on factory saddles from people who do know whereof they speak. (Is that correct old English grammar??) I put it up here thinking it may give you some background information.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=21058&st=0

[kseidel]

FromGastoHay,

Corriente saddles are as lousy as the warranty! They are among the worst made production saddles. I would advise you re-evaluate your spending budget.... $700 is not much in todays market. It is less than the cost of feed for your horse in one year. You expect to get many years of satisfactory service from your saddle, and yet you are not willing to spend the equivalent of even one years maintenance of your horse. You would be much better off buying a better used saddle.

Keith

[Newfman]

I looked around for a couple years before buying my western saddle. You really do pretty much get what you pay for it seems. I bought a real nice used saddle on E Bay. It was hand made by a reputable saddle maker. I was able to get the name of the maker and the saddle serial number from the seller. From that, i was able to get input from the folks here, as well as get all of the specs. on the saddle from the maker. Even at that, my winning bid was $1600. I would have been willing to go to 2200. That saddle sold new for 4 about 8 years ago (I think that is the time frame). Any higher than that and I was going to have Brent Tubre make a basic roughout wade for me. He is a member here. I would have given up the tooling, and a few extras. That was the plan anyways. A good hand made saddle is going to start around $3,000.

Being somewhat of a low income blue collar worker, I came up with two plans to be able to buy a saddle that was good enough for my horse. . .Tax Refund, and Credit Card. This way, I don't have to concern my self with the 5 year warranty thing so much. Now, I'm thinking more about years down the road, hoping that the third generation owner of my saddle be willing to have it restored when the time comes, hoping that they appreciate the quality and care put into the this saddle.

This was all a huge eye opener to me as well. Once you have used and owned one, you will get a creepy feeling lifting a $700 production saddle off the rack at your local tack store. It is the difference between a Yugo, and a Mercedes. I can't really explain it any better. You won't be unhappy, even if you have to do a little saving, or financing.

(You could also buy a very special Keith Seidel Saddle, put in in a glass case for ten years as an investment, and it will probably beat your 401K!)

Point is, these saddles don't lose much in value. In five years, you could likely sell it for more than half of what you paid. Some saddles that are only 8 or 9 years old, (like a Frekkers wade I had looked at) cost slightly more than she paid for it new. I didn't buy it, but somebody else did!

A production saddle will be worth a few bucks on the used rack at the tack shop. Take a look, and you will see.

We have some "new" saddle makers here, that are turning out some nice rigs, with the help and support of the senior members here. You could likely get a much better built saddle from one of these newer guys just getting in to the hand made saddle industry, than any production saddle you could find. Could be a compromise on price, with out having to give up on quality.

Hope that helps a little,.

Good luck.

Edited April 26, 2011 by Newfman

[FromGastoHay]

The problem I am having is that I am 6'4" 330 lbs. That means I need a 18" saddle at least to be comfortable. Finding one used is about as rare as seeing another person like me on the trail. Corriente makes an 18" saddle. Not many of the good production company's do (e.g. Crates only makes up to 17") and like I said before, my girlfriend has a Corriente and it works great for her horses. It's just that it's 5 yrs old. So I don't know if there was a warranty or not back then because she's never had to use it, and I haven't heard of any stories on the internet where people have needed to. So far all I see are people praising their craftsmanship. Which is why I was baffled by his response to my questions.

I looked around for a couple years before buying my western saddle. You really do pretty much get what you pay for it seems. I bought a real nice used saddle on E Bay. It was hand made by a reputable saddle maker. I was able to get the name of the maker and the saddle serial number from the seller. From that, i was able to get input from the folks here, as well as get all of the specs. on the saddle from the maker. Even at that, my winning bid was $1600. I would have been willing to go to 2200. That saddle sold new for 4 about 8 years ago (I think that is the time frame). Any higher than that and I was going to have Brent Tubre make a basic roughout wade for me. He is a member here. I would have given up the tooling, and a few extras. That was the plan anyways. A good hand made saddle is going to start around $3,000.

Being somewhat of a low income blue collar worker, I came up with two plans to be able to buy a saddle that was good enough for my horse. . .Tax Refund, and Credit Card. This way, I don't have to concern my self with the 5 year warranty thing so much. Now, I'm thinking more about years down the road, hoping that the third generation owner of my saddle be willing to have it restored when the time comes, hoping that they appreciate the quality and care put into the this saddle.

This was all a huge eye opener to me as well. Once you have used and owned one, you will get a creepy feeling lifting a $700 production saddle off the rack at your local tack store. It is the difference between a Yugo, and a Mercedes. I can't really explain it any better. You won't be unhappy, even if you have to do a little saving, or financing.

(You could also buy a very special Keith Seidel Saddle, put in in a glass case for ten years as an investment, and it will probably beat your 401K!)

