Australian Saddles and Riding

[JuneTheB]

I am new to the site and am looking for information about Australian saddles… I wasn’t sure where else to post as I haven’t figured the site yet. So here it goes!

I am looking for information about Australian Saddles and riding. I have ridden both english and western over the years but love the look of aussie saddles and would like to give it a try. Does anyone have any strong opinions or information to share? I know very little about the topic and included a few questions, however any information is appreciated!

Are they comfortable? Do’s and Don’ts when purchasing? Only for trail riding and flatwork? Horn or no horn? Can you jump with them?

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

Every one I ever sat in put me in an awful chair seat.

[NoSuchPerson]

I’ve owned several different Australian saddles over the years. I love them. They’re comfortable and secure. I think they’re great for trail riding. I certainly wouldn’t use one for jumping, aside from hopping over logs on the trail. I’ve got a horse now that has a big trot. Posting properly in the Aussie saddle on him is difficult. Getting into two-point to jump would be nearly impossible - the saddle is designed to keep you from pitching forward and keep your seat in the saddle, not to facilitate your getting up out of it into two point.

Yes, most of them put you in a chair seat because that’s precisely how they are designed. See, e.g. this youtube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIL0srrA238

I don’t use that exaggerated chair seat with my feet sticking out in front, though.

I’ve got two in my tack room right now. One is the more traditional style with panels like an English saddle, like this one:

https://www.downunderweb.com/lite-rider-australian-saddle/

One is built more like a western saddle, like this one:

https://www.downunderweb.com/stock-fender-australian-saddle/

I don’t know that one is better than the other, although if you have a wide, round horse, it’s probably easier to get a good fit with the western type.

As far as purchasing one goes, the same rules apply as to any saddle purchase. The cheap ones on ebay are crap and you get what you pay for.

[findeight]

Think they are great for trail rides and that’s primarily what they were designed for, vast distances. Nothing wrong with a chair seat if you are in the saddle 10 hours a day. They gently hold you in place in very comfortably. Even in rough country, most of them aren’t too heavy either, easy to handle

But that traditional design doesn’t work with lighter, forward seat type riding, it’s not supposed to. Wrong tool for that job as much as the saddle that encourages that lighter forward seat would not only be the wrong tool for long hours in varied terrain but be a miserable, tiring experience as well.

[HPFarmette]

I tried one once and didn’t care for those extra things that project in front of your thighs…they probably have a name…

[NoSuchPerson]

@HPFarmette

I tried one once and didn’t care for those extra things that project in front of your thighs…they probably have a name…

Poleys. I think it’s pronounced “polly,” but I’m not positive.

[Foxglove]

My concern would be they are limiting --as far as I know, there are no classes in any type of show that allow for Aussie saddles --and while you might reply, “I never plan to show,” the world has a way of changing --I grew up in a flat saddle stable and learned to ride there. Never planned to do anything but that venue and had all the equipment/clothes for that world. Then life: kids, move to different places, different horses --ultimately we had horses that did jumper, driving, hunter, Western everything, dressage, and currently fox hunting and eventing. And I had all the clothes and equipment for those venues. One thing I never used --ever-- was an Aussie saddle. I used every other kind of saddle, including a side saddle --but never an Aussie. I have worn out two western saddles in 50 years, (I mean used to the extent where they were no longer safe without major rebuild) and have had forward seat saddles rebuilt --even though I did long distance trail riding (250 miles at a time), I never wanted an Aussie for that --actually used my dressage saddle most of the time. My long winded point is, down the road, you may find that a more main-stream type of saddle is more useful. Just my opinion!

[GhR009]

I like them. The two I own (DownUnder) don’t put me in a “chair position”, nor do the poleys interfere with two point or posting. I once measured the deepest part of the seat to the stirrup bars on my Aussie and my Bates Caprilli AP saddle. The distance was identical. I have a small preference for western saddles, but the Aussie still gets used sometimes.

[Luseride]

I dislike them very much. The ones I have had experience with weighed more than my western saddles, were more difficult to mount and dismount, tighten the girth and in general I just hated them. If you get one plan to keep it, difficult to resale.

