# Saddles



## tim62988

plan and simple, what saddle are you using, what have you tried, what do you want to try?

for those you are using or have used: what is the good/bad about it.


My wife and I aren't looking to do endurance rides (not enough time/energy after work) BUT we realize the importance of saddle fit for the horse and the rider so even though we will just be trail riding, no reason to limit our search to the standard western trail saddle. I figure those of you that do ride endurance will have some good insight for comfort, durability and functionality


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## tim62988

Crickets??? I really figured this would be a useful thread for others too :-/ 

any idea where I could look for saddle suggestions besides the basic google searches? any other endurance/competitive trail ride specific forums to check out?


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## DraftyAiresMum

My all-time favorite saddle was my Australian stock saddle. Mine was a handmade with a wooden tree. Most comfortable, secure saddle I've ever sat.

My second favorite would be my barrel saddle. It's a Circle A by American Saddlery. Sadly, it's built on a fiberglass tree which is turning to mush. :-(

I did sit in a Wade that was SUPER comfy, too.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Hadassah

We had custom fitted and made Sharon Saare saddles for our two horses. My saddle fit me and my horse, and same with hubby and his horse. Sharon has since passed away but Randy Aldrich owns the company making her saddles using her techniques. Hands down the best saddle I've ever had fit me or my horses. Unfortunately, I cannot even think of getting another one until I have next horse. But was worth the wait and the cost was actually not too bad. Looked at their webpage and base price is $2200 is very reasonable considering the quantity you are getting.

Worst saddle was a Circle Y treeless. Seat was way too deep and seemed hot on me and the horse. I just looked online and a Circle Y Tammy Fisher is $2125. For me that is pricey considering I can get a custom.

As a kid I used my great uncle's 1940-or 1950 era M L Leddy roping saddle to ride our 17.2 hand old ex-racehorse thoroughbred. To saddle him required me lugging it up on a pickup truck hood. Making him stand still. And working to get that monstrosity on him. His name was Biggun, btw. Needless to say I got VERY good at riding bareback considering the saddle weighed half my weight. Biggun always stood stock still for my efforts. I wish I knew who ended up with that saddle. There were a lot of us kids who used it over the years.


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## smrobs

Sorry, I'm no help at all with endurance saddles.

BUT, I have spent 8-10 hours a day in these saddles, day after day after day. Since I got my GPS, I have found that on a long day, I'll cover 40+ miles while working cattle. When I get off at the end of the day, I'm almost as comfortable as I was that morning and my horses are comfortable too.


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## greentree

I have ridden many miles in a Bob Marshall SportSaddle. It was old when I got it 16 years ago! I use a full sheepskin cover on it. Honestly, it took about two rides to acquire the feel, but it is the saddle I like the best.


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## tim62988

smrobs- any idea what brand your saddle is?

Like i said we aren't looking to do endurance so it doesn't have to be a specific endurance saddle, since it seems many endurance riders will go western, treeless, aussie, ect... I just figured may get a broader range of opinions.


We both currently ride in Abetta saddles, just the basic versions (mine has a few extra ties on it but structurally the same as their basic versions) I like that they are synthetic and light weight. Fairly comfortable but thinking I may need to try a cushion of some fashion on mine.


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## DraftyAiresMum

Smrobs has a Corriente saddle. :lol: https://corrientesaddleco.com/ IIRC, hers is a built on an association tree. 

FWIW, my next saddle will most likely be a Corriente. Can't beat the price and they are handmade. Their CSW 404 makes me melt every time I look at it: https://corrientesaddleco.com/WADES.html


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## Hadassah

Forgot about Corriente saddles. Their prices are good. I've not owned one but have ridden a few hours in one and they are nice.

My Saare was western version. What happened with my Circle Y treeless is that I bought it when I had my lanky 16H Appaloosa and it was too big and long for my 14.2H shorter backed Arabian.


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## Hadassah

Something to consider, back when I dipped my toe into endurance and conditioning for many miles with my friend, our conversations over miles and miles of trail would be about three things: to shoe or not to shoe, grain/beet pulp/alfalfa/grass, and saddles. The first two subjects can be pretty heated debate but oh the saddle conversations! This brand, that brand, off the rack saddle, custom made, tree or treeless, leather or synthetic, McKlellan, Australian, western, or dressage. And everytime we rode with other riders or I helped crew guess what the topics were? Lol

It ultimately comes down to what you like and what makes your horse happy, doesn't sore or gall either one of you. And sometimes, and I've been there, it means trying (buying) and trying again several ones before you find the elusive perfect one. Another reason why I can't ride treeless is that my tailbone was broken and healed straight instead of cupped forward and it is very uncomfortable for me; at least the treeless I had. Yet another person here loves them. Each to his own.

