# Opinions on these saddles



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

I am looking for a comfortable, relatively light saddle to ride around my farm. I really like the look of tooling and real leather - found a lot of old Herefords that I love, but am worried about there comfort for horse and rider. I know a lot of technology has come out in the last 10 yrs although not sure if it matters for my situation (not going on hours long rides).

Does anyone have an opinion and information on these saddles? I would love some input on quality, value, comfort and history (year made, interesting tidbits about the saddle) if anyone has the time and inclination! Or if anyone sees something I missing wrong with the saddle. Thanks so much in advance

Used Vintage Buckstitched 15" Textan Western Saddle Tooled Leather US Made | eBay

Bobâ€™s Custom Reining Saddle Perfect for Youth or Ladies | eBay

15" Used Big Horn Trail Saddle 3 736 | eBay

15" Used Billy Royal Show Saddle 2 365 | eBay


----------



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

The listing for the second saddle (the Bob's) has ended.

Have you sat in a seat like those you are looking at? Do you know if you find it comfortable or not? I've sat in a seat like that and hated it, so I wouldn't give those saddles the time of day. However, if you know that you like that type of seat, any of them look like they're nice saddles that are worth the money.


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

I won't be able to sit in any and have no access to western saddles to try. The Bob's is still available privately. In what way are the seats uncomfortable? Hard?


----------



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

That hump in the front. The ones I sat in like that just felt awkward. It does lock your hips into place, but I always felt like it forced me into a position I didn't want to be in.


----------



## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

The saddle you ride in now, is the seat similar to these? I'm with drafty, I don't care for that type of seat. I prefer a flat seat. Also, with a flatter seat, a 15" feels much bigger than it does with a seat like the ones you have listed. 

The saddles don't look too bad. That style of tooling and leather and buckstitching was popular in the 70's. I really want to see the Bob's- I can't because it says it's no longer available, can you get us a picture of it? I have a feeling it's probably the best out of the bunch.


----------



## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

Nevermind...I just didn't scroll down far enough!

Yep, I would go with the Bob's. I think you are getting a better quality with it. Every Bob's saddle I have seen has nice fleece and nice leather. They are well made saddles IMO.


----------



## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

i personally would go with the tex tan. but i'm not a huge fan of in skirt rigging, that's why.


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

Thanks so much. Is that mold or just dirt with the Bob's in the tooling? The Hereford is 1961- is that getting too old even for a vintage saddle? I would be used daily so not just a display. Also I have never seen the lace edging like on the Big Horn, is that a rare style?

I have an English saddle. Just bought a ranch horse 2000 miles away to ride around the farm that isn't a pony(we import/sell hunter jumper ponies) so all of this is new to me!


----------



## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

palmbeachpony said:


> Thanks so much. Is that mold or just dirt with the Bob's in the tooling? The Hereford is 1961- is that getting too old even for a vintage saddle? I would be used daily so not just a display. Also I have never seen the lace edging like on the Big Horn, is that a rare style?


I don't know if it's mold or dirt. Probably just dirt. Tooling like that is a pain to clean.


----------



## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

palmbeachpony said:


> I won't be able to sit in any and have no access to western saddles to try.



if this is the case i wouldn't buy any saddle online. especially if you are just starting with a new saddle type/getting an introduction to a different discipline. you won't be able to try the saddle on your horse for proper fit and you won't know if you'll like the way it feels for you either.

i've bought one saddle online. but i'd done over a year of research and knew exactly the tree shape/width/size i needed for my horse. and i knew i could re-sell it easy enough if by chance it didn't fit me, even though i had one of those feelings it would (and it does, beautifully).


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

palmbeachpony said:


> I have an English saddle. Just bought a ranch horse 2000 miles away to ride around the farm that isn't a pony(we import/sell hunter jumper ponies) so all of this is new to me!


I guess my first question for you: How do you know that ANY of these saddles will fit your new horse?

Also, have you ever fit a western saddle before? Having fit both English and Western saddles myself, I feel that Western saddles are harder to fit because it's harder to see what's going on under all the leather and you can't make modifications to the tree (like you can with ENglish saddles). 

Your BEST bet for finding a saddle for your new horse is to go to a tack store (_with_ your horse) and try them on. Then that will also give you a chance to sit in them and see which ones feel comfortable to you.



palmbeachpony said:


> Thanks so much. Is that mold or just dirt with the Bob's in the tooling?


Hmmmm.... if the internet is really that small of a world..... If you are the same person who was asking this exact same question about about this same exact same saddle on another forum: No, it's not mold.  Just dirt/grime. Nothing that a good cleaning can't take care of!


