# Australian saddles



## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

So my mom is finally interested in riding her horse, Legacy and is wanting to get a saddle. I'm thinking an Australian saddle might be best for her but since I have never ridden in one myself I'd like to get some opinions. She doesn't like the bulk and has trouble with lifting the weight of a western saddle, but (even tho she's never ridden in one) she feels English saddles are too insecure, and she also likes the false sense of security a horn gives her.She also has trouble with her knees and hips and I've heard Australian saddles give you more freedom to find a comfortable position. My mom and I are both roughly the same size, I'm 5'4 and she's 5'6 and we are both around 130lbs so from what I've read a 17" Aussie saddle would fit us both. 
Now for the questions, do you need a special pad for an Australian saddle? or can you use an english or western pad(if so which)? Do they accommodate horses with a slight sway back well or do they sell Australian sway back pads? 
Are there any particular brands that are better then others, I've been browsing downunderweb.com and I've seen some I like. I know my mom doesn't want to spend a lot on this saddle, she was looking at the kimberly synthetic saddle and probably doesn't want to go over 3-400. 
I found a saddle on e-bay made by outback saddle co. only 199 and it looks pretty nice, but I don't know enough about saddle quality to be a good judge. Does anyone have experience with that brand? I think that's all my questions for now :lol:*
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## katbalu (Sep 8, 2011)

Here's all I know...17 inch should fit you well. I'm 5'6 and about 130. 
I had to get rid of my Aussie, because even though I loved it, it didn't fit my horse 
And it was heavy...Heavier than my western I have now.
And there are a lot of crappy knock offs to avoid. Aussie saddle co has a lot of knockoffs... Those people are sneaky!
I'm pretty sure Kimberly is made by a reputable company
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Kimberly is the lowest on the quality scale I'd go. I haven't heard any real complaints about the low end Kimberly, and lot of good things about the upper end.

IIRC, the Abetta western saddle I used to own was lighter than my Aussie-style saddles, although they are all leather. My Circle Y may be heavier, but not by a significant amount. 

No special pad is required.


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

Thank you both for your replies. My mom was browsing through the downunderweb catalog and she really likes one of the more expensive saddles in there(it's in the $1,000 range). She asked me how much difference there would be between that saddle and the much cheaper Kimberly saddle.

So lets say how much difference is there between this one Kimberley Economy Outback with Horn
and this one http://www.downunderweb.com/store/MI_SAD351.html
I'm not sure if that is the exact saddle she was looking at, but it's in the same price range so I assume it would be similar quality.


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

Bump


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

The Kimberly line normally has a 2 year warranty on the tree IIRC, while the DownUnder line has a 10 year warranty. The leather would probably be somewhat thinner and stiffer on the less expensive line, although I don't own one to compare.

They are also different styles. One is more English style with more padding, while the other is more western style with a different shaped tree. DownUnder recommends the first for horses with taller withers, and the second for those with small withers.

You can email DownUnder and ask them to compare different models and they will give you a reasonable answer. I asked them about two very similar saddles at about the same price, and they said one felt more like an English saddle than the other, although outwardly they looked the same.


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## silverdollarmagic (Jan 6, 2011)

I have the Kimberly synthetic endurance style aussie and absolutely love it, but thinking of selling it_* only*_ because I want to go back to a western saddle for awhile. It's a wide and fits my TWH mare very nicely. Very, very comfy saddle. I have no complaints whatsoever


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## Oldhorselady (Feb 7, 2012)

LOVED my aussie saddle. It was a kimberly I believe....but it was sooooo comfortable. It was like riding in a recliner. It was also custom fit for my high withered, narrow shouldered mare perfectly by sending them a wither tracing. The only thing I hated was the side panels where I felt like I couldn't feel the horse. But there are versions without that too. The more expensive ones I can imagine would have a better grade leather maybe that would be more supple. Still loved mine though.


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## nyx (Jun 12, 2012)

Interesting ... I hate stock saddles they always seem to sit weird on the horse. And they are heavy! But in saying that I loooove my swinging fender which is a hybrid of the aus stock saddle and the western saddle its super comfy and light.  but thats just all me. Kimberly is a good brand too btw  

This is my fender


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## Failbhe (May 8, 2012)

I thought I'd try and Aussie saddle, and I actually don't like it. I ordered one from Horse.com (the Kimberly Outback - same one as Down Under, it was just cheaper on Horse.com) - on my little 14.2 h Arab x, it looked absolutely ridiculously huge. It was a lot heavier than I thought it would be, easily just as heavy as my Western. 

