Exselle Saddles?

[KateKat]

Anyone know much about this saddle maker? Quality? Fit? I'd never heard of them until today. I called a store to inquire about the Northrun Ashland saddles and found out that this company has since bought them out :( Apparently they also make the new Crosby saddles too...

[mvp]

You need some saddle phylogeny first:

Exselle saddles are one brand made by the Walsall Riding Saddle Company. They made Crosby saddles back when Miller's owned that name and now continue to build Crosby saddles which is the brand owned by Weatherbeeta. I didn't know they had acquired Ashland (Northrun?).

WSR Co. will apparently make saddles and trees to order, but I suspect that you need to pick one of the brands that offers the basic saddle you want and then have it modified from there. That also means choosing the retailer (and behind them) the distributor that's best for you.

In my search so far, I have found it easier to work with retailers offering Exselle saddles. If you want a modified Crosby, you will perhaps have to go through Weatherbeeta's chain of command and I have gotten exactly nowhere with that, and not for lack of considerable effort. At this point, all of WB can just about bite me.

In terms of quality, I think you will do well with any of the WSR Co.'s saddles. To me, the leather, workmanship and tendency to fit horses and riders is at the top for a saddle costing about $2.5K. You can find some of-the-rack saddles for less. People remembering Crosby saddles of the Miller's era will complain that the new ones aren't the same. But that's true (and even more so) of most saddles out there.

They will flock saddles with either foam or wool. The quality of the foam is reputed to be less than that used by high-end french companies like CWD, but I have never made the comparison. I'm getting a wool-flocked Exselle sent to me and I'll let you know how it compares to saddles like County or Black Country.

In any case, you need to choose a retailer who works well with Intrepid International (Exselle's distributor) and then in turn with WSR. I'm not sure who is the best here.

Best of luck with your saddle hunt, but certainly keep Exselle on your short list.

[KateKat]

Thanks for the info. All this searching is making my head hurt. Too many saddles and too many opinions! :) I really do love the Ashland but am having a hard time finding an appropriate used one. I've been looking on ebay but am afraid to buy since a lot of sellers on there do not offer returns or trials and the last thing I want is to be stuck with a saddle I can't use.

Since Walsall is now making the Ashlands, I was told that the Exselle Chassuer is basically the same exact saddle for less money. What model Exselle did you get?

[mvp]

I haven't bought an Exselle yet. I did try an Axcess which is built on the original tree that Crosby/WSR and Tad Coffin designed together. The foam panels on that Axcess are harder than are those on a Tad Coffin, and the dark brown Salamanca leather on the seat especially is more slippery. But many people seeking a well-made version of a TC saddle for much less money might like this one. Rick's Heritage Saddlery in PA has a supply.

I'll get a Debut with wool this week. That saddle is meant to answer to a Del Grange, I think, but its seat's depth and flaps seem a less extreme version. I'm not sure which tree they used, but I think it might be based on a Crosby Centennial with a higher pommel and more room for taller withers.

I think Bahr Saddlery in Canada has a Chasseur demo. If you are curious, you might call them and ask them "Whose its daddy?"

[KateKat]

You'll definitely have to let me know how you like the Debut. Thats another model that was suggested to me.

[Mozart]

A few people at my barn have the Exselle. They aren't wild about them; they say the saddle promotes a chair seat and they would not buy one again. I have personally not sat in them.

[CrazyDog]

I have an Exselle saddle and am very happy with it. I'm not sure which model it is as it doesn't appear on the Exselle website anywhere, but is a medium deep seat jumping saddle, fully covered in calfskin, and wool flocked. As it is wool flocked, my saddle fitter has been able to adjust it to fit my horse perfectly and will continue to do this as he develops.

My only complaint about this saddle is that the calfskin is starting to wear where my leg contacts the bottom of the saddle flap, something that wouldn't happen if I had leather flaps. However, the calfskin gives a great feel of the horse and is nice and grippy!

My horse is very comfortable in this saddle and so am I. I don't find it affects my position adversely at all. Although it is not the same quality as my Delgrange and will probably not last as long, it compares very favourably against other saddles in its price range.

[mvp]

As promised, so long ago, I'm getting back to y'all about the Exselle Debut saddles I tried.

