Look what came in the mail - Indian UP saddle

I got a very nice surprise today: The saddle and stirrups that I ordered from sellerie-occitane.com arrived in the mail!They offer a very affordable UP saddle of indian manufacture, and since I needed a new saddle to do napoleonic light cavalry, I ordered this. It beats any and all offers for refurbished UP's that I've come across, so kinda hard to refuse.

 

First impression: It's a saddle!
Second impression: It's a UP!
Third impression: Looks servicable and sturdy enough - the metal is a lot thicker than on my Hungarian UP.
Fourth impression: Some of the finishes do look a bit rough

View from the front:

 

View from the rear:

 

Cantle support:

 

Pommel support:

 

Pommel close-up:

 

Height of seat leather above tree and webbing:

 

The leather of the seat extends very flat, and doesn't curve down much at all. Right now, it is a very unpleasant seat with the edges digging into my thighs. I am a bit concerned here, but fully realise it's probably because the leather is brand spanking new and still has to settle. I have never owned a brand new UP, or any brand new saddle, so don't know if it's normal. I expect it will settle in quickly enough with riding.

Roller in cantle:

 

This roller looks particularly rough - a tiny bit of extra effort would have looked a lot better. Also, note the cutout, that doesn't look realy finished.

Roller in cantle, seen from rear:

 

Strap mount:

 

Overall there are a few minor gripes about the finish, but it looks like a saddle that will be durable enough. For the price, I wasn't expecting a perfect finish.

I'm really keen to try it on my horse, can't wait for the weekend!