Point is, these saddles don't lose much in value. In five years, you could likely sell it for more than half of what you paid. Some saddles that are only 8 or 9 years old, (like a Frekkers wade I had looked at) cost slightly more than she paid for it new. I didn't buy it, but somebody else did!

A production saddle will be worth a few bucks on the used rack at the tack shop. Take a look, and you will see.

We have some "new" saddle makers here, that are turning out some nice rigs, with the help and support of the senior members here. You could likely get a much better built saddle from one of these newer guys just getting in to the hand made saddle industry, than any production saddle you could find. Could be a compromise on price, with out having to give up on quality.

Hope that helps a little,.

Good luck.

[Newfman]

So far all I see are people praising their craftsmanship. Which is why I was baffled by his response to my questions.

I think that there is a big disparity in perceptions of quality from one person to the next. My wife and I are sort of 'foodies'. We love to cook, we love to dine at really good restaraunts (back when we could afford it). We don't exactly live in an affluent community these days. Just a little country town, of about 1500 people. Everybody would talk about how great the restaraunt is up the road, and they have such great food. So, one day we went. It was basic fare, it was bland, it was all but completely unseasoned. It. . .was awful. We don't get why the place stays in business. We tried it a few months later, and it was the same exact thing, so we didn't "catch them" on an off night.

A client of mine bought a saddle for about $250. It was NEW! It was a western saddle, and it weighed about 20 pounds. I'm not sure what is was made of. It was supposedly leather, but with as much saddle as was there, it should have weighed almost double. She swears it is the greates saddle she has ever had. It is a fantastic saddle.

That is where I was struggling. You don't know, what you don't know.

That being said, it is your horse and your money. Nobody here, I think, will tell you "Not" to buy something. they may warn you, or show you alternatives, but if you ask about quality of something, they will have no problem telling you about that. Their info is good. You just have to figure out what is going to work for you, and what you are willing to pay for. They can build you an 18" saddle. It will last you for generations if you take care of it. Sounds like you must ride a pretty big horse, so making sure the saddle fits the horse is every bit as important as it fitting your butt.

The damn things are expensive. I'm feeling your pain. But, it hardly covers what it costs to build, plus pay the makers a decent wage.

Dennis

[horsewreck]

The view is never good from the cheap seats. You get what you pay. Corriente saddles are made in Mexico, and they are cheap. That makes them a cheap Mexican Saddle. What sets them apart from other south of the border rigs is MARKETING. The people you talk to when you call the company are importers not saddle makers and they deal in volume.

We can talk about custom vs production saddles, but Corriente saddles are not in either class, they are just a cheap imported saddle from Mexico that are sold in Western Horseman. The worst saddles we see here in Texas are always imported ones. It can be branded Billy Cook, Tex saddle, or have no stamp at all and it's still just junk. Most Mexican trees are junk ,and most of the leather is junk, they cut corners on assembly,and add cheap hardware and call it a western saddle...... Jeff

[FromGastoHay]

The view is never good from the cheap seats. You get what you pay. Corriente saddles are made in Mexico, and they are cheap. That makes them a cheap Mexican Saddle. What sets them apart from other south of the border rigs is MARKETING. The people you talk to when you call the company are importers not saddle makers and they deal in volume.

We can talk about custom vs production saddles, but Corriente saddles are not in either class, they are just a cheap imported saddle from Mexico that are sold in Western Horseman. The worst saddles we see here in Texas are always imported ones. It can be branded Billy Cook, Tex saddle, or have no stamp at all and it's still just junk. Most Mexican trees are junk ,and most of the leather is junk, they cut corners on assembly,and add cheap hardware and call it a western saddle...... Jeff

Well I guess I answered my own questions regarding quality. I took my girlfriend's saddle to a master leather worker who's been repairing tack and making leather goods for 30-40 yrs and he was surprised at the level of craftsmanship for such a low price. He even admitted being a bit nervous because he didn't want to insult my girlfriend as he expected the saddle to be poorly made (based on price), but after going over it, he told me that I should jump on getting one as long as I could get a guarantee that if it didn't fit me or the horse and it was still in like condition that I could return it. Especially since it's standard in the industry for production saddles.

I don't believe they are just marketing people. Definitely someone who answers when you call might be, but I've talked to Wayne Baize the owner directly and he'll call you back within a day of leaving a message.

[Dink]

I think Newfman said it all, most everything has it's place and not everyone can justify a $3000+ saddle especially if they don't make a living in it, We have sold a few saddles from corriente for award orders and have had very positive feed back on them. I know a guy that has a couple that he picks up out of because he needs about 5 horses saddled at a time and they are reasonably priced for when you need that many and hold up well to the use he puts on them. When headed to the pasture for the day they are not the first ones grabbed, but in their place they do fit the bill. I rode one a few times that belonged to a friend and was left for a while during shipping and I thought it was a pretty descent saddle it was about 10 years old though.