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

I understand about saddle fit, just trying to get opinions on those saddles in general. I just about had that Bob's bought when someone said there was a hole in the fender, which I still don't see!


----------



## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

here's the hole! circled it in red for ya


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

Wow, thanks! How big of a deal is that? It makes me nervous the seller has not been upfront with that - I have asked her a lot of questions.

Would a Bob's be comfortable for trail riding?

There is a 2002 Circle Y park and trail for sale in near perfect/like new condition for $575. Dark oil, 15", semi Qh bars. Does that sound like the right price? As much as I love the vintage saddles, maybe this saddle would be the safest bet.

Thank you!


----------



## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

unless you already know exactly what size/width/shape of tree your horse needs i would highly suggest not buying long distance/online for your first western saddle. you could put a lot of money out and be rather disappointed, then be stuck with a saddle that you can't resell due to economy/demand. 

the rigging on that last saddle you posted looks to be 3/4, which puts the front of the saddle further forward on the horses' shoulder. you don't want that unless your horse has an upright shoulder and a long front to back wither area.

7/8 rigging is likely the closest to 'one size fits all' for most horses.

here's a good link on rigging: Your Complete Guide to Saddle Rigging

edited to add: ah! i see that saddle has the option for 3/4 or 7/8, i didn't see the front ring and latigo at first. not a fan at all of that rigging style, as it is 'in skirt' and i've never been able to like the fact that there are rivets through a leather edge holding a saddle on a horse as opposed to rigging straps that go over/through the tree.


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

He does have quite a long wither, but glad it has the other rigging....again something I am clueless about! Is it priced right and reasonable quality? I think it has a flatter seat as well.


----------



## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

i still wouldn't buy anything that you couldn't sit in, try on your horse first.

where are you located? i'm good at searching out stuff online on classifieds etc.

a photo of your horse's back and your height/weight will help.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Don't let the age of the TexTan worry you. Those saddles of that era were better made, better dyes, hides, hardware than what we see today. As for the Big Horn, the border lacing is not original, and could rub the legs. When saddles start hitting the $700 mark, buyers start looking at the light colored saddles and spending a little more to get it. The TexTan probably has a rawhide covered tree and they fit horses better than the plastic Ralide trees.


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

Saddlebag said:


> Don't let the age of the TexTan worry you. Those saddles of that era were better made, better dyes, hides, hardware than what we see today. As for the Big Horn, the border lacing is not original, and could rub the legs. When saddles start hitting the $700 mark, buyers start looking at the light colored saddles and spending a little more to get it. The TexTan probably has a rawhide covered tree and they fit horses better than the plastic Ralide trees.


Thanks so much! I would never have know the lacing on the Big Horn was not original. 

What about that Circle Y? I know newer Circle Y's are not as high quality as older ones, but I am not going to be very hard on the saddle. 

Would you think the Tex Tan would be just as comfortable even if less padded (I just can't do the rock hard seats)? Would I need to make an offer for it to be a good deal? I have figured out that light oil is fashionable in the show ring so that makes sense the more expensive/silver saddles will be harder to resell if darker. What would be a good offer on the Billy Royal or Bob's where it would be an easy resale? I think I have a good deal on the Bob's, but that was not taking into account the hole in the fender.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

15" saddles are harder to sell with riders being heavier. Other than cutting saddles, you need the slope in the seat for pelvic support. As seats get longer some of that support is lost. If you fit a 17-17.5" seat in English, then a 15" western will fit. If an 18" then you may want to go with a 16" western.


----------



## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> I've sat in a seat like that and hated it, so I wouldn't give those saddles the time of day.





jenkat86 said:


> The saddle you ride in now, is the seat similar to these? I'm with drafty, I don't care for that type of seat. I prefer a flat seat. Also, with a flatter seat, a 15" feels much bigger than it does with a seat like the ones you have listed.



To be the odd man out, I reallly like that sloped kind of seat. As long as the cantle is high-ish and the seat size is correct [they are _the worst_ if they're too small!!], give me a sloped seat all day! :lol:

I've found a few flat-seat saddles that I've really enjoyed, but I find that I am quite particular about what kind - no tooling, the seat size has to be one up from what I'm used to, the list goes on. :lol:


OP, another important thing to know about yourself [and a good reason to not buy online if you aren't sure] is whether you like tooling or not. 
I've found, for myself, that tooling can really make or break a saddle. I don't like cleaning it, I don't like how it feels on my calves/legs when I'm riding, I just don't like it. 
Other people really like the look of tooling, and they don't mind the feel or the cleaning aspect - it's something to know about yourself. 

The same thing goes for rough-out leather, and all those other "options." 

