Circle Y Julie Goodnight saddle?

[Pocket_Pony]

I’ve got to sell my beautiful JJ Maxwell saddle because of a hip injury that now makes my hips hurt when riding in anything other than a narrow twist. (I took three of my saddles to my chiropractor and sat in each one and had her evaluate without me telling her which was which. She independently confirmed that my jumping saddle is the best.)

I found a saddle with a ground seat that felt better while riding, but I was still in pain afterward.

Since so many people speak highly of them, I contacted the HorseSaddleShop people and told them I’m looking for a saddle with a narrower twist and they recommend any of the three JG saddles. One has a fleece bottom and the other two have the leather bottom with a layer of gel between the leather and the tree.

Anyone have any experience with these saddles?

I’m just about to give up and this might be my last ditch effort. I would mainly used this on my pony who would fit the FQH tree. She’s very green (but coming along beautifully) and we do a mix of arena work and trails.

[TC3200]

A frequent complaint about the flex tree saddles regardless of brand is the soft leather thins out and allows the stirrup leathers to telegraph through the jockey flaps. I think I named the correct parts. The rider can feel the stirrup leathers and / or edges of the tree under their legs. The flex trees of Circle Y and TexTan are indeed nicely shaped and scooped out to make it easy for a woman to ride them. But that oily leather isn’t durable. Flex tree saddles have abysmal resale value. Try a used one first.
There are Ralide barrel racer trees that (to me) are shaped very similar. In general, I find TexTan line seats me more upright which I prefer. And The Circle Y Flex line has my feet out in front and me sitting on my pockets which feels awkward and off balance to me because I prefer a classical seat position, not chair seat.

[Pocket_Pony]

Thanks for the info! It is really depressing to have to deal with this pain and try to find something that doesn’t make me hurt. :no: I love my jumping saddle and pony goes well in it, but I’d like to pretend I’m a cowgirl sometimes. :lol:

[rainpants]

Find a good custom maker. A lot of smaller places don’t really charge much more for a “training” saddle made to your specifications than you’d pay off the rack.

[rememberthenight]

What about heather Moffatt’s hip saver? Could it be modified for a western saddle?

[rememberthenight]

I have sat in the windriver and REALLY wanted it. They are lovely saddles.

[Pocket_Pony]

Ok, I just took my saddle to the tack shop to consign. The had a billy cook barrel/trail saddle that had a perfect twist for me…but it has a square skirt and I want a rounded skirt. I’m going to ask them if there are any saddles that have a similar twist but round skirt.

I went to another tack shop that had a circle y trail saddle and I didn’t like the twist as much.

Any comments about billy cook?

[rainpants]

Older Billy Cook saddles are nicer than newer ones, but the newer ones are not awful, just the leather quality isn’t what it used to be.

I’ve got one right now, and it is pretty comfy and fits me/one horse well.

[cloudy18]

I’d never get a saddle with gel on the underside. That’s just going to cause all sorts of problems, and likely defeat the whole purpose of a tree.

[csaper58]

Have you ever considered an Australian saddle? A friend has this and thie twist feels narrow to me.

www.downunderweb.com/store/MI_SAD271.html

[Destinywaitsaturdoor]

I love my circle y! I have a park and trail and then I have the willow springs high horse saddle for my short backed pony, I prefer the circle y for comfort but love the high horse (which is owned by circle y) because it’s condura and I can actually ride in a more English position vs my trail saddle. Both are worth their weight in gold tho and I’ve yet to sit in a different kind of saddle that’s as comfortable as those two.

I’ve tried a billy cook and it put me in so much pain that I couldn’t ride longer than 10 minutes. I can go hours in my circle y. Can you try the saddles on your horse and ride before committing 100%? I bought my high horse from horsesaddleshop and they are wonderful.

[Pocket_Pony]

[QUOTE=cloudy18;8758522]
I’d never get a saddle with gel on the underside. That’s just going to cause all sorts of problems, and likely defeat the whole purpose of a tree.[/QUOTE]

Yes, that was my thought as well…

[Flash44]

I have the JG Monarch Arena Performance saddle and love love love love love it!!!

http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/monarch-arena-cicle-y-.html#.V5NmAugrLIU

I’ve had it for 4 years and ended up buying 2 more circle y saddles because I love it so much. I ride a very sensitive mare and she is very comfortable with this saddle. She was previously ridden in a Rocking R saddle with a Steele tree, and she was much improved in the Circle Y. She rounds better, her flying changes are fabulous, she is more relaxed through her back.

PP, you would like sitting in this saddle - it’s very easy to move in, you are not “locked” into the saddle like some of the western saddles with a taller more upright cantle. I’m a former hunter/eq rider, and this saddle really makes me feel like I can communicate with my leg and seat.

It’s a beautiful saddle, I get compliments on it wherever I go. The letter is butter soft right out of the box, and it’s still just as beautiful today as it was when I first got it.

[Pocket_Pony]

Thanks, Flash 44, I knew someone here had the JG saddle and loved it, but couldn’t remember who.

What about the gel underneath and the comments about the rigging messing up the leather under the fenders and the leather being not-so-great?