I am not saying they are of the best made out there but I do not think they should be discredited either depending on your intent. And as for the warranty I believe if the one you get does not fit you or your horse since you cannot try it out first should be returnable. However as for a warranty to cover every type of possible flaw is a big order as long as the flaw does not impact the usability, fit or safety of the saddle, and at the cost your not going to get the ferrari type warranty.

So with all that I am not advocating or discrediting, though I have seen some good with the number of saddles they must sell I am sure not everyone has been perfect either. My only point is before you choose to discredit,consider everything cost, warranty, fit, purpose, comfort both you and horse, availability of 17" seat, and amount of use expected, plus any other aspects I may have left out. Good luck in your search.

[ddgaitedmules]

I wanted to respond to this question, I believe in giving credit where credit is due. It's true, Corriente is at the lower end of PRICE when it comes to purchasing saddles. We have owned and trained horses and mules for over 30 years and between my husband and I, we have ridden in or purchased many good name brand saddles. (I won't mention names) My husband purchased his first Corriente about 8+ yrs ago. It was inexpensive and he rode it to the river, soaked it and then rode it the rest of that day. He continued to ride that saddle and broke out many horses and mules in that saddle for years to come. If you have ever seen a mule buck, you understand how tough a saddle has to be to stay together. My husband still rides that saddle to this day, even though we have purchased 4 more Corriente's since that time. It is worn and has seen better days, but it has not spent one day in the shop for repair. If that isn't a testament to the construction of a saddle, then I don't know what it.

I just purchased another Corriente for his Christmas present this year, the price hasn't changed much, and yes the saddle has. The leather is thicker, the construction is the same. The tooling is even and precise. The quality for the price is, in my opinion, unmatched by any other saddle company. Yes, you can buy a good, well made, name brand saddle that will hold up just as well. But you won't do it for $700. I would highly recommend this company to anyone, no matter how you ride. Good luck and God Bless..

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

I have not seen or worked on a Corriente Saddle, however; I can tell you this, it takes about 2 full sides of skirting leather to make a good saddle with rear cinch and breast collar. The cost for 2 sides of good leather and a partial side of latigo will run close to $600 plus shipping. By the time you add all the other material to make a good saddle and include a decent tree, you will easily have roughly $1200 in materials, not including any silver if required. Oh and by the way, the price of leather is going up again. There just isn't any way I can fathom making a good saddle for that kind of money. I agree with Keith, spend your money on a good used saddle, if you can't afford to have one made.

Bob

Edited December 27, 2014 by BondoBobCustomSaddles

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

This is an old thread, but since it has been revived, I would like to contribute. I have worked on maybe a half dozen Corriente saddles in the past 10 years. For the money, if buying new, I don't believe you can buy more saddle. The ones I've had apart have been really solidly built. Very rough, but solid. Now folks, we're talking about a $700 saddle. Like BondoBob said above, for the average one man shop to build a saddle, materials run at least $1200, and you can easily spend more if you go with a premium custom tree builder. HOWEVER Corriente doesn't buy their leather 2 sides at a time. You can bet they get a pretty good price on their leather, trees, and all the rest of their materials, no matter who they buy them from. When asked about the quality of a Corriente saddle (no I don't sell them) I reply that for the money, they are ok. Craftsmanship leaves quite a bit to be desired. Lumpy seats, big lumps where the stirrup leathers come over the bars, horns and cantles pop stitched with stiches about 3/8th" long, leather so hard that it has to be about half worn out before it breaks in, and just overall sloppy craftsmanship looking at it from a saddlemaker's perspective. But most riders do not look at a saddle from a saddlemaker's perspective. They want the most saddle they can buy for the least amount of money that will be safe to ride and hang together and the Corrientes I've seen can meet that need. I've seen poorer trees in better name saddles than Corriente. Riggings seemed put in solid. There is a semi custom maker that I swear uses the same leather as Corriente, hard as a rock, takes forever to break in, and costs 2-3 times as much. Unfortunately, the majority of folks looking to buy a saddle just can't swing 3-4000 on a custom saddle. We can justify all we want about why custom is a better value than a cheap made saddle but it doesn't change the facts. I agree that most people on the $700 saddle budget would be better off buying a good used higher-end saddle. That doesn't mean they'll listen to our advice. I'd sure rather see someone riding a Corriente than one of the $400 saddles with a hollow fiberglass tree that have flooded the market in the last few years. Those things are absolutely unsafe the second they put the last nail in. People bring them in for repair and there is just no fix to them. They are truly a throwaway saddle and $400 is $400 too much for them.