[Shagyas_Rock]

I have one in my tack room - I use it for trail riding and if it fits you and the horse correctly, they are very comfortable. The girthing system is a bit different but once you get used to it, it’s no more trouble than any other girthing system, in my ridiculous opinion:lol: They have very deep seats, and the knee poleys contribute to security. . . it’s really hard to fall out of one, in my experience. I replaced the standard Aussie fittings (wider leathers and stirrups) with regular English leathers and fillis stirrups. . . and found this to be helpful in eliminating the “chair seat” tendency.

I use it with a breast collar and it’s great for going up and down hills. I like it because I can ride in it, using my usual dressage seat - with relatively close contact yet have the security and comfort of a Western saddle - without fighting the horn and the fenders of a western saddle (my knees don’t do fenders and I’ve always hated saddle horns)
So . . it really depends on the individual and what you’re needing. This is just my two cents.

[RPM]

@NoSuchPerson

I’ve got two in my tack room right now. One is the more traditional style with panels like an English saddle, like this one:

https://www.downunderweb.com/lite-ri…ralian-saddle/

One is built more like a western saddle, like this one:

https://www.downunderweb.com/stock-f…ralian-saddle/

I don’t know that one is better than the other, although if you have a wide, round horse, it’s probably easier to get a good fit with the western type.

Neither one of those is a traditional-type Australian saddle. This (except for the tooling on the flap) is:

https://www.downunderweb.com/superio…UaAikyEALw_wcB

American western horns and fenders and stirrups are not traditionally Australian.

[NoSuchPerson]

@RPM

Neither one of those is a traditional-type Australian saddle.

:rolleyes: I said “more traditional style with panels like an English saddle.” The “more traditional style” referred to the “panels like an English saddle.” Which I contrasted with the “one built more like a western saddle.”

[Guilherme]

I’ve ridden in them a couple of places and find them most uncomfortable. They put me into a “chair seat” and a most uncomfortable version of one. If felt badly unbalance and if I tried to assume a more balanced seat I developed some annoying blisters.

These were not cheap versions and I was riding a very nice, quiet, soft Peruvian Paso gelding. And it still hurt.

But maybe it’s just my conformation that’s off. I know a lot of folks who swear by them and don’t understand my swearing AT them!

So before you make a decision find a couple to ride in. Do more than just tool around the arena for five min. Get out on the trail for an hour or so and see how you feel. Then you will make your decision from YOUR experience, not mine!!!

Good luck in your program.

G.

[RPM]

@NoSuchPerson

:rolleyes: I said “more traditional style with panels like an English saddle.” The “more traditional style” referred to the “panels like an English saddle.” Which I contrasted with the “one built more like a western saddle.”

The first saddle is not a more traditional style of Australian saddle. It has a western American horn. Traditional Australian saddles do not have horns, any more than they have western American fenders and stirrups. :rolleyes:

[TMares]

I hate them, never have sat in one that didn’t feel trappy and unpleasant.

[Scribbler]

The one I’ve observed takes a very thick special felt pad and ends up kind of floating over the horse’s back and displacing to the right. Haven’t ridden in it.

IME if the saddle doesn’t fit the horse it is uncomfortable for the rider.

[akdraft77]

I have one of these: https://www.downunderweb.com/trailmaster-australian-saddle/

I used to ride my Belgian draft in it. Was super comfy, and I could ride all day in it. With that said, it does force me into a chair seat. I don’t use it anymore, mostly because I lost the horse I bought it for to colic several years ago and I haven’t bought a smaller girth to accommodate my smaller horses.

I used a fairly thick pad and bought a western-girth conversion for it. I didn’t like the conversion. It was bulky and I could feel it under my leg (so it probably irritated my horse).

If I were you, I would try one before you commit. They are hard to sell. No one seems to want them.

[Bluey]

I tried one decades ago, a real one someone had brought here from Australia.
It was stiff and put you way off the horse and the flaps were so very unnecessarily long, my short legs barely cleared the bottom.

It perched on the horse, that one obviously made for a thin, weedy type horse, not our more heavy set ones.

I expect that is like every other out there, if you grow up with those, you will have adjusted and that is what you prefer, no matter what it is, Western, English or Aussie.
Not even taking into account that every one of those three have all different kinds and models and sizes of those.

Here you see one of those advertised every year or two and it seems no one ever is interested in them.
Not sure where may be a market for resale for those?
They don’t really fit any discipline we have here and barely trail riding, where most anything goes.