Thanks
Leather is heavy. You can probably get synthetics which are lighter. AFAIK Syd Hill is a pretty good brand, but I ride English.
I had a Syd Hill endurance model saddle. It was heavy, about 26 lbs. But it had a more open seat, and the poleys were not really in my way. I liked it a lot for mountain riding; it seemed to fit a variety of horses. The open seat meant I could move around too, I wans’t locked into position.
It did put me in a chair position, though… Sadly I out grew it:(
I have ridden in a few Australian saddles, not my favorite. Depending on what you are looking for and price range I would stick to an endurance or western for trails. I always had problems fitting myself and the horse with an autralian, even a nice one. I do know two people who purchased a wintec pro stock and are extremely happy coming from english riding.
