What a waste. I still wish I had not sold my 1981 model Stubben ( which I could still easily fit in). It seemed to fit a variety of horses, something new saddles do not seem to do.
Clean it up and sell it or give it to someone who can use it!
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Exactly. Embrace your inner Marie Kondo. Thank it for its service and get rid of it with no guilt.
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I have seen some beautiful bags and wallets made from re-purposed old saddles! An option if you’re willing to clean it up and are sentimental, but want a functional outcome.
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Like who, though?
There isn’t really a market for old, flat saddles without knee rolls. I would question a program that put beginner riders in a saddle like that now.
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That would be nice. I wonder how easy/expensive it is.
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This^. We gave some older saddles to 4-H kids. They were really happy w them as they had nothing. This was a start for them.
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Really? I learned to ride bareback so that would have been a step up definitely. Maybe local 4-H / pony club kids may have a use? As @NaturallyHappy said below.
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You are all of my 2 minds, lol. What I did was chuck it in the garage on a saddle rack. I took off the gross saddle cover, so it’s less gross now. Since I have 2 kids who will be staying with me, I figure if anyone claims I’m Bored, I’ll have a “fun” job for them to clean it!! The eldest kid loves horses so maybe that’ll work. Or not! But I can’t just chuck it yet. I can’t make decisions easily so there it is. It can be it’s gross mildewy self in the garage for a bit longer, until it’s time to clean that out (maybe this winter).
Sometimes, the local therapeutic riding barns or rescues will have old tack sales. I could probably be okay with donating it to sell for something like that. I really DO have wonderful memories of getting it, using it, everything and it served me well for many, many years!
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I threw away my old prix de nations saddle which was moldy and gross. I felt bad doing it but at that point I had no horse and if I were to get a new horse sometime in the future there’s no way I’m using that saddle again. I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of trying to give it away so I tossed it and it is what it is.
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Give it a quick clean just to make it a bit more presentable and check it out for safety, if the billets are good etc. and it’s still a safe saddle, find a deserving kid, give it to them with instructions on cleaning and pass your perfect childhood gift on to someone else.
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I wipe down moldy saddles with Lysol disinfectant wipes or the Dollar Tree knockoffs thereof. It takes the mold right off, and after one or 2 wipedowns with those, I usually never see mold on it again. Wipes work particularly well on older leather prior to the “mad cow” junk that appeared in the early or mid 2000s. I’ve done this on all types of saddles of single thickness leather, western & English. It has never done any damage to the leather, or color, in my 10 years of experience. Layered leather, calfskin and the stretchy matte finish kind, I don’t know about. I sold my layered leather saddles in favor of buffalo leather that will last ages. I don’t have any layered leather saddles to test. Try it! It’s easy! 
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I have a similar trick for daily wipe downs… - I buy a package of thick non-flushable baby wipes (unscented) and add some liquid glycerin saddle soap to the package. I use them to wipe tack and boots down. easy and handy.
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I’m about to send my old Crosby Mark VI off to be made into bags. It’s served me well since I bought it used in 1984 and has been on every horse I’ve owned since then - for one reason or another. It’s still in lovely shape, but it really doesn’t fit my guy and my new Stubben feels so much better! I would never be able to throw it away… Check out calyse-co.com
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OK I don’t even have a beloved old saddle (just an old saddle) but I may have to do this. 
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Me too. Those bags are beautiful.
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i have compromised by getting a saddle with a slight bucket. I searched high and low for a good flat saddle without any gushy padding or rolls. So there is at least one person in the world that likes nice flat saddles! In fact, i plan on trying out my saddleseat saddle on my mare, because it’s flat as a pancake! I grew up on flat saddles, that’s my favorite seat.
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So many of those flat saddle have ultra narrow channels, minimal paneling for the horse, and a tree shape that tended to fit the standard TB of the time. I don’t see any reason to continue using them today if the welfare of the horse is a priority.
Having one repurposed into a bag or decorative piece seems like a great way to honor the memories.
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Those are gorgeous!! That might be a nice idea. Thank you!
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I’m sure there are others. My point is that I would question a lesson program that had a line up of 30+ year old flat, pancake saddles for beginners. It’s not like you can’t find decent tack that is only 10 years old. Bottom line - this kind of saddle has a very limited market. Free to good home, possibly. Or, find someone like you who wants one and doesn’t already have one.
I like the purse idea above, if it is something that was really dear to the owner.
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I wouldn’t throw it away. I’d donate it to a program like Saddle Up For St Jude, or an organization local that you are fond of. About once a year I round up the usable-but-outlived-usefulness-for-me (IE outgrown blankets, outgrown tack, etc) items and donate them to a TB rescue organzation near me that then either uses the tack for their own retraining horses, or auctions/raffles it off. Win/win for me - I get to get rid of stuff taking up space, and the rescue gets to use what works and sell the rest.
Those flat pancake style saddles aren’t exactly worthless for most rescue/retraining orgs – they make great test saddles for those first time rides on new projects/babies, but are also great for using to lunge. I have a worthless-in-today’s-market Ainsley that is absolutely priceless to me - I use it to break in all the babies. It’s one of those flat, inoffensive saddles that fits a wide variety of young horses and once they’re reasonably confirmed undersaddle they get their own tack.
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