They have very forward flaps, IMO, hence an earlier poster's observation that they put riders in a toilet seat. But the seat and tree on these saddles is well balanced. The seat is not as deep as the Original PJ saddle, which I think these were built to imitate. Best (and better than the deep PJs), however, the seat's "working center"-- the deepest part of the seat-- is quite long, so you will not feel locked in. You can also ride quite close to the pommel or back further as you prefer.

The tree is not as curved as is common in deep french saddles, and that's good for many flatter-backed horses. But the foam and wool flocked versions fit very differently. The foam flocked kind as an especially wide gullet and panels that are wide but thin. That meant it rocked forward and back on my horse while I posted.

The wool-flocked version was more stable. I thought the waist of the wool-flocked saddle could have been wider and packed a little less full.

If you are tall, want a forward flapped saddle that fits a little better or costs less than a Butet or PJ, you might like these. They will look well in any company.

[njhorse]

In any case, you need to choose a retailer who works well with Intrepid International (Exselle's distributor) and then in turn with WSR. I'm not sure who is the best here.


If interested in the Exselle saddles, check my shop, NJ Horse Tack (http://www.njhorsetack.com), we work directly with Intrepid International, they are a short drive from us, we can get the saddle you want normally within a week unless you want a special order then it may take a little longer but it will be custom to you.

[AvantGarde]

I have an Exselle I bought used, and I love it. I believe it's the Debut, but I'm not 100% sure. At 5'8" with a short torso, I have long legs, particularly thigh to knee, and the Exselle was basically the only saddle I could find in my price range (around $1k) where I felt comfortable and my knee wasn't hanging off the flap. The leather quality is great and while it may not be comparable to a Butet, PJ, etc., it's also significantly less expensive but more durable than its $1k+ range competitors.

[tBHj]

I test rode an Exselle... hated it, and the quality. I tried it because I love my older Exselle bridle & girth but obviously the quality has gone down hill.

[lynz]

I really find that you have to be built a certain way to like the Exselle saddles. I am pretty thin with a stupidly long leg and LOVED my Exselle but traded up for an Amerigo (it was a deal I couldn't resist). If you aren't built a certain way, I have found that you will probably tend to hate them as they will probably put you in a chair seat position.

Bahr's does have the Chasseur model for trial and will probably ship it to you - I would call them and find out for sure.

[Brigit]

I love, love, loooove my Exselle Debut. I bought it used and got a heck of a deal on it. From what I've heard they're fairly "re-sellable" and popular so if you did buy one of the internet you'd probably be able to get your money back on it if it didn't fit. Mine looked pretty rough in the pics but it mostly just needed a thorough cleaning. Mine is the wool flocked version. I don't find that it puts me in a chair seat at all, I actually like how my leg/seat is compared to how I rode in my old saddle, a stubben edelweiss. Now THAT put me in a chair seat and was soooo slippery. Loved it when I first got it but I must have outgrown it.

[cloudyandcallie]

You need some saddle phylogeny first:

Exselle saddles are one brand made by the Walsall Riding Saddle Company. They made Crosby saddles back when Miller's owned that name and now continue to build Crosby saddles which is the brand owned by Weatherbeeta. I didn't know they had acquired Ashland (Northrun?).

WSR Co. will apparently make saddles and trees to order, but I suspect that you need to pick one of the brands that offers the basic saddle you want and then have it modified from there. That also means choosing the retailer (and behind them) the distributor that's best for you.

In my search so far, I have found it easier to work with retailers offering Exselle saddles. If you want a modified Crosby, you will perhaps have to go through Weatherbeeta's chain of command and I have gotten exactly nowhere with that, and not for lack of considerable effort. At this point, all of WB can just about bite me.

In terms of quality, I think you will do well with any of the WSR Co.'s saddles. To me, the leather, workmanship and tendency to fit horses and riders is at the top for a saddle costing about $2.5K. You can find some of-the-rack saddles for less. People remembering Crosby saddles of the Miller's era will complain that the new ones aren't the same. But that's true (and even more so) of most saddles out there.

They will flock saddles with either foam or wool. The quality of the foam is reputed to be less than that used by high-end french companies like CWD, but I have never made the comparison. I'm getting a wool-flocked Exselle sent to me and I'll let you know how it compares to saddles like County or Black Country.

In any case, you need to choose a retailer who works well with Intrepid International (Exselle's distributor) and then in turn with WSR. I'm not sure who is the best here.

Best of luck with your saddle hunt, but certainly keep Exselle on your short list.

Hey thanks for this info. So my old Crosby XCell saddle which is in great condition, is out of the predecessor of this company.