Circle Y saddles

[Draftmare]

[QUOTE=beau159;8329757]
By happenstance, I’ve only ever used Circle Y saddles. And it is true that the craftmanship is not what it used to be 20 or 30 years ago. But they are still nice saddles. I certainly would not call them junk.

Keep in mind that gullet is NOT the only factor you have to consider. The angle of the bars, the rock, twist, flare, etc will all influence the fit.

If you need a wider saddle, I really like my Circle Y Flex2 WIDE saddle. I barrel race so I have the Lisa Lockhart version. I have two very beefy Quarter Horses and I just love how that saddle fits.

They are going to be at the top end or your budget (new) but you can find them used.
http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/cirlcey-flex2-trail-saddles.html

Of course, whatever you end up trying, make sure you can RETURN IT! You’ll need to be 100% sure it fits your horse. And you won’t know that until you try it on.[/QUOTE]

Oops missed this post. I do really like the Julie Goodnight Teton saddle. If I go a little over budget with tax that is okay, I don’t really want to do go a couple hundred dollars over budget though. I would prefer a square skirt, but since I will never be doing breed shows, I guess that doesn’t really matter. I am not much of a fan of any of their other Flex saddles. They look like they are more built for comfort vs wanting a proper alignment. Nothing wrong with that, just don’t want to be fighting my saddle like I am now with the Park and Trail.

I would prefer to buy used, but the only places I really know to look are eBay, and Horseclicks, and then I would have to buy to try. Don’t really want to do that.

[Draftmare]

Any thoughts on Dale Chavez saddles? Found this one, and while it doesn’t have the rough out that I wanted, I rather like it: http://www.rssaddlery.com/Item.aspx?AdID=22650

Also, does anybody know anything about RS Saddlery saddles?

[Unfforgettable]

I’ve ridden in Chavez saddles for decades and still have one. They are excellent saddles…great balance and well made. Way above the newer Circle Ys.

[Draftmare]

I am reading some conflicting reviews. The people that love them admit that they only use it for their show saddle. Those that hate them tried to use them for an every day saddle and found them very uncomfortable. How is the twist on these saddles? I can’t do anything with a wide twist.

[Reign]

I’ve owned a 20 year old 18 inch Circle Y back in my Western days and that thing was awesome. It was like 40 lbs but man… You could have thrown it off a cliff and it probably wouldn’t have gotten a scratch. It was way overqualified for the light trail riding I was using it for. The downgrade in quality on the new ones probably wouldn’t be a problem being that the old ones were almost too good.

I vote for an old circle Y. Since you do not need it tomorrow, I’d keep checking online and see if anything comes up. eBay is good too. Worst worst case you purchase new Circle Y and if it’s terrible, take the loss and sell.

[Aspen1]

Draftmare, you need to understand that twist has a different meaning in western saddles than English ones. Twist in western saddles is the change in angle of the bar to fit the horse as their back changes from front to back. There really isn’t a term that correlates with the twist on an English saddle. People just call the seats narrow or wide - or comfortable and uncomfortable. Just so you know when people who have strictly ridden western don’t understand your question.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Aspen1;8333731]
Draftmare, you need to understand that twist has a different meaning in western saddles than English ones. Twist in western saddles is the change in angle of the bar to fit the horse as their back changes from front to back. There really isn’t a term that correlates with the twist on an English saddle. People just call the seats narrow or wide - or comfortable and uncomfortable. Just so you know when people who have strictly ridden western don’t understand your question.[/QUOTE]

In western saddles, the better made ones with a formed seat, what we call twist on an English saddle is called a flat or built-up seat.

Flat seats tend to be the equivalent of wide twist, built-up seats, by building up the seat in front and it getting narrower the more you build it, get the feeling of the narrow twist.

There are so many different human conformations in that area, width of hips, length of thigh, size of behinds and thighs, western seats can be made to fit them all by a good saddle maker.

When buying an already made saddle, you just have to try them until you find one that fits you, there don’t seem to be standards, most older saddles were made one at the time and with different seats.

We bought an old Amy Gambling Windy Ryon saddle in the early 1970’s that fit any horse or human behind, best saddle ever.
So we ordered another one just like that one, 1/2" longer seat.
It is not at all the same, just came out different, even if made on the same tree, by the same saddle maker, is just built up a bit more, making it feel like a very narrow twist in an English saddle.

