I currently have a Tex-Tan barrel saddle that I hate. I am I size 14in seat. I really like the martins, but I’ve heard mixed reviews. What barrel saddle do you have? Do you like it.recommend it? Thanks!
It depends on your horse. I have a Martin Crown C and it fits one of my horses great but not the other, and it’s only the 7" gullet. They seem to fit horses with wider shoulders and less withers really well.
Love Caldwells, Lary Allens, Stoney but it depends on budget. I also have a trophy saddle I won that’s a Cactus that fits my one horse well and is pretty decent to ride in, but won’t compare to a Caldwell, etc. you get what you pay for.
I find these are some of the best barrel saddles for the money, less than a Martin and very high quality
#1) The saddle needs to fit your horse.
#2) The saddle needs to fit the rider.
I currently have a Circle Y that I bought from Smith Brothers about 12 years ago. Nothing fancy, but it has really held up well and has fit a wide variety of horses. It has a full QH bars.
However, it was just a little too tight for my current horse. So I went saddle shopping.
A 7" Martin was too wide and would need to be shimmed.
A Triple Creek bridged across his back.
A Double J Pro sat a little downhill.
A Crates Meleta Brown fit him beautifully, but the seat was too flat for me to be comfortable.
I bought a Lisa Lockhart Flex2 Wide barrel saddle. While the leather quality could be better, it fits him great and fits me great. Love it!
I would start asking people if you can try their saddle. See how it fits your horse. Or if you’ve got a large tack shop in your area, go and try a bunch of saddles on your horse.
The nice thing about going with something like a Caldwell, is they can customize it perfectly for you and your horse. The bad thing is that you’ll wait a solid year to get your saddle.
Martins are a very quality-made saddle but I personally don’t agree with their method of shimming. I think a saddle should fit your horse … not fit your horse with a shim. Some people love the Martins and the way their fitting works. Just depends.
Look at Courts. They have some wide models.
