what do the ratings mean?

gingerbeet ratings are designed to help you make an assessment of which saddle will best suit your needs and your horse’s. It’s easy to chose a saddle which is visually appealing, however making the harder choices about comfort and health for horse and rider can be tricky. We’re here to help. gingerbeet provides reviews and ratings for all rentals and we welcome comments from our customers: Our mission is to ensure the happiest horses on the planet, we welcome your input. You’ll find the following ratings attached to each of our reviews:

Carrying capacity:

It’s important to ensure you maintain your animal’s health by considering not only how much weight you’re asking him to carry, but also how that weight is distributed across his back. You can measure weight distribution of any saddle by the estimating the pressure exerted on your horse’s back through the contact area of the panels, when saddle and rider are in place.

Pressure is measured in kg per square cm, or pounds per square inch. We recommend that you do not exceed a pressure of 2 pounds per square inch, or approx 0.2 kg per square cm for your horse’s well being.

We rate all our rentals for a carrying capacity. This means that we’ve measured the surface area of the panel on the saddle’s underside and performed a few quick calculations to arrive at a maximum weight recommendation. We take the legwork out of the calculations for you, so you can have piece of mind knowing that you’ve considered your animal’s best interests in trying one of our saddles.

Condition score:

Our rentals are sourced both new and secondhand. To help inform your decision we rate all our saddles into one of the following three categories:

• Show Pony – Turnout grade equipment. You can be sure we’d be proud to enter the show ring in these saddles. They’re either new or have been very well looked after and will withstand tough scrutiny in the show ring, where a quality presentation is paramount.
• All Rounder – These saddles are suitable for showing and work at home. Most of our saddles are rated in this category because they are suitable for everyday use, and showing at local events. Adult riders, pony clubbers and those who like to look presentable at home will find this equipment certainly no embarrassment.
• Work Horse – These saddles are either older or not suitable for the show ring due to imperfections in the skirt / flaps / seat which would be visually unacceptable for turnout classes. However, if it’s function you require then you can rely on these saddles to really go the distance.

Star ratings:

Star ratings are for our users. We want to hear from you – so vote for your favourites and add your own reviews to each saddle’s home page. We’ll rate each saddle in the catalogue on a 5-point system so you can consistently compare one model to another:

• Value for money – How does the RRP compare to the quality of materials, design and craftsmanship?
• Innovation and design – How much thought went into considering the health and comfort of both horse and rider?
• Durability – Is this a tool for the job, or simply an exhibition piece?
• Aesthetic – Function’s important, but good looks play a part too.
• Overall – What’s our opinion of the complete package?

You’ll see a rating box that provides a quick summary and looks something like this at the bottom of every review: