Someone suggested a saddle for gaited horses for my pain in the… nevermind. Anyway, does anyone have a Dixieland saddle? I think they are beautiful, and a great price, and they also have the Fit to be Seen forms they can send so you can try on various tree shapes. I looked them up on horsetackreview and every review on them was a five. The only complaints were that they are heavier, which they tell you on the website. Very impressive. Anyway, wondering if anyone owns one or knows someone who does.
I don’t have a Dixieland, but when I was saddle hunting I was told by more than one person that their saddles are great and the customer service is even better.
Cloudy, I have another suggestion for you, that may be less expensive than the Dixiland (aside from treeless). The Dakota Walker saddle has nice wide bars that flare in the front to give space to those wider shoulders, and a short rounded skirt. It took me two years to find a saddle for my short backed, big shouldered SSH and this was it… well, this and my treeless. You can see pics here. http://gallopinggrape.com/gaitedsaddlebydakota.aspx
Grape, I did look at those as well. They look like a nice option. However, they aren’t much cheaper than a custom made Dixieland, unless I start adding on extra options. However, the Dakota would probably be quicker to get. I am not necessarily going this route, I just thought they are a sweet saddle for the money. They start at under $1,000. They just take months to get sometimes.
cloudy - have you checked out Crest Ridge saddles? I ended up with a Sonata (I don’t think they make that model anymore) but, it’s a really nice saddle for the money. Great customer service too!
WE have a Dixieland - did not work for the horse. Husband LOVED it, still does. But it left welts on horse. :eek:
my Crestridge saddle was represented as being built on a gaited horse tree. It’s supposedly a gaited tree. It’s not. I sold it 
Dixieland…I tried their fit forms but ehh, I wasn’t sold on it.
You might consider Rocking R…they’ll do custom fitted from pics/wither tracings/etc…and are very easy on the pocketbook and great saddles. they do take time though, 3-4 months sometimes.
holy exasperating!
Oh yeah, I heard of the Rocking R saddles recently, have to look them up and Crest Ridge. WELTS!?! I am about to give up and commit to riding in this bareback pad until I fall off and kill myself, but it can’t be great for the horse either. The Dixielands have a decent wait on them too. G. Grape suggested a Dakota, which would be great if a used one popped up locally that I could try out. I am very leery of ordering one bc if it doesn’t work I am out the money and time waiting, plus the shipping fees. Katarine, what didn’t you like about the fit forms? I am probably going to local shop this weekend to try these out:
http://www.bluehillsequestrian.com/Consignment_Saddles_Cont..htm
The Simco Endura Flex
http://www.bluehillsequestrian.com/Consignment_Saddles3.htm
The Thornhill endurance, which when I stopped by had these lightweight green stirrups which I wasn’t crazy about, and these plastic-y “leathers”.
Also found these:several flex trees
http://www.triplehhhenterprises.com/saddles2.html
http://www.triplehhhenterprises.com/saddles3.html
The Hereford Gaited Horse
None of these will probabaly work, but it’s a longshot. Off to google Rocking R and Crest Ridge
What about an Alleghaney Mountain Trail Saddle? I’ve heard very good things about them.
Galloping Grape -
Do you think the Eli Miller that I mentioned would work for Cloudy?
Cloudy - the shop is called “A Bit Used”… I believe that they will send saddles out on trial. Some friends have consigned equipment there, but it was when the original owner (who has passed away) ran it.
The saddle was $550. It has a horn, Dressage-looking fenders (plantation), english stirrup leathers, rounded skirts, Try searching for Eli Miller saddles to get an idea of what it looks like.
A Bit Used Tack: 810-678-3113 They had it tagged as an “English/Western” saddle. It had the girth (like a dressage girth) and matching breast collar.
No matter what saddle you get, you’re not going to get a good fit without leveling her back with some padding. It’s not just a matter of wither tracing. She needs that area behind her withers built up or the saddle has to be stuffed to fit that area and then as she remodels her back, the stuffing will need to be readjusted.
They use the same fit forms as Dixieland, neither of which fit my horses. Slow email replies also.
I looked at the Dixieland web site. I noticed that they use Steele trees. That’s a BIG point in thier favor. 
You might also take a look at the Steele Saddle offerings. They have been making saddles for Walkers, Rackers, etc. for a very long time. They have a longstanding reputation for quality. They also have a “loaner” program where they will send you a saddle on trial (it will be used, and sometime used “very much” ). It gives you a “first look” at fit for you and the horse. Then you can make changes as required.
My wife had a Steele Plantation saddle several years ago and loved it. I could ride in it. Tamara HATED it! 
I’ve a good friend in Alaska who rides in one regularly and highly recommends them.
Worth a look! (And no, I don’t get a commission. :lol:)
G.
I have looked at the Alleghany saddles online. I found out that a tack shop within driving distance carries Rocking R. I really would like to find one around here that I can try out, or I will go broke shipping saddles back and forth. Like gabz says, I need to find something that fits the shoulders/withers, and fill in the sway. I am hoping I get one that works for her for the rest of her riding career, or most of it, even if I have to change padding around. I just hope I know a decent one at this point if I find one, I am so paranoid about fit. Thanks for all the suggestions though, bc they have helped. I look up everything as far as reviews, and what kind of tree, etc., and I have learned a lot. Yet somehow I feel dumber… Anyway, if I am unable to find anything locally I have ideas of where to start with my trials. Ugh.
have you tried a Tucker? They have a little more rock to the tree, works well on horses with a bit of a dip to their back. I tried a Crest Ridge Sonata on my walker, sent in wither tracings, it looked all right on, but he grew in white hairs on both sides of his withers (they went away when I stopped using that saddle)
Sorry, didn’t mean to post this.
Gabz, I love the Eli Miller, but I also tried it on my broad shoulder horse who also needed a bit of rock and it did not fit him. This is a great choice, but I’d still recommend her going to a saddle shop that will allow her to test drive the saddle first…
I had a Tucker of some kind on her last year, just to try on, and it didn’t seem to bridge. Unfortunately, the price tag deterred me so I didn’t ride in it, and now there are none locally. Now I would gladly pay what they wanted too! I emailed a saddle fitter that the woman at the tack shop recommended, hope he replies and is willing to help me. I did try the Thornhill, I will do a separate new post on that I guess.