My mentor, who really loved me when I was not lovable, and another friend I've ridden down the trail with many miles died last year. She was beyond special and truly showed me what the love of Christ really is. Old school cowgirl. Yelling at me "I'm boss mare around here". Her family called me this week and offered her two saddles to me. Older western saddles, extremely well cared for, a Lusky's and custom Elmer Pickens. I don't care if they don't fit me or my horse and all I can do is ride the back of the couch, I would crawl over broken glass for those two saddles. &#55357;&#56842;


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## smrobs

Yep, Corrientes. They are very good working quality and fit a pretty wide range of horses without soring them. The 2 horses I pictured are 3 hands and about 800 pounds apart in size and neither are sore at the end of the day.

Only drawbacks to them? They are HEAVY, 40+ pounds, and they only have trees with FQHB and a 7" gullet. Pretty standard size for a QH type, but may not work so well if you have gaited or TBs.


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## enh817

I love my Jim Taylor cowhorse saddle and have spent many hours in it, with no problems.
They don't come cheap though. I was lucky enough that my boss had a barely used one sitting in his tack room, belonging to a client who no longer rides, and I was able to buy it for less than half what it cost new. 
One day, I will be sponsored by Jim Taylor so I can have a tack room full of them! 


my saddle when I first got it


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## Comfortably Numb

Am I the only one who sees an Alfa Romeo registered in Dubrovnik in that saddle picture? 

Not a big fan of Italian cars in general, but they sure have good designers. :clap:


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## phantomhorse13

I have ridden a lot of my miles in a Free N Easy flex panel saddle, which was the saddle I used on my mare. The older boys both go in Arabian Saddle Company Rubicons. Both of those are english-type endurance saddles.

My greenie is currently going in a Torsion Treeless, but I will look to get him a treed saddle once his back is done developing. While I have done 50s (and even one 100) in the treeless saddle, my hips appreciate the twist that a treed saddle provides.


One of the Rubicons, set up for Tevis (normally I don't use the cantle bags):


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## enh817

Comfortably Numb said:


> Am I the only one who sees an Alfa Romeo registered in Dubrovnik in that saddle picture?
> 
> Not a big fan of Italian cars in general, but they sure have good designers. :clap:


mine? It is my most prized possession! I spend far more time in it than I do my car.
It's probably the simplest they make as far as the tooling and such go (the jockeys and fenders are actually roughout). I've taken a look at some of their fancier saddles and man do they get pricey!!


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## Comfortably Numb

Yes yours - I see the saddle now and it looks nice. But I was not joking - earlier I was seeing a black Alfa Romeo instead of the saddle - made a screen shot too in case I need to prove to myself later that I am ok. 

The skirt is quite wide - does that affect the movement or rub the hair in any way? I am on my first western saddle for several months now and was specifically looking for a short skirt to avoid potential rub. But have no idea if it would even exist or even if it would be better or worse...


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## enh817

Comfortably Numb said:


> Yes yours - I see the saddle now and it looks nice. But I was not joking - earlier I was seeing a black Alfa Romeo instead of the saddle - made a screen shot too in case I need to prove to myself later that I am ok.
> 
> The skirt is quite wide - does that affect the movement or rub the hair in any way? I am on my first western saddle for several months now and was specifically looking for a short skirt to avoid potential rub. But have no idea if it would even exist or even if it would be better or worse...



Weird!
I thought it was some sort of metaphor you were making LOL

Nope, I've not ever had a problem with that. I generally ride pretty short backed horses. I suppose if my seat was a good number of inches longer (it's either 15 or 15.5 inches), making the saddle longer, the skirt might go too far back on a really short backed horse and impede movement or cause rubs. But it's not an issue I've ever had.


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## Comfortably Numb

Thanks - mine is short-backed as well and I did buy the shortest saddle in the store (the western saddles selection around here is not huge), though the seat measures 16'. I do see some shortening/hardening of hairs towards the back where the skirt would sit (this is after many hours in it in the past three-four months), but she behaves very well when moving and palpating the back after a ride does not indicate even the slightest sort of tenderness at all. Would this be normal? :icon_rolleyes:
I do not use a back cinch, so perhaps this contributes to more movement in the skirt area hence the shortening...
It is a cheaper saddle, but very comfortable for her - my idea was through it to try out western saddles and then possibly upgrade, but for now I do not even see the need to upgrade as she seems to be very comfy except for the described hairs issue.
Bronzeline Westernsattel Haflinger - Westernsättel - Krämer Pferdesport Österreich

===================================================
Here is the Alfa Romeo, no joke.


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## anndankev

^^^^ Bawhahahaha. That is priceless. Sell the car and buy more saddles...


