http://www.crestridgesaddlery.com/trailsaddles.html
Is quite a bit cheaper, says for horses w/little withers, I like the looks of it…
Opinions.
I have the Ovation. Beautiful leather and workmanship. The stirrup fenders are positioned different than a western saddle, falling straight down. The seat size is an inch smaller than western also. If you take a 16 in western, order the 17 in the Ovation. I bought the saddle used and they hold their resale value. It fits my mutton withered mare very well and has an 8" gullet with little rock. If I had any complaints it would be that as a western rider, I am finding it hard to get used to the way the fenders fall. Hope this helps.
Elaine
I have one. I got it for Mac but it just doesn’t fit him right so I’m selling it. I agree that the leather and workmanship are nice. And another thing I like about it is the padded seat - it is the only saddle I could trail ride in for hours and it wouldn’t hurt my bum. I tried many different things to get it to fit but it just doesn’t work for him. You can see pictures of us in it on my blog (http://mymustangadventures.blogspot.com/2014/05/pictures-from-buck-brannaman-clinic-yay.html and http://mymustangadventures.blogspot.com/2014/03/new-saddle-pad.html)
Mine is the Wade but built on a Sentry tree. It is extra-wide but I think too wide for Mac. He was borderline between W and EW and so I went with EW but shouldn’t have…
Did you guys get the leather or condura?? Since I am afraid Chex will yet change and outgrow the next saddle, I like the price of the Condura, but don’t want the fenders thick and heavy…
My Tucker’s fenders turned overnight and have NEVER twarked by knees. I really love that saddle 
So, I don’t wanna downgrade.
I am gonna take my treeless saddle out tomorrow, haven’t used it in almost a year, see if that works as a temp solution.
My dream would be able to make it until March, there would be the horse fair and RTTH, several of the companies I am looking at will be there, so I would be able to sit in all the different models. Is probably a pipe dream, but Chex would be almost 6 yrs old too, so much closer to his final size.
I do have an saddle that fits chex to use, but since isn’t mine, still need to find something that will work, fingers crossed, my treeless doesn’t feel so tipped forward as it used too.
I had just gotten chex, so he was new to me, so feeling too forward was pretty unnerving, but I am hoping since I am much more used to him, I will be able to deal w/that.
I may try the corrector pad, so that will build up the front of the saddle, so will play w/it.
If it doesn’t, will have to tell hubby I need, YET, another saddle, THAT conversation I am NOT looking forward too. I don’t wanna sell my Tucker, so I have to sell him on getting an additional saddle, he is gonna whine
All leather on mine.
Mine is also all leather - I personally don’t like the look of the cordura. It makes the saddle even lighter weight, and I suppose it wears well, but it makes the saddle look cheap.
Friend had a Tucker, needed a new saddle for a new horse, bought a Crest Ridge (custom fit) because it was less expensive, didn’t like the quality or the fit of the CR compared to the Tucker. I am not familiar with CRs myself but if they claim to be comparable to the Tucker and yet the price is quite a bit less, something has to be cheaper in the manufacturing, right?
I’ve had a CR for probably close to six years for a mare that is low withered and wide backed, plus short-backed. She’s a really hard fit. Though she is a Rocky Mountain horse, she’s not gaited.
CR was really patient with a million questions. Mine is a trail saddle. The quality is excellent. We’ve done a bit of everything: clinics, conditioning work, moseys around the neighborhood, gathered cattle in very rough terrain and so forth. The leather is supple and strong and it continues to look good and perform great. I don’t have a complaint in the least.
I don’t own a Tucker but I have ridden in one. In my experience, the saddles are quite comparable. Great customer service at CR; Debra put up with my questions and many photos I sent. When I bought mine, they were made in the US, which I appreciated. I hope that’s still the case.
[QUOTE=rockymouse;7750250]
Great customer service at CR; Debra put up with my questions and many photos I sent. When I bought mine, they were made in the US, which I appreciated. I hope that’s still the case.[/QUOTE]
I completely disagree with this and found the customer service to be quite lacking in my particular case. I know people say they have great service but I have been sorely disappointed. They are not good with email and don’t return calls in a timely manner, they offered half-assed solutions to a problem I was having and I would never buy from them again.
I think that their saddles are made by the Amish - they themselves do not manufacture them. Perhaps that is how they keep the cost low? Do Amish folks not expect to make a lot of money from their craftwork (as compared to what someone else might expect to make)?
I rode in Anita Howe’s this weekend…very comfortable with the corduroy fenders.
I audited her one day in May. Gave me faith in gaited, see most in big bits on the trails around here, liked her a lot.
Assuming you rode in a Crest Ridge? What model, if you know…
[QUOTE=Pocket Pony;7750289]
I completely disagree with this and found the customer service to be quite lacking in my particular case. I know people say they have great service but I have been sorely disappointed. They are not good with email and don’t return calls in a timely manner, they offered half-assed solutions to a problem I was having and I would never buy from them again.
I think that their saddles are made by the Amish - they themselves do not manufacture them. Perhaps that is how they keep the cost low? Do Amish folks not expect to make a lot of money from their craftwork (as compared to what someone else might expect to make)?[/QUOTE]
Interesting. In thinking back and trying to fix a date for how long I’ve had my saddle, I realize I’ve had it longer than I initially thought. I probably dealt with CR eight years ago. They are a bigger outfit now; perhaps their customer service and willingness to please has been impacted by this. In my experience, CR was really patient with me and the saddle has held up well.
I checked their website just now and it says that the saddles are made by “Amish craftsmen” from around the country.
[QUOTE=Shermy;7750718]
I audited her one day in May. Gave me faith in gaited, see most in big bits on the trails around here, liked her a lot.
Assuming you rode in a Crest Ridge? What model, if you know…[/QUOTE]
All leather sentry, I think.only the leathers were cordura.
One of my clients is currently in the process of getting her fox trotter a crest ridge saddle. We are borrowing one from a gaited horse owner, and I was surprised how much better her mare was in her gaits in the crest ridge saddle. She is getting one of the super light weight ones with the cordura. She is done with hoisting a 35 lb all leather western saddle up on her horses back. They seem knowledgeable about fitting, and are also answering tons of questions on our end. We actually looked at much more expensive saddles, and this client can afford to purchase anything. Crest ridge though was one of the only places that offered everything she wanted. Lightweight, gaited trees, custom built, and a great seat with the super core. They are a less expensive saddle, but so far we are impressed. Hopefully though the fitting and actual saddle is everything she is hoping for!