[Quelah]

@Flash44;8760399

I have the JG Monarch Arena Performance saddle and love love love love love it!!!

http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/monarch-arena-cicle-y-.html#.V5NmAugrLIU

I’ve had it for 4 years and ended up buying 2 more circle y saddles because I love it so much. I ride a very sensitive mare and she is very comfortable with this saddle. She was previously ridden in a Rocking R saddle with a Steele tree, and she was much improved in the Circle Y. She rounds better, her flying changes are fabulous, she is more relaxed through her back.

PP, you would like sitting in this saddle - it’s very easy to move in, you are not “locked” into the saddle like some of the western saddles with a taller more upright cantle. I’m a former hunter/eq rider, and this saddle really makes me feel like I can communicate with my leg and seat.

Are you able to get your leg underneath you in that saddle? The fenders look like they’re hung a bit forward. Don’t suppose you’d be willing to share a pic of yourself riding in it?

[Flash44]

[QUOTE=Pocket Pony;8760614]
Thanks, Flash 44, I knew someone here had the JG saddle and loved it, but couldn’t remember who.

What about the gel underneath and the comments about the rigging messing up the leather under the fenders and the leather being not-so-great?[/QUOTE]

Hogwash. Post #2 - I’m not seeing any “thinning” out or unusual wear. The “soft” leather is on the fenders - which is a good thing imho because I am able to freely move my legs and they don’t feel “fixed” in position. No problems with the rigging messing up the underside of the fenders. I actually cleaned the saddle up really good on Thursday including the underside of the fenders (that part gets sweat crusted on it) and they look perfectly fine. Note that the poster does not know how to correctly name the parts of a saddle.

Post #9 - No problems with the gel. Since changing over to this saddle, the horse is moving better, dropping her head, lifting and using her back better. The prior saddle had fleece. I really didn’t see the gel as anything to get worked up over. I’d buy this saddle again in a heartbeat.

@Quelah;8760926

Are you able to get your leg underneath you in that saddle? The fenders look like they’re hung a bit forward. Don’t suppose you’d be willing to share a pic of yourself riding in it?

What’s really funny is that I have a hunter/eq background, and in the Western world there seems to be much less focus on how you look and much more focus on how effective you are. I do not at all feel like I am in a chair seat or that my leg is too far forward. I occasionally lesson with an AQHA judge and the only “eq” thing she’s ever said to me is “sit back on your pockets just a little bit more.” Never anything about my leg. I can totally feel everything along the side of my horse - we are doing lead changes, and I can feel her side change shape and I’m able to use my legs properly as we change.

[Pocket_Pony]

How does the sizing run? I was told they run a bit small? What size do you ride in?

[Flash44]

I think they are pretty true to size - I’m in a 15". 5’ tall 105 lbs. I actually had mine made with custom fenders that are a little shorter than the usual. I think it cost an extra $95. I did not like how “normal” length fenders shorten up for small people. Too much excess leather that does not really tuck away well, and the stirrup bar is right up where the fender curves in.

[dog_amp_horsemom]

I ride english but bought a julie goodnight flex 2 ( lightly used by another english rider) and I LOVE it - and so did my horse. I sold the horse but I plan to use it to break my colt - it fits him well and he is happy lunging in it and never bucked. I find it extremely comfortable and I rode the horse in the ring, in a clinic and on the trail.

[TC3200]

re. the alleged “hogwash” that I wrote in Post 2, here is a Julie saddle that definitely looks like it could have a lump under the rider’s thigh
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1751-1504-05-Circle-Y-Julie-Goodnight-Blue-Ridge-Gaited-Flex2-Trail-Saddle-15-W-/361618382306?hash=item5432229de2:g:ks8AAOSwOVpXcPg0

Here is a well-used Flex that also looks rather distorted and lumpy in that region. Those jockeys are anything but stiff and firm.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Circle-Y-16-Park-and-Trail-Flex-Tree-FQHB-Topeka-Alpine-16-Inches-/322176043938?hash=item4b03304ba2%3Ag%3AargAAOSwRQlXdWi0&nma=true&si=82imHO6imLSKQ9Icp2TVB2Bskcg%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Here’s another: http://www.ebay.com/itm/16-Circle-Y-Flex-Lite-Trail-Saddle-/282088887614?hash=item41adced53e%3Ag%3AIl4AAOSwZ1BXeYvO&nma=true&si=82imHO6imLSKQ9Icp2TVB2Bskcg%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I used to see a lot of the used original Flex and the Flex II that replaced it sitting in the local tack show. All had those lumpy areas under the rider’s thigh, and it could be felt when you sat in the saddle. Maybe Circle Y wised up and quit using that soft and stretchy leather for the jockeys.

I followed the flex tree saddles for a bit back in 2008-2009 because I bought a new TexTan Tex Flex because of the way the seat was designed. THEN I started researching flex tree saddles and problems with them, which were myriad at that time. And I ended up selling that TexFlex just as soon as I could manage to find a buyer. At that time, ALL of the flex tree saddles had that same thin and soft oiled leather used for every part of the saddle. I’m done with flex tree saddles so I never look to see if they’ve been changed or not.