Then, depending on what you are doing, one well fitting western saddle, that keeps you in the right balance doing certain work, like checking cattle and fences out in the pasture, will not work so well when training in an arena and that saddle that fits so well while doing arena work may just make you strain to stay up while long trotting down the pasture.

I can ride my Stubben Rex doing anything, starting colts, showing jumpers, going thru a reining pattern or gathering cattle in the canyons and have a freedom to adjust to any situation I don’t have with most western saddles, that tend to be made for the task at hand.
Western riders make do when the saddle may hinder a bit, are stars when the saddle helps with what you are doing.

[MyssMyst]

[QUOTE=Draftmare;8332965]
I am reading some conflicting reviews. The people that love them admit that they only use it for their show saddle. Those that hate them tried to use them for an every day saddle and found them very uncomfortable. How is the twist on these saddles? I can’t do anything with a wide twist.[/QUOTE]

I have tried them, and found them way too wide for me to be comfortable. I favor a medium-to-wide twist in my English saddles, but the Dale Chavez was just too much for me. My husband, on the other hand, LOVED it. Most of the guys seem to really like it. The people I know who hated it were the ladies.

[Draftmare]

Oh, I was not aware that what English riders call a twist was something totally different in western saddles.

The BO has a lovely Sean Ryon training saddle that she loves, she bought a brand new Sean Ryon at the last QH Congress and I guess it was a totally different saddle. She ended up returning it as the fit for herself and her horse was totally wrong. Amazing how the same saddle can change over the years.

I think I will stick to Circle Y, for one I kind of know what I am getting, and for two many of their new models are within budget so I would have the luxury of doing a trial on it. On the other hand I am tempted to see how open to offers the seller of this saddle is.

On a side note, I love the rich color and different style silver on this saddle. It looks so comfy too!

[Horselover52157]

I haven’t read all the messages but just wanted to let you know that they have a for sale Circle Y saddle page on facebook. You might want to check that out.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/262164823957294/

[Draftmare]

[QUOTE=Horselover52157;8334484]
I haven’t read all the messages but just wanted to let you know that they have a for sale Circle Y saddle page on facebook. You might want to check that out.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/262164823957294/[/QUOTE]

Thanks! I will check them out.

[SouthernTrailsGA]

[QUOTE=Ridinwyoming;8328767]
It’s not under $2,000 but Circle Y does have a western dressage saddle http://www.circley.com/product-category/saddles-new-2014/western-dressage/[/QUOTE]

I had a friend who bought one of those, she rode in it 2 times and hated it, took her 9 months to sell it and best she could get was 1,100.00

[Draftmare]

The good news is that the seller of a Circle Y I had emailed on last week got back to me yesterday. If all things align I think I will be getting it. It doesn’t have everything on my list (no roughout jockeys and fenders), but it does have the butterfly skirt, and is the right tree and seat size.

[Draftmare]

Found a gently used Julie Goodnight Monarch that will hopefully be on its way to me today! Super excited.

[Flash44]

[QUOTE=Draftmare;8351130]
Found a gently used Julie Goodnight Monarch that will hopefully be on its way to me today! Super excited.[/QUOTE]

That’s my saddle, love it!!! I get tons of compliments on it too!

[Draftmare]

[QUOTE=Flash44;8351598]
That’s my saddle, love it!!! I get tons of compliments on it too![/QUOTE]

Well it got bought out from under me. Guess somebody snatched it from the tack shop this morning. Back to the drawing board. I really want one now too, tempted to order it new.

[Flash44]

LOL, just be really sure it will fit!!! I do love mine, but I also bought a Rocking R I thought would be awesome and it was horrible on my horse. Just not a good fit. Good luck and hope the saddle karma fairies are with you!

[Draftmare]

Did you ever happen to compare the Julie Goodnight saddles to the Aspen trail saddle? Or does anybody have any thoughts on the Aspen trail saddle? Sat in one yesterday and rather liked it. Unlike other trail saddles it didn’t put me in a chair seat. It is also almost $1000 cheaper than the Goodnight.