It's not too overly hard to find something you like online, at the right price, *IF* you know exactly what your horse needs and what you like/dislike. 
If you aren't sure, online saddle shopping can turn into a HUGE pain in the neck.


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

palmbeachpony said:


> * I understand about saddle fit*
> 
> .....
> 
> but glad it has the other rigging....again something I am clueless about!


Truly not trying to be snarky here, but rigging is a component of western saddle fitting. I do commend you for coming on and asking lots of questions, but it appears you have much to learn about western saddle fit. 

For the 2002 Circle Y park and trail saddle you posted, I just want to say that I too like the SLOPED seats, like Wallaby mentioned. I personally don't like flat seats. It probably stems from the fact that I've ridden in a barrel racing saddle most of my life, so that's what feels comfortable to me. I tried out a flat-seated barrel saddle last year and it fit my horse to a tee, but I just could not get used to the seat.

Yes it is true that newer circle Y saddles are not the quality that the older ones were. With that said, by chance, all 3 of my saddles are Circle Y! I have one from 2004 and then my newer two are from 2014 and 2015. The 2004 is decent, but really not that much different than the newer ones. I feel like you have to go back to the 80's or early 90's to get that good ol' "quality" feel that they used to have. 


I once again caution you on purchasing a saddle online. Yes, you can resell it if it doesn't work, but that just makes saddle shopping take that much LONGER. And potentially more expensive if you can't sell the saddle for what you paid for it. 

With Red, I went through about 9 western saddles until I found one with a good fit. It's a process. 





saddlebag said:


> If you fit a 17-17.5" seat in English, then a 15" western will fit.


That's a very good rule of thumb, but I will just mention my Tad Coffin jumping saddle is a 17.5" and my Circle Y barrel racing saddle is a 14.5". So I'm a little bit out of the norm. This is where sitting in lots of different saddles will help the rider determine what seat size they prefer.


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

I have a 16.5" English saddle but showed in a 15" my junior career at the same body size...a 16" the perfect size, but we have a sales barn and it was more practical to get a saddle that fit a variety of people in case someone didn't bring a saddle. So maybe even a 14" would be ok. 

I only have English tack stores around me, there is one that also has a few western saddles but they start at 16" and only 2 brands. 16" is huge for me.

So I just don't know how to try before I buy!


----------



## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

funny enough, i have a saddle i've been casually trying to sell for a while that likely would work for your horse if they aren't wide/low withered and their back doesn't curve too much. it's a 15 seat that isn't flat nor sloped a lot. 7/8 rigging. semi qh bars but no flare in the front bar edges at all so no good for big shouldered horses. nice lil saddle, just the right amount of tooling, and i fit it great but my mare isn't narrow enough for me to feel good riding in it. 
pic just to show you what i'm talking about. nobody believes me when i tell them i bought this saddle in 1995. they think it's still new! 



but if you are getting a 'ranch horse' then it likely wouldn't fit. when i hear ranch horse i think stocky, well shouldered, and on the verge of being a tank. lol


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

palmbeachpony said:


> I have a 16.5" English saddle but showed in a 15" my junior career at the same body size...a 16" the perfect size, but we have a sales barn and it was more practical to get a saddle that fit a variety of people in case someone didn't bring a saddle. So maybe even a 14" would be ok.


Yeah if you are comfortable in a 16" then I would be looking for a 14" or 14.5" for Western, as a general rule of thumb.



palmbeachpony said:


> I only have English tack stores around me, there is one that also has a few western saddles but they start at 16" and only 2 brands. 16" is huge for me.
> 
> So I just don't know how to try before I buy!


Our situations are reversed.  When I was English saddle shopping, there isn't a tack shop in my entire STATE that stocked even 1 English saddle. I was fortunate that my trainer had plenty of saddles for me to try on, and her clients were willing to let me try on their saddles too. That's how I knew the Tad Coffin A5 I bought online would fit; because I was able to try it on in person. 

Are you working with a trainer?
Do you have any friends that ride western?
If there is not a tack shop nearby that stocks western saddles, I'd start asking your friends! And friends of friends! Any western saddle you can get your hands on will help you to get a feel of what might fit your horse, and rules out what clearly doesn't. And will give you the opportunity to sit in them and see how they feel to you. 

It's a complete shot in the dark if you are strictly ordering online. It will be total luck if you find one that way that fits your horse and fits you.


----------



## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

not sure if you missed it palmbeachpony, but i asked a few posts ago where you are located. i can try to help you find something locally. i'm good at internet searches and such.


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

EdmontonHorseGal said:


> not sure if you missed it palmbeachpony, but i asked a few posts ago where you are located. i can try to help you find something locally. i'm good at internet searches and such.


