Dangerous Batch Defect: Management Refuses to Honor 5-Year Tree Warranty
I am writing this review to warn the global equestrian community about a severe structural safety defect in the Cavaletti Covered Jump Saddle line, and the company's total failure to honor their advertised 5-year manufacturer tree warranty.
I purchased this saddle brand new for R32,306.16 from their South African retailer, Tack Shack. Due to a horse retirement, it sat unused in appropriate storage. Upon recently putting it into use on my new horse, she immediately showed severe behavioral distress and back pain.
A formal physical inspection by a certified, independent saddle fitter revealed a major manufacturing tolerance defect within the interchangeable gullet mechanism: the plate shifts excessively up and down even when fully tightened with all required washers, failing to sit flush against the tree. This structural failure causes the tree points to rotate dynamically into the horse's shoulders while riding, creating severe spinal pressure and instability.
Crucially, when this was raised with Tack Shack, they submitted an official consumer report confirming they checked their brand-new, unridden showroom floor stock of this exact model, and ALL of their Cavaletti Covered Jump saddles exhibit this exact same moving flaw. This is undeniable proof of a systemic factory batch defect, not individual wear-and-tear.
Despite being armed with a certified professional fitting report and written confirmation of a defective saddle from their distributor, Cavaletti Collection owner Julie Hayward has formally refused via email to honor their 5-year structural tree guarantee. They are choosing to hide behind a retailer's lazy inspection and are claiming an unstable, migrating gullet bar is "not a defect."
I have been forced to buy an entirely alternative saddle brand to protect my horse. Do not trust Cavaletti Collection's warranty marketing. They will refuse to take responsibility for clear manufacturing defects, leaving you sitting with an expensive, unridable, and unsellable piece of equipment that physically injures horses.