What Verified Means

Verified

What Verified means

Every Verified saddle has been in Jeff Sarault's hands. Not photographed by a seller and forwarded. In his hands.

Most used saddles are sold on trust you have no way to check: a stranger's photographs, a description written by the person who wants your money, and no recourse once the box arrives.

Verified removes that. The saddle is shipped to South Bay Saddlery, examined in person by a Certified Saddle Expert against a 27-point inspection, photographed properly, filmed, and described with every mark disclosed. The completed checklist is signed, dated, and travels in the box with the saddle.

Here is the whole inspection. Nothing is held back.

The 27-point inspection

Seven passes, twenty-seven checks, every one carried out by hand on the saddle itself.

1Identity

Stamp photographed and legible
Brand, model and year read from the stamp, not from the seller
Seat and flap size confirmed against the stamp
Panel configuration and tree size recorded
Anything that disagrees with the seller's description resolved before going further

2Tree

Head flexes correctly, with no give at the points
Pommel and cantle do not twist against each other
No creaking or movement when the saddle is flexed
Points sit level, no asymmetry

3Billets and stitching

All billets sound, no cracking at the holes or where they leave the tree
Stitching at the billet attachment intact
Buckle holes not stretched or torn
Seams along the seat, cantle and flaps intact

4Leather

Dry, cracked or pitted areas noted
Colour even, or the fading described
Seat free of splits, burns or heavy scuffing
Knee blocks firm and unsplit

5Panels

Even and symmetrical, side to side and front to back
No lumps, hollows or hardened flocking
Gullet clear
Noted clearly if it is due a reflock

6Hardware

Stirrup bars sound, safety catches work
Rivets and screws tight
Any replaced hardware noted

7Provenance

Previous owner's nameplate removed, or blurred in every photograph
Any known repair or service history recorded
Invoices or fitting records filed with the saddle

Condition grades

The grade is set by the inspection, not by the seller's opinion of the saddle.

Like NewBarely ridden, nothing to disclose beyond the ordinarySeat unmarked, flaps uncreased, panels clean, no scuffing anywhere

ExcellentLightly used, everything sound, marks cosmetic and minorLight creasing, faint scuffs on billet guards or flap undersides, panels even

Very GoodHonestly used and well kept, nothing affecting functionClear flap creasing, scuffed guards, sweat marks, minor marks on the seat

GoodRides well, shows its years, or needs a serviceWorn leather, dry patches, flocking due, repaired stitching, visible marks

A saddle needing re-paneling or new billets is Good, whatever the leather looks like. Any repair, however neat, is Very Good at best. The seat drives the grade more than the flaps, because that is what a rider sees every day. Where a saddle sits between two grades it takes the lower one. Good remains eligible for Verified, decided case by case on the saddle itself.

What we turn away

A tree we are not confident in ends the inspection. So does a serial number that does not match the saddle in front of us.

When a saddle cannot be verified it goes back to the seller and we pay the shipping. We would rather return a saddle than describe one we are unsure about.