Thanks so much, that’s helpful.
Honestly, swells vs. no swells, not much difference, in my opinion. The difference is in the quality of the saddle and what the intended use is compared to what you are using it for…
A good quality saddle, is going to feel good to sit in and while not as close as an English saddle, they shouldn’t perch over the back nor lose contact with your horse. This can go back to the ground seat as well. Cheaper or production made saddles do not put the time in for a good ground seat.
Again, It’ll also depend on what the saddle’s intended use is. For example, I’m not going to put in a big day cowboying riding a team roping saddle. Very few fit the bill. They are made for arena riding and tend to set your feet behind you to lean on the swells when you stand up and rope. (Stirrup placement plays a role of course)
And not all cowboy style trees/saddles make arena saddles either. I showed in my cowboy saddle for years and I fought my feet and getting balanced in the hard stops. The stops outside are different than running down hard for a stop in the dry work. Riding a cowhorse, or ranch cutter made the difference.
As far as a wade, the Dorrance brothers and Ray Hunt made the wade popular. But it comes with reason. The lower front end took a lot of leverage, pressure off the shoulders when roping, especially big cattle and bulls. The big lip on the front of the forks is supposed to help with doctoring cattle outside by yourself. But I had been taught a different way, I don’t use the lip very often and my saddle with a smaller lip still worked fine. Looking at my saddle, it looks like a wade, technically it’s not.(shorter lip, sits a tad higher and steeper bars than most wades.)
As far as bucking rolls, it depends on the seat and if you want to ride with them. My husband hasn’t had bucking rolls on his saddle for over a decade. I kept mine on because I started a lot of colts in it and it’s easy to hook a thigh under them if need be.
But rule of thumb, whatever helps you stay in, will keep you out. If I’m already a bit short seated, I am not going to add bucking rolls.
My husband’s wade is the only saddle we have right now that fits my roan filly and I don’t feel any less secure without bucking rolls because the seat and front end is correct.
I’m not sure what you’d like to do, but if you like the wade style of saddle, I suggest you bypass the production saddles. Spend your money on a good used cowboy saddle. Most Wade’s come with a 90 or 93 degree bars(which varies between tree makers and finished measurements), you can fit a lot of horses with just pad changes and ride them all day long with soring them.
ETA- There are a lot of beautiful custom saddle makers out there and charge a small fortune but I tend to lean towards the makers that have had to use their saddles all day regularly. There is quite a few that don’t understand about using a saddle all day or saddle fit but make a pretty saddle.
4 Likes
Thank you for the very detailed description of the differences!
Which makers would you recommend?
I feel it would be mute to post the degrees of the bar angle, because right, what gullet size they have will affect where exactly those bars land on the horse. And the shoulder flare of the bars will affect how the bars sit. As will the rock of the tree. And so and so forth. So there’s all the other factors, I supposed that is why they don’t actually post it.
Most saddle companies or makers should tell you if you ask.
The comparison I made about 3 degrees is because other factors of the saddles were equal (same type of tree, same maker, etc) but the person who designed / endorsed the saddle wanted a little different bar angle than the other endorsees!
1 Like
So, here’s my plan.
I don’t think I’m going to be able to find exactly the saddle I want used. Even just the style I want is sold out everywhere, new OR used.
SO. I’m going to try and find a decent used barrel saddle that I can use for now. @beau159, correct me if I’m wrong, but barrel saddles are DEEP and that’s really what I’m looking for in the near future - something that’s harder to come out of than my slippery dressage saddle.
Here’s one that’s good enough, though I am confused as to what I’m seeing with the fender/leather. Does the leather attach somewhere different than the top of the fender? Why?
Well… just depends on the saddle.
I tried a Corriente and didn’t like it at all - felt perched.
Even the other Circle Y I had for a while, I decided I didn’t like it because I was sitting perched.
Tried a beautiful Double J two years ago, and while it wasn’t too bad, I am just so darned used to how my current Circle Y saddles sit me real low and deep in the saddle. And I decided I was just more comfortable with that.
Of course, for me, that was with making a barrel run. I’m pretty particular about what’s going on when I’m running full tilt. Out on the trail, or doing training-type riding, it’s not as big of an issue, but I guess I’m just really picky when it comes to my saddles.
It’s hard to tell from a picture how deep a seat is.
But maybe you’re also not as picky as I am and anything might be fine.
Hmm. Leathers do look interesting. They also don’t have a stirrup keeper on it for some reason either. That type of setting is going to make the stirrups more forward hung.
I would ask lots of questions about the FLEX TREE that is listed. Some flex trees are okay and some aren’t. Honey Creek I believe also makes Deb Sibley barrel saddles. I have never tried one myself but I know that people like them. Since hers is okay … perhaps this one might be okay?
Also, 6.5" is a more narrow gullet and I am not sure how that would work for your big boy. That’s likely a semi-QH bar saddle although the description doesn’t actually say. But it also has the flex tree so that is a consideration.
1 Like
I’m picky, to a point. I know this saddle isn’t a forever saddle - if I want a forever saddle made exactly how I like it it’s going to be a year lead time and I want to be working on the trail through this summer.
I don’t think I feel comfortable with the goofy leather/fender set up on this saddle, I don’t understand what’s going on under the jockey and don’t want something uber specialized in case it doesn’t work and I need to resell. (also, I’m more of a “blonde saddle” gal, though color is the least of my worries)
For resell purposes, darker saddles are “in” right now.