I know a lot of people have Aussies and love them and so maybe it was just the brand? It did feel comfortable the one time I sat in it, but I'm returning it. I'm switching over to an Abetta trail saddle (this one) and I'm hoping that will be a good fit for my mare and I.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

They are a lot heavier than English saddles. Mine weigh every bit as much as my Circle Y western.

Here is a 17" Aussie-style DownUnder on our 13 hand BLM mustang. While it looks a lot bigger than my English saddles, it certainly isn't any bigger than a western. In fact, we use it with Cowboy because we can't find a western saddle short enough for his back...compare it to the bottom picture using the Circle Y:


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## Failbhe (May 8, 2012)

I should have taken some pictures of her in it before I packed it up to send back. I think it would have _worked _ok, but it just looked weird to me. And I was really hoping it would be lighter (one of the reasons I decided to try an aussie in the first place was I had heard they were lighter than Westerns) than it was. Since my mare is quite small and I'm not  I don't want her to carry any more weight than necessary. 

I think if I had tried it when I had my big old QH/Percheron gelding it would have looked and worked ok, but it just wasn't what I had wanted for my current horse. I thought I'd done enough research to know what I was getting but I guess not. :?


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

The Aussie saddles are advertised as being light, but they are heavier than the synthetic western saddles, and about the same as the average western trail saddle. Only the really heavy duty western saddles are noticeably heavier than my DownUnder leather saddles at maybe 30+ pounds.

I like them, but they aren't for everybody. My daughter tried one once and has refused to use it ever since.


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

I'm not sure which stock saddles are so heavy. My Syd Hill Bushmaster weighs just over 20 lbs with everything attached if I use endurance stirups. I've never owned a Western saddle that was that light.
I won't claim that stock saddles are my all time favorite. Hard for any mass produced style of saddle to compete with a custom made saddle done to your spec's. But they are a good saddle and a comfortable ride. Great for working with horses that are just being trained, because they facilitate being able to stay in the saddle if the horse spooks or get's squirrelly. I'll take them over my former Western saddles and wish I'd had them during my cattle working youth. I'd shorten the flaps though. A lot of leather (and weight) that not's needed.
I also wonder about these smaller women needing a 17" stock saddle. I'm 5' 9", weigh about 165 (still working off 10 more lbs of of cookout weight :lol and ride a 16.5" seat stock saddle.


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## Failbhe (May 8, 2012)

Yours looks right, it looks like it fits the horse without completely dominating it - maybe it's just because my horse is so small? I have heard that price makes a big difference, that a Syd Hill or Toowoomba will feel more compact than the more economical Kimberly line (which is what I had). 

I'm sure there are some great Aussies out there, just personally my experiment with trying one out was a flop.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Mine (Down Under Master Campdraft Deluxe) supposedly weighs 19 lbs without fittings. Most of the Syd Hill saddles weigh 19-21 lbs without fittings. 

Either my 1" English stirrup straps are made of lead, or that is pretty optimistic. My Circle Y weighs 26 lbs, and I honestly can't feel any difference carrying them on my shoulder. A number of the DownUnder saddles are advertised at 25 lbs without fittings. A lot of western trail saddles come in under 30 lbs with stirrups.

I really like Australian saddles, but they have a very different feel from western saddles - more English, but also with long double flaps of leather and a fairly heavy & bulky cinch/girth.


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

About 22 lbs with endurance stirrups (which I need to get back as some point ). Over 24 lbs with those brass monsters that came with it. I could put on nylon stirrup straps and drop another lb if I wanted.
My issues with the stock saddle (traditional Australian style):
1. I'm not a fan of the non Western cinches, but I have broken down and bought the addapters yet. 
2. I perfer a rear cinch ring, because I perfer to rig my cinch from front and rear (they have lot's of different names for it today that we didn't have 40 years ago :lol
3. They don't give as much surface contact as my Troopers.
4. The outside and underside flaps are way larger then they need to be, so that's a lot of extra weight I could do without. I mine was a a Syd Hill and I might want to sell it one day I'd cut about 18" off from the bottom. I could make it way about 18 lbs with some judicious alterations :lol:

That being said, they are great to use when training a horse. I find them to be very comfortable. Pretty easy to make changes to (e.g. stirrup straps, cut away excess flap) I'm a fan of surcingles (most distance riders or working riders should be), and stock saddle are amoung the few designed for their use.

I've yet to find the perfect saddle for everything I want but I'm ok with having different ones to meet my different needs. The tough part is keeping horses that are about the same size so I can use the same saddles.