PS, I even see my name on the 'like' list. LOL


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## TXhorseman

If your also considering for less weight, you might take a look at the Pandora saddle that is made of carbon fiber. The pads on the under side are adjustable to fit a variety of horses. You can also get them custom designed for your own unique look. The company offers a saddle to try for just the cost of shipping. They even try to make it so one person trying the saddle sends it to the next person so shipping is only paid one way. It might be worth a try.


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## enh817

Comfortably Numb said:


> Thanks - mine is short-backed as well and I did buy the shortest saddle in the store (the western saddles selection around here is not huge), though the seat measures 16'. I do see some shortening/hardening of hairs towards the back where the skirt would sit (this is after many hours in it in the past three-four months), but she behaves very well when moving and palpating the back after a ride does not indicate even the slightest sort of tenderness at all. Would this be normal? :icon_rolleyes:
> I do not use a back cinch, so perhaps this contributes to more movement in the skirt area hence the shortening...
> It is a cheaper saddle, but very comfortable for her - my idea was through it to try out western saddles and then possibly upgrade, but for now I do not even see the need to upgrade as she seems to be very comfy except for the described hairs issue.
> Bronzeline Westernsattel Haflinger - Westernsättel - Krämer Pferdesport Österreich
> 
> ===================================================
> Here is the Alfa Romeo, no joke.



So strange! Tinypic, where I uploaded the photo, must've been having a 'brainfart'

I've never noticed any rubbing of hair from a saddle skirt. If you have a good saddle pad (I prefer either a good 100% wool felt, or the ESP pads from classic equine), then I really wouldn't worry about it. Especially since your horse isn't showing any signs of soreness. I've never had or heard of any soreness issues from the back end of a saddle, save for really terrible fit. I have, however, dealt with my fair share of soreness up at the withers and front of the saddle, from not having enough pad up there, or saddle not fitting quite right.


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## Comfortably Numb

I suppose I should still try with another saddle and see if it makes a difference.
The pad is good, it is wool and possibly the most expensive in the store (if this can be considered as a good argument for quality).
NCF Wool Pad Round - Westernpads - Krämer Pferdesport Österreich

Either way, there is some sort of pressure there that should not be, though it does not seem to affect how she feels about the saddle. Maybe I will try to post a picture in the tack forum and see if anyone else has had this - it is more noticeable now that she has grown her winter coat.

Wither area is fine.


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## Hadassah

TXhorseman said:


> If your also considering for less weight, you might take a look at the Pandora saddle that is made of carbon fiber. The pads on the under side are adjustable to fit a variety of horses. You can also get them custom designed for your own unique look. The company offers a saddle to try for just the cost of shipping. They even try to make it so one person trying the saddle sends it to the next person so shipping is only paid one way. It might be worth a try.


I've spent last day looking at the Pandora saddle. I am impressed and think I found my next saddle.


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## anndankev

Hadassah said:


> I've spent last day looking at the Pandora saddle. I am impressed and think I found my next saddle.


Be sure to post pics and about how it rides when you get one.


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## tim62988

I had come across the pandora saddles just a few days before starting the thread. looks very intriguing, I must admit though with a bony back end it makes me think of those plastic chairs back in elementary/high school.

I'm always a bit skeptical about the "one saddle fits every horse" claim but must say for under $1,000usd if it fits it's not a bad price for saddle that isn't mass produced


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## tim62988

bit over $1,000 on their US page... still not a bad price though


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## Hadassah

Well, my thought is that with that open channel it will alleviate any issues wth my old broken tail bone. I've got no padding,either, being small and a swimmer, but they do sell a sheepskin saddle cover.

The only angst is what color should I get?!


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## greg

Really like my Specialized Trailmaster. 21 pounds with stirrups & mohair girth. I like the adjustability. My horses change shape & I reshim accordingly. Use a Port Lewis Impression pad to get it right then pick your favorite pad/blanket combo. I have done 30 and 50 mile AERC rides and get A's for back which is a decent indicator of a decent fit.


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## sabowin

I've used an Aussie on my narrow NSH. Didn't do very many miles on him (he bucked me off the first time I got on him after purchase, and was never confident enough to ride him much after that), so I don't really know how it fit him, but it was comfy for me--I rode it on another horse one day just so I could try the saddle I'd bought! They often have a LOT of padding, though, so while that allows a pretty custom fit if you mess with the flocking inside, it could also mean a really bad fit if you don't.

When I first got my current horse, I rode her in western saddles, first the one I borrowed from her prior owner, then one I found on Craigslist that wasn't terrible. Fit her okay, felt okay to ride in, but a bit of a chair seat made posting harder than it had to be.

Tried a couple Tuckers on her, but her wide WIDE shoulders made that a no-go. Super comfy for the rider, though!

Tried a Pandora just for fun--cool saddle, and even seemed to adjust to fit her well, but I did just a couple spins around the arena, no real mileage, so who knows.