I would ask NRS about their return policy. I believe it would be subject to a 15% restocking fee.
Don’t know if it will fit horsey unless you try it on!
1 Like
So you would give this saddle a whirl, assuming I can return for a nominal fee? Again, I’m totally ignorant to western saddle stuff, so I don’t know what to look for or what to avoid.
That saddle would not be on a list of choices for me. However, my situation is different from yours where I primarily ride Western and you just want to dabble in it.
1 Like
My humble opinion, I have been around western riding and western saddles of all kinds for decades now, but mostly for working ranch riding and lately for reining, never barrel raced, that saddle seems to be a well made, good saddle.
It does look to be made for a fit, leaner, younger horse, a bit narrow for a wider, mature horse.
Hard to tell that without putting a saddle on a horse, what fits can surprise you.
Now those gut killer narrow tall horns, most stay away from those unless barrel racing or arena cutting.
That would be one reason for most other riders to pass on it.
There are plenty of barrel racing saddles without quite so extreme horn shape, not everyone is fond of those.
If weight of saddle is a concern, barrel racing saddles tend to be some of the lighter western saddles.
I have used my almost half a century old now 13 1/2" ranch saddle that fits most horses and still looks like new, but have also taken care of it properly.
I still think that for casual riding a nice all purpose type good quality, well made older saddle that fits your horse and you would be best and trying several is how you will find which one is best.
4 Likes
It’s “casual” riding, but the whole point of the saddle is to keep me on the ding-bat’s back. I personally prefer to trail ride in my dressage saddle, but she’s REALLY hard to sit when she spins. She’s only decked me twice, but there’s been plenty of other close calls.
That’s why it’s gotta be deep, and secure.
I started all colts and rode any new horse I was not sure what it would do with my English saddle.
For me that saddle was way more secure when a horse acted up than a western saddle, that would beat you up while trying to stay with a really athletic horse.
I have been dumped a very few times, but that was because I tried not to let a horse get to the point of trying for airs above the ground.
Then, the few times I was lawn darted were epic, no saddle would have made a difference there.
I had plenty of cowboys tell me they would never be caught in one of those postage stamp saddles and that the horn was their friend for more than holding a rope.
Now, we happen to get an arabian gelding, used to be a future stallion that didn’t work out for the breeder, that was very hard to fit with a western saddle.
Western saddles are better for a horse’s back when working cattle for long time, as they distribute the rider’s weight over more of the back, good when you walk around and stand there so much.
English saddles tend to put all that weight in a considerably smaller area when not actively riding.
After trying several saddles, this one Courts barrel racing saddle in the picture fit him very well.
Didn’t fit me quite so well, had a hard, thin seat where I could feel the bars and over longer rides became somewhat uncomfortable.
He was an excellent horse, but didn’t really have enough cow to make a working cow horse and when sold the family that bought him had a saddle that fit him.
My neighbor’s wife had a hard to fit new horse, tried the saddle and it fit him and she loved that saddle!
She would not return it, kept it as her saddle for many years, still has it, even if she doesn’t ride any more, is in her 80’s, but said she may yet some day.
I think it is a good skill to develop to be able to get along with any saddle you happen to sit on, even if they don’t really fit, also helps know what you do like for an every day saddle.
You really never know about any saddle’s fit for horse or rider until you try it.
This is a good question, many have gone down that path.
Good luck finding one for your horse and yourself.
Here is a picture of that old Courts barrel racing saddle:
4 Likes
Well, I just ordered a 15" Martin barrel saddle. Their return policy costs $12 for shipping, so I think it’s worth a shot.
The other one I posted has more of a narrow gullet, and I think I’d like to put a wider one up there first, to see if I’m going to have big clearance issues with her wither.
This may not be the one, but I have to start trying stuff on her to start narrowing things down. I’m shooting in the dark on this first one. Stay tuned!
3 Likes
I don’t know about their barrel racing saddles, but many cutters really like their saddles and say they fit many horses well and are nice saddles.
Maybe that one will fit both of you well. 
1 Like
It’s this one, but used:
I don’t know if the link to the actual saddle will work, but here it is:
1 Like
What’s the gullet size on the one you ordered?
(the way they measure their gullets is different than the rest of the world 
)
Of course, get us some pictures when it arrives!
I’ve never personally owned a Martin (they are very good quality saddles) but I’ve sat in and tried a couple one of the times I was saddle searching. I didn’t end up with them because they didn’t fit my horses at the time. Saddles felt comfortable enough to me though, from the rider’s perspective.
The next time I am in need of a new saddle, I’d really love to try the Martin Fearless that Lisa Lockhart endorses.
2 Likes
It says it measured as a 6 3/4", which is one size below their “standard” according to the website.
Again, I’m shooting in the dark at this point!
It doesn’t have as much roughout as I like, but it being on the jockeys might be sufficient “stick” for what I’m looking for. Of course, pictures when it arrives! I don’t think I have a square cut pad to put under it, I’ll have to look.
Good luck and maybe you will get lucky the first time around and it will fit you both well.
Post pictures of it on her when it gets to you @endlessclimb
3 Likes
Well shoot. I just got an email that the saddle was “out of stock” and they will backorder it for me? How can a one-off used saddle be backordered?
At any rate, at that price and with the uncertainty, I told them to cancel. Back to the drawing board!