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

bsms said:


> Mine (Down Under Master Campdraft Deluxe) supposedly weighs 19 lbs without fittings. Most of the Syd Hill saddles weigh 19-21 lbs without fittings.
> 
> Either my 1" English stirrup straps are made of lead, or that is pretty optimistic. My Circle Y weighs 26 lbs, and I honestly can't feel any difference carrying them on my shoulder. A number of the DownUnder saddles are advertised at 25 lbs without fittings. A lot of western trail saddles come in under 30 lbs with stirrups.
> 
> I really like Australian saddles, but they have a very different feel from western saddles - more English, but also with long double flaps of leather and a fairly heavy & bulky cinch/girth.


Rather then start a new thread, I'll just bring this one back up, My mom is back to wanting to buy a saddle and she is looking at the Down Under Master Campdraft Deluxe, which I see is the one you have. How would this saddle fit a horse with a bit of a sway back and slightly high withers? His sway back is mostly from lack of condition since he's mostly a pasture puff, hoping to change that tho! Do they sell them with shorter fenders?


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## thenrie (Sep 10, 2012)

Old thread, but something no one has mentioned is that the seat measurement on an Aussie saddle is different than on a western saddle. A 15" western seat is equivalent to a 17" Aussie seat. For a good saddle fit for your horse, the most critical measurement is the gullet width. You can get anything from a semi-quarter gullet, measuring about 5.5-6", to a draft gullet, measuring around 7.5". Ask your dealer. They should be able to help you get what you need. 

As for getting a saddle that fits you, get what you think is the proper seat length, then sit in it with your feet in the stirrups (best when done on a horse). You should have about 1.5-2" between your thighs and the poleys (the bucking roll thingies). Can get pretty uncomfortable on a long ride if that measurement is too tight.

I like the way an Aussie saddle rides. They are a little narrower than a western saddle, so it's easier on your hips and knees on a long ride. Still, for a pack trip, I'll take a western saddle. More places to tie and hang stuff, although an Aussie saddle with a horn isn't bad. Aussie saddles don't have enough skirt for my taste, particularly behind the cantle. I don't like my saddle bags rubbing on the horse's back behind the saddle.

I like the Syd Hill saddles. Nicely made, a bit pricey.


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

thenrie said:


> Old thread, but something no one has mentioned is that the seat measurement on an Aussie saddle is different than on a western saddle. A 15" western seat is equivalent to a 17" Aussie seat. For a good saddle fit for your horse, the most critical measurement is the gullet width. You can get anything from a semi-quarter gullet, measuring about 5.5-6", to a draft gullet, measuring around 7.5". Ask your dealer. They should be able to help you get what you need.
> 
> As for getting a saddle that fits you, get what you think is the proper seat length, then sit in it with your feet in the stirrups (best when done on a horse). You should have about 1.5-2" between your thighs and the poleys (the bucking roll thingies). Can get pretty uncomfortable on a long ride if that measurement is too tight.
> 
> ...


I knew the measurements were different then western and english. My mom called the people at down under saddlery and we ended up getting the 16" master camp draft deluxe on clearance for $735(I think) It came yesterday but I haven't seen it yet since I haven't been over to my moms. We faxed in a wither and back tracing so hopefully it fits him. Should be trying it out on monday. Can't wait to see it and ride in it!


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

thenrie said:


> Old thread, but something no one has mentioned is that the seat measurement on an Aussie saddle is different than on a western saddle. A 15" western seat is equivalent to a 17" Aussie seat.
> 
> 2" difference would make it a bit large. That's more a Western to "English" conversion. Western to Stock isn't that much.
> I ride a 15.5" Western (if I can find one), but usually have to settle for 16". I ride a 16.5" Stock saddle and it fits like dream.


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

Got the saddle and tried it on today. I'm not sure about the fit tho. It should fit because we sent in a wither tracing but it when mounting it felt like I was going to pull it off to the side. I know they told my mom it has serge panels that will conform to the horse with use but I think it might be a little narrow. I had no issue while riding but we only walked today since he has been out of work for a while(and I don't trust him). 
I've never tacked up with an Australian saddle before so it's possible that I didn't have the saddle far enough up but I just don't see how I could have gotten it up and further. Here are some pics from today.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Looks kind of narrow. If anything, you might move it a little BACK, not forward.

Australian Saddle Fitment for Rider and Horse - YouTube

Wither tracing and fitment instructions for Aussie Saddles


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## Dead Rabbit (Jul 14, 2012)

beautiful spotted horse. and very nice saddle

im riding a synthetic endurance kimberly saddle. i love it. very comfortable. perfect for trails. extremely light. and i like how i can take the stirrups and the "leathers" off while transporting and storing it.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

First thought -- neat looking horse. Second thought was that the saddle (which looks good by the way) was just a bit forward but other than that it was a decent fit.


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