I am in Lexington KY for most of the year and just south of Wellington/Palm Beach right now. THanks!


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

EdmontonHorseGal said:


> funny enough, i have a saddle i've been casually trying to sell for a while that likely would work for your horse if they aren't wide/low withered and their back doesn't curve too much. it's a 15 seat that isn't flat nor sloped a lot. 7/8 rigging. semi qh bars but no flare in the front bar edges at all so no good for big shouldered horses. nice lil saddle, just the right amount of tooling, and i fit it great but my mare isn't narrow enough for me to feel good riding in it.
> pic just to show you what i'm talking about. nobody believes me when i tell them i bought this saddle in 1995. they think it's still new!
> 
> 
> ...


That is a nice saddle! The horse is supposedly a QH and probably is mostly, but I think he is either an appendix or has something else in there. He's not a tank, although he has a relatively big shoulder, at least compared to the ponies and TB's I am used to. However he does have rather huge withers that are also for lack of a better word, long. Just a lot of wither, lol. His back is long and flat and his spine is somewhat prominent - he has just had a horrible ship and then got sick so better condition will improve that and I think he will be much stockier in general when he gets fat! I will try and post some pictures. I do know that a 7' gullet gave almost no wither clearance without a pad, although it did with a 3/4" pad and stayed ok during the ride. I am under 100 lbs so don't add a ton of weight.


----------



## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

sounds like my saddle might work lol. a shame i'm way up in Canada.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Why is it a shame. With our devalued dollar it should be a bargain to the US shopper even with mail costs.


----------



## EdmontonHorseGal (Jun 2, 2013)

Saddlebag said:


> Why is it a shame. With our devalued dollar it should be a bargain to the US shopper even with mail costs.


good point there Saddlebag, but the whole customs thing is a pain when shipping across the border. i had a saddle shipped to me from Virgina last year and darn if it didn't sit a week in customs! and then i had to pay provincial taxes on the value when i picked it up from the post office. mind you, the taxes aren't an issue when shipping the other way i believe?

with the OP being new to western saddles though, i would feel a bit uncomfortable sending a saddle without a wither tracing and other measurements and photos of the horse's back. With those, i could determine much better if it would fit or not. 

when i got my aussie saddle mailed to me i had looked long and hard at it and compared my mare's back to it with great scrutiny. that's how i knew it would work. i wasn't getting it mailed from across the continent otherwise lol.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Parcels come priority and the PO guarantees delivery by the 10th business day. $99 or less often comes thro tax free as they process hundreds of thousands of parcels daily. When checking out a dressage saddle on line I took a pic of the wither tracing, seller was able to print and compare it to the saddle - nope, not wide enough.


----------



## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

I skimmed through the thread, so I missed it if you have a budget that you are working with.

I am pretty high on Gene Bader saddles. You might be able to find a deal on one some place like a Facebook group if you are willing to wait for it to come along.


----------



## palmbeachpony (Jan 13, 2016)

I spent about an hour looking through Ebay yesterday and am still totally drawn to the vintage saddles. How much am I giving up in comfort not having a newly padded or gel seat? Are they harder on the horse without the newest tree technology? Some of these saddles I am looking at are from the 60's and 70's. 

Is there any change of a 98 lb weakling lifting a 35 -40 lb saddle? I can throw my 38 lb 4 yr old onto a horse no problem, but have found western saddles much harder, although I don't know the weight of the few ones I have dealt with. 

These are the ones I currently like. Am I missing something obvious? I am going to take the plunge on one of them and stop this endless internet searching and start really trying!

The first one has an Arabian skirt - will there be any other differences besides rounded skirt?

Vintage Circle Y Western Saddle Arabian Skirt | eBay


Vintage Hereford Tex Tan of Yoakum Western Saddle | eBay


This one is so "loud" but yet I still like it and feel like it would look great on the horse. But maybe I would be embarrassed going out for organized trail rides with some "good ol boy" KY riders, lol. Is it priced right or too much?

Circle Y Equitation Saddle 1972 15" Model 1088 Buckstitching | eBay

This one is too big, but I love the look.

Circle Y Horse Saddle Pre Owned 15 3 4" Full Size | eBay

And here are some of the horse. You can see he is difficult with the high withers, but not super narrow in general - I feel like most horses with that kind of wither are all around more narrow. I think he might be a horse that just does need a good thick pad and a reg QH bars vs getting a really narrow saddle just to clear the withers. I don't know if he is full QH or not - he is not all that stocky compared to what I think of as a QH and has no papers or brand - but he does have some muscle and I think will fill out a lot in the spring. He has been sick and had a very long ship. Nothing fancy, but a great trail horse!


----------

