I know that in thoroughbred racing the horses are weighted (jockey/saddle combo) to try and bring them to the wire at the same time indicating that the more weight, the slower they go. I wonder how much that weight affects a barrel horse. I currently have a Circle Y flex tree that weighs about 20 lbs. I am beginning to look at saddles for my young horse and I REALLY like the way the Martin feels when I sit in it, however, it is almost 30lbs. I’m wondering if that would make a difference in my times. Let’s say my horse is about 900lbs, I am 130lbs - would 10 extra lbs in the saddle make a difference? What say you?
Over a short distance it might make less of a difference than the benefit of a saddle that fits you and the horse perfectly. Assuming you can’t find a perfect fit AND light weight in one saddle, of course, which you should be able to.
My Martin has never made a difference, but be warned, they can be a bear to fit. I have the crown C and to accommodate my mare’s back I needed to get a 9” but her wither is much more narrow. They are made to be shimmed which will cause you to bang your head against the wall. If you fit the shoulder, then the saddle is tight in behind. I actually had the main guy come fit my horse and now I want to save up for something more custom if possible.
Wow - that’s good to know. I haven’t had a chance to put one on a horse - just sat in it at the store.
@Xanthoria - I actually like the Circle Y I have now quite a lot, I just liked the Martin better. I should never have sat in it LOL.
Would 10 pounds make a difference? In my opinion, NO.
The NFR is currently going on. Round 4 was last night and you can see repeats on YouTube. All the girls ride in different saddles, have different horses with different running styles, and all of them are capable of winning a round.
If you want to specifically compare Circle Y to Martin, you can look at Lisa Lockhart. She used to have a saddle with Circle Y. Now she’s with Martin. Has going up in saddle weight affected her performance? Absolutely not. It still comes down to having the right horse, and a FAST pattern.
Personally, I have the Circle Y Flex2 saddles and I love them. They fit my horses great. Wide for Red, and Regular for Dexter and Shotgun.
Of course, you’ll get different options. For example, Tiany Schuster says that weight does matter and that’s why you see her running in the Brazilian saddles that are under 10 pounds I believe? (On that topic, I don’t like those saddles and think they are junk, but that’s just my opinion.)
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@beau159 good point. I don’t like the look of those Brazilian saddles either. After seeing the other post regarding Martin’s fit to the horse, I’m thinking I’m better off sticking with the Flex 2. As they say, if it’s not broke…
