# Opinions on Circle Y Equitation Saddle??



## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

I came across this exact saddle over the weekend at my local tack shop, for an unbelievable price!!! I love the way it fits me, and seems to be an older model, really well built. Does anyone know anything about this saddle? How it rides, how it fits horses? What era it might be from? I'd love to know a general weight on it. I sent my hubby pictures and am hoping Santa might leave it under my tree for a trial 

Circle Y Show Saddle with Youth and Adult Fenders 16 inch - Bluebird Meadows Farm LLC


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## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

Zimpatico said:


> I came across this exact saddle over the weekend at my local tack shop, for an unbelievable price!!! I love the way it fits me, and seems to be an older model, really well built. Does anyone know anything about this saddle? How it rides, how it fits horses? What era it might be from? I'd love to know a general weight on it. I sent my hubby pictures and am hoping Santa might leave it under my tree for a trial
> 
> Circle Y Show Saddle with Youth and Adult Fenders 16 inch - Bluebird Meadows Farm LLC


That's a very nice show saddle! IMO, Circle Y saddles are the most comfortable saddle I've ever used. But they're very heavy, about 35 pounds.
Can't say how it would fit your horse. If you want to know what year model it is, get the numbers off the metal plate under the skirt on the left side. Go to the Circle Y website and look up the numbers, or call them to date it. 

Great price too!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Looks like a very nice saddle.

I have owned 2 Circle Y equitation saddles. The first was a Richard Shrake model, it was a real confidence builder for me. I sold it to buy a car for $750, the car broke down permanently 3 months later, I'm sure the saddle is still going strong.

The second had no silver or tooling and may have been an Arabian equitation saddle. It was superb, I only sold it because of shoulder injuries as it was so heavy.

Wish I still had them both, although I don't where I'd have room for them LOL.


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## Tack Collector (Nov 10, 2009)

Looks like a version of the Park and Trail, which was made for at least a decade. Lots of them were SQHB and fewer were wider tree. As someone said, specs are coded in the serial number.

You can to to Horsesaddleshop.com and download their free fitting templates. Trace to cardboard, use the insert part to hold up to the saddle to see whether it's SQHB or FQHB. Use the "frame" part to see which one fits your horse.

You can also measure the gullet width between the conchos. 
Full would be 7"
Semi-QH bars would be about 6 1/2"
Narrow tree would be more like 6"
(Although there are no standards in the industry. Each manufacturer is free to label theirs any way they like.)


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

Thanks everyone! I actually found this at my tack shop, in the same condition as this one, for nearly HALF of what this ad is asking. And no, I'm not telling anyone where it is! LOL!!! I'm going to call the shop this morning and see if they can give me the serial number


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

The shop gave me the serial number, 567915070202 (best they could make out). Does anyone know how to read if there is any hidden info in the numbers?


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

Found a site that explains the serial number. According to this, it is style number 5679, SemiQH bars, 15" seat, ultra light oil, made in Feb 2002. Can anyone tell me if $550 is the bargain deal that I think it is?!!


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

I saw the serial number in the first ad. 

I suggest checking that one also for comparison.


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

anndankev said:


> I saw the serial number in the first ad.
> 
> I suggest checking that one also for comparison.


 The link is not the saddle at my tack shop. That is simply an example of the saddle that I found.


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

Here's my pic of the actual saddle...


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

*Personally, I think it is a good price...*
If the saddle is in really nice condition, the tree is sound and tight and IT FITS THE HORSE then it is a bargain if it then fits you!

Park & Trail model has gone out of production, but will return when the market starts asking and searching for them again I was told.
Circle Y owns the tree patent and company that makes all trees under Circle Y and their "sister" companies.
Now I was also told by a Circle Y rep that the finished product of a saddle with leather and fleece attached to it, the tree width difference is only a ridiculous amount wider or narrower. {we were discussing semi versus full bars in the P&T saddle to be specific}
What_* is*_ different from tree to tree is the angle of the bars and that is what makes a saddle more or less comfortable for you the rider and your personal bone build...
Also was told that certain trees fit a incredible range of horse shapes that you can't believe they would fit...again the bars and angles involved.

Now, that said...
_I am NO expert when it comes to saddles and trees._
I only know and repeated what was told to me by a Circle Y rep at a store where they were at.
Oh.. and if you really want a Park & Trail saddle, since the company owns the patent, owns the tree design, the saddle materials and how to make that "exact" saddle they can and will make it for anyone at anytime as a "custom" order....
Again, was told that by the rep....
_I just bought a Circle Y saddle as it was the most comfortable of any saddle, regardless of brand, that fit my horse and I both!!I tried it felt like hundreds of saddles..}_

Beautiful saddle if it looks like the one you linked to....
_If it fits the horse, if it fits you._...then put it under the tree {if you can leave it alone long enough} and have yourself a fantastic ride!!
:runninghorse2:


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

The saddle you posted_ is not_ the exact same style/look.
The saddle is 11 years old and those are the things that change for the better, for the worse and as "fad" makes a demand on manufacturing...
It may be a equitation seat but it does not have the cut out skirting of the newer saddle.
If that makes a difference, _or not, _to you in your comfort or fit for the horse first, then you...
You found yourself a nice looking saddle....

Enjoy!!
:runninghorse2:


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## Prisstine (Sep 16, 2014)

I had a 1999 version of this saddle. Looked exactly the same only different colors. It was brand new when I purchased it a year ago. Beautiful saddle. Very comfortable. Fit my quarter horse well but it was heavy. It still looked new when I sold it. We got $450 for it. Someone got a heck of a deal on a basically new saddle that was super well built.


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## Zimpatico (Nov 5, 2010)

Since this is my first western saddle ever, the only two important things to me are 1: it fits my horse, and 2: it's comfortable and balanced for me to learn basic western concepts in. I absolutely do not want a synthetic or poorly made saddle, and I don't want to spend a ton either since I am now only doing light pleasure riding. But...I'd still like to have something nice! It is a little heavier than I had planned on (I'm guessing it is around 30 pounds) but not as heavy as a lot of show / equitation type saddles that I've seen. It's definitely a brand I'm interested in, fit me when I sat in it in the store, in decent shape for it's age, and yes, it's pretty  If it fits my horse and my trainer thinks it will work for what I plan to do, I will probably pull the trigger!


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## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

Not sure, but it looks like some repair has been made where the girth ring leather is. It's not tooled like the rest of the saddle. Good price for it if it's in good all round shape.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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