# Affordabletack.com



## BeckyMMiller (May 13, 2017)

I am looking at this saddle online, and was wondering if anyone has bought from this 
company and/or if they are a reputable company with good products.

Black Leather Round Skirt Trail Saddle


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Asian made junk. Fiberglass trees that may or may not have hollow spots, most likely twisted trees, urine tanned water buffalo hide. Total garbage.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Yuck. No.

Some basic rules of saddle shopping: If it's under about $600 NEW, it's junk. With the cost of leather going up, that can stretch to $800 in some areas. Consider that quality leather-- just the leather, for a new saddle will run $400 - $600+ and that's with no tree, no other materials, and no time/workmanship included, and you can see why a cheap saddle is cutting costs somewhere. 

So if your budget is below about $800, you need to be looking for quality used saddles-- something 15 - 20 years old with a good brand will be in the $400 - $800 range and will be a far better purchase, be more comfortable for you, has a chance of fitting the horse, and will last decades if you take care of it. Look for Courts, Crates, older Circle Y, older Simco, Martin, Billy Royal, Billy Cook, Dale Chavez, Tucker, and some of the 'house brands' like NRS' line. If it's been cared for, these older saddles will still last you most of your life, and they can easily be resold if you upgrade or find they don't fit your horse. If you must have new, a price range under $800 or so is going to limit you to synthetics like Abetta or Fabtron.


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## Cedar & Salty (Jul 6, 2018)

No. Buy quality used.

I do know a girl who bought a new saddle from them. It got lost when shipped and her parents had to argue and beg endlessly to even get a saddle delivered. It fell apart in a year. 

For the same money, buy a used Circle Y, Billy Cook, Tucker, Crates, Cashel, etc.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

For around $800 new you can also get a Corriente. I have two, sold a third and I really love mine and have been happy with the quality. Any flaws have been cosmetic. The main drawback......they only come in one tree size, FQHB. But they fit my Fox Trotters pretty decent. 

Anything else in that price range is mostly junk. I would MUCH rather have a Corriente than an Abetta or Fabtron. Although I used to have a synthetic Big Horn that was very nice. I think the Big Horns are nicer than Abetta or Fabtron (just my opinion).

Used is great, like everyone says, because it allows you to buy a higher quality saddle than you could afford new. I actually resisted buying used at first (like I think many of us do) because I felt if I got something new I would take care of it and have a nice saddle for a long time. But you can actually find higher end saddles used that are "like new" if you are at the right place at the right time. Because I take care of my stuff and don't want something someone else has trashed. I like to keep my tack looking pretty. :smile:


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## Cedar & Salty (Jul 6, 2018)

On Facebook there are used "brand" saddle for sale groups.

Search "used Corriente Saddles" (join a few like Circle Y, Tucker, Billy Cook) on Facebook and request to join. I bought two great Circle Y saddles and sold a Corriente that way.

If your horse has normal-ish conformation, Corriente makes great saddles. I bought a used one for $600 for my daughter before we bought Salty for her, but he has super wide shoulders and high withers and it didn't fit him. I sold it online and bought a used Circle Y with a wide tree that fit Salty, and also fit Hoot when we got him. When my daughter outgrew the Circle Y, I bought her a new Corriente for Hoot and it is amazing. They are well built, and you can pick up used for the same price as a crummy fall apart saddle from India or new for a few hundred more. 

This is my daughter's new Corriente...


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## BeckyMMiller (May 13, 2017)

Thank You all! I have been looking at new and used. I just haven't come across any that met the criteria yet. I will not buy until I find the right one. I don't want synthetic. So it may be a while before I get what I want. I may buy synthetic to use in the mean time.


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## AtokaGhosthorse (Oct 17, 2016)

Holy cow. 800.00!? 



A saddle like that is worth more if you set it on fire in the back yard - at least you get some light and warmth for a few minutes.


For that kind of money you could have a really, really nice used saddle. I've seen the occasional McCall for 500.00.


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## AtokaGhosthorse (Oct 17, 2016)

Edit. Don't know where I got the 800.00 from LOL

For 400ish, you can still find a GOOD used saddle, in leather, that will last you a long time. At the very least, it will hold it's value and you can trade up.


A used synthetic sells at tack auctions for about 40.00, if that, whereas a used Billy Cook out of Sulphur (IMO, the better made Billy Cooks) or a Corriente a decent sum.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

There must be a big variance in Corrientes.... I've seen some that were decent, but I went and looked at one a couple of weeks ago that was total junk-- poor leather, bad stitching, and the gal admitted she was selling it because all three of her horses bucked her off wearing it, and none have bucked in years. It was supposedly the same model number a friend of hers bought and that one fit her horses well, but there was no comparison between the two, and the company was giving her the runaround on returning it. It seems to be a crapshoot what you get. I've seen just as many bad Corrientes as good ones.


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## BeckyMMiller (May 13, 2017)

Thanks everyone, I found a Circle Y from 1997 for a great price. It is a semi qh bar, which I am concerned about but worst case scenario is that I have to turn around and resell it.


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## starbuster (Jul 10, 2019)

I agree with the others saying that your best bet is to buy quality used at that price. 

However, if you have your heart set on new, I have a Dakota saddle that was around $800 new 12 years ago and is a great saddle for the price. I'm not sure if they still go that low or not, as I've seen the same exact model as mine online for over $1,000 new in recent years.


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## BeckyMMiller (May 13, 2017)

I have ridden in it twice. The first time with just a thin blanket, it went great, when I got off the saddle didn't move and I could fit my whole hand under the girth before undoing it.
The second time with a one inch pad, I could still get my fingers under the girth, but not the whole hand. She was more jumpy and skittish that ride, I am not sure if the pad was causing it
or if it was the wind and flies that day. I am going to try again and see if it is the pad. The whole are where the saddle sat felt damp, but I didn't ride long enough to get a lot of sweat going.
I have ordered a diamond 1/2 inch wool pad, can't wait to try it.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

A 1" pad is a lot-- try a thinner pad (1/2 or 3/4") and I bet it works better.


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