# Saddle King Ol' Timer Review?



## SouthernTrails

Saddle King makes a good basic Saddle, American Made.....



.


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## Rawhide

Don't know anything about Saddle King.
If it was a King Series most I would run from.
Just MHO.

Boone


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## Saddlebag

43 lbs. The older we get the saddles get heavier and the horses get taller.


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## trailhorserider

Saddlebag said:


> 43 lbs. The older we get the saddles get heavier and the horses get taller.


Haha! I know. But I've pretty well given up on "quality" and "lightweight" going together in the same saddle. At least as far as western saddles are concerned. Luckily my horses aren't that tall.


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## trailhorserider

SouthernTrailsGA said:


> Saddle King makes a good basic Saddle, American Made.....
> 
> .


Thank you! Yes, it seems decent. Not top of the line, but not low quality either. I just wanted to make sure they didn't have a reputation as total junk or anything. 

What I do like is that the tree is made by Steele, and I have another saddle with a Steele tree and I like the way it sits and the way it fits my horses. And the leather is actually pretty nice! In need of conditioning since the previous owner never conditioned it, but it is basically a new saddle with only a few rides on it. If I buy it conditioning it will be the first thing I do. 

I tried it on a horse today and so far I really like it. I want to do a "real ride" tomorrow and if I get a good sweat pattern I think I will buy it. 



Rawhide said:


> Don't know anything about Saddle King.
> If it was a King Series most I would run from.
> Just MHO.
> 
> Boone


Thanks, I know those are really low on the rung. Saddle King is a different company than King Series. I bet those are imported. I bought a cheap imported saddle once on eBay. Got rid of that puppy quick!


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## trailhorserider

PS. To Kevin, your saddles are gorgeous! I'm on more on a used Saddle King type budget, but I thought I would tell you that if I ever come into money, I am coming to you for a saddle! 

I love, love, love Wade saddles.


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## Saddlebag

Trailrider, the horse suddenly grows 4" while the saddle is airborne. And when it has to be put on a second time, because of missing the first time, the saddle is suddenly 10 lbs heavier.


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## trailhorserider

Ha ha Saddlebag! So true! I'm not very graceful heaving them up on the horse but the horses don't care. I've even practiced with the yearling, kind of slinging the saddle on him (not the big 40lb one I ride in, but a cordura) and he seems cool with it too. That boy is going to be about 16 hands so he better get used to being saddled ungracefully! 

My friend had her back (or maybe it was her shoulder, I don't remember) go out a while back and she had kind of a big mounting block type thing made out of wood for saddling her horses. Because they are all pretty big and she can't lift the saddle above her shoulders. I might have to resort to that someday!

The good news is....... my friend who is letting me try out the saddle is letting me ride it first and today I took it on an almost 4 hour ride and so far so good! I thought surely I would get a sweat pattern but the weather was cold and my mare didn't get sweaty enough to get a good sweat pattern. Or any sweat pattern really. But I felt GREAT in it! I will try another ride tomorrow just to make sure she isn't sore or anything, and maybe get a sweat pattern if we ride hard enough. But I am really thinking this might be the saddle I've been looking for.

That's always such a wonderful feeling, to find a saddle that fits both you and your horse.


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## trailhorserider

I just thought I would update. 

I bought the saddle and I did a 16 mile trail ride in it over the weekend. My horse had a nearly perfect sweat pattern, moved out GREAT, and neither of us was sore at the end of the ride! How cool is that?!!! 

I'm very happy with it and just had to share! 

Also, for anyone who is curious about the fit, it fits my Missouri Fox Trotter great. She is wide but has more of the gaited horse "A" shaped withers. The tree is supposed to be "quarter horse bars" and it is a good fit for her.

In contrast, it doesn't fit my Mustang nearly as well as my old saddle, which is FQHB. He is WIDE! But his saddle fits him like a glove, so this one is for the Fox Trotter anyway. The FQHB was a bit wide on her. So now each horse has a great fitting saddle. 

A well fitting saddle for each horse........priceless!


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