Currently own an SR Saddlery (Steve Ray Gonzalez) saddle, and she and I both LOVE it. It was custom made for a different horse--I bought it off FB with no returns allowed, so took a chance, but it fits her like a glove. It has three settings for the stirrups to be mounted under the saddle (forward, center, and back), and I originally had it in the center one and had SO much hip pain, but it turned out that the front setting works great, and still isn't a chair seat. Posting is so much easier for me in this saddle, and I feel pretty secure. Plus, it fits my horse great! Used a Port Lewis impression pad and everything, plus her back has never been sore once (though so far we've only ridden 12-15 miles max). Hoping this one works well for us for years to come, but you never know with horses--they're bound to change shape as their workload changes.


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## STT GUY

Just ordered a couple of custom made Sycamore Creek CTK saddles today for our two Paso Finos. Hear good things about them and the price/quality seem to make them a good value. ten weeks lead time..


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## SwissMiss

STT GUY said:


> Just ordered a couple of custom made Sycamore Creek CTK saddles today for our two Paso Finos. Hear good things about them and the price/quality seem to make them a good value. ten weeks lead time..


Did you get your saddles and had you time to test ride them? How do you like the saddles?
I am contemplating ordering one for my mare. Can'r really beat the price for a custom saddle :wink:


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## STT GUY

SwissMiss said:


> Did you get your saddles and had you time to test ride them? How do you like the saddles?
> I am contemplating ordering one for my mare. Can'r really beat the price for a custom saddle :wink:


 
Sorry I am late answering. 

We didn't get them yet. When they were wrapping the tree on mine it warped. So about two more weeks. Tony has been wonderful and offered us an additional discount for the delay, which I declined. Stuff happens. 

I will post up when they arrive/


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## SwissMiss

STT GUY said:


> Sorry I am late answering.
> 
> We didn't get them yet. When they were wrapping the tree on mine it warped. So about two more weeks. Tony has been wonderful and offered us an additional discount for the delay, which I declined. Stuff happens.
> 
> I will post up when they arrive/


Was just curious :wink: 
Hope you like them


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## AnrewPL

My custom built wade, it is the most comfortable thing I have ever sat in and I have spent days on end in the thing.


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## STT GUY

SwissMiss said:


> Was just curious :wink:
> Hope you like them


I will post pics when they arrive. I think I will like it...hoping my horse loves it


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## its lbs not miles

tim62988 said:


> plan and simple, what saddle are you using, what have you tried, what do you want to try?
> 
> for those you are using or have used: what is the good/bad about it.
> 
> 
> My wife and I aren't looking to do endurance rides (not enough time/energy after work) BUT we realize the importance of saddle fit for the horse and the rider so even though we will just be trail riding, no reason to limit our search to the standard western trail saddle. I figure those of you that do ride endurance will have some good insight for comfort, durability and functionality


 
I don't endurance race. I do distance riding. i.e. generally around 20 mile days, carrying everything for the horse and myself to live on/with, spend each night in a new place except for rest days. So the saddle fit is absolutely critical since being 200+ miles (2+ weeks) ride from home is not a good place to have the horse come up with a sore back.

The absolute best fitted saddle I've ever put on my horses backs was made by Randy Aldrich. He made saddles for Sharron Saare's saddle company. She passed away, but I think he's continued making saddles under the companies name. He has at least a dozen different trees. His fitters find the one that fits the best, take photos from various angles, note any alterations needed and he makes the saddle. Both my mares fit a SSS tree, but my younger mare has slightly higher whither so the pommel was made slightly higher to fit. He makes the saddle to fit what you request. Weights can range from under 15lbs and upwards depending on what you want.

He made mine to my exact specifications: saddle size and weight, seat, type of adjustable rigging, split skirts for air flow, fender type, specified rings and clips for attaching gear, etc....
It blew my Australian made stock saddle away for comfort for both my horses and me (both move and ride better with Randy's saddles while I ride all day with no issues) so I gave it away . Troopers are the only saddles I've ever used that came close to be as comfortable for me as the rider.


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## STT GUY

*Update*

Our saddles shipped from South America,should be to us in two weeks.


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## STT GUY

Our saddles arrived from Sycamore Creek. We are very pleased, they are lightweight, seem to be of excellent quality and fit well. We have about six hours in the saddle on them so far and horses and people like them.

How do I post a pic???


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## DraftyAiresMum

You can upload pics to a site like Photobucket and then copy and paste the "IMG" link into the body of the reply.


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## Eole

I post a pic directly from my computer, no need to host it on a different site. 
I use the paperclip: "upload file from computer". I choose the picture. Then say "upload" and voilà. It appears when you post the message. You can upload as many as you want.


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