I’m part of a couple tack groups on Facebook. Recently, I’ve noticed people selling saddles and declaring them “shows saddles”. Typical ads go like this “17.5” MidrangeFancySaddle. Used as show saddle and only been ridden in a handful of times! $XXXX"
Are show saddles now a thing? I know they are in the western world. Show saddles make sense for them, though- who wants to clean all that silver all the time? I don’t get it for English, though. I mean, you should theoretically be covering a large portion of your saddle when you ride. Also, different English saddles can put you in such different positions; making a switch doesn’t seem like a good idea on show day.
Anybody here have a saddle just foe shows? Is it the same brand/model as your schooling saddle? Does it make a difference on show day?
I could see the breed show people maybe doing that, but it still doesn’t make sense.
The people I know who do breed showing have a separate show saddle from their every day saddle.
I am with RX, not something I understand but it seems to be the way things are done by some.
It was actually here on COTH years ago that I first read about “show tack” - how some people have a totally separate set of tack that they use only at shows. I had no idea this was a thing!
I believe one person explained that since she shows nearly every weekend during the show season, it does get good use, but still not as much as the everyday tack. The show tack gets cleaned and left in the trailer so it’s ready for the next show.
If I remember correctly, the saddle was the same make/model, but other pieces like the bridle, boots, etc might be upgraded from the everyday tack.
I just buy nice tack that can stand up to schooling and still look nice for showing. I do have a separate show girth, show bridle and show pads though.
Generally its a breed show thing. I have worked in eventing and H/J barns, and there were NO “show saddles”.
But breed shows? YES - “show saddles” I think it comes from the fact that many breed shows are western dominated, and it flows over to the english side.
Same with grooming - while oil on the feet, and trimming is more common in the H/J world - breed shows tend to go for hoof polish and face grease - and show saddles.
I’ve seen that terminology primarily applied to the cutback or Lane Fox style “English” saddles used in the Saddleseat world.
In England there are different usages altogether, and they might use “show saddle” for a very flat, straight-flap saddle for showing “hacks” that we would probably liken to “park” classes. They also use fancy ribbon and rosette browbands and turn them out very slick.
Only ever had show bridle/girth/pads. Bridle usually because there was a different bit/nicer material. Girth because using one you can thrown in the wash is sooo much easier. Show pads because, well I never rode in shaped pads at home, and the square ones just stay nicer the less they’re washed.
None of the breed show folks I know (Paint) have English show saddles. Their work saddles are good quality and get cleaned up to show in.
For riding I don’t have show tack, but I for driving shows I do have working harness and show harness. It that case it makes a HUGE difference in the tack cleaning time.
I think that English show saddles were made to show off the horse’s shoulder to make the horse look more impressive in the ring. This is not the saddle seat saddle, or (so far) decorated, it is a rather smallish saddle with not much security for the rider (no knee rolls.)
I would not want to use one for anything other than a non-jumping class in a show in Great Britain or hacking over non-challenging ground.
[QUOTE=Lady Eboshi;7901614]
I’ve seen that terminology primarily applied to the cutback or Lane Fox style “English” saddles used in the Saddleseat world.
In England there are different usages altogether, and they might use “show saddle” for a very flat, straight-flap saddle for showing “hacks” that we would probably liken to “park” classes. They also use fancy ribbon and rosette browbands and turn them out very slick.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. Having ridden ASB for a while- yes, they definitely have ‘show’ saddles. With TWH, some people do, some do not. I would say most do not. I guess it depends on how much $$ you have to blow.
Isn’t it a 4H/Pony club thing? I thought I heard about those kids being judged on how clean they tack was, so they had a whole other set of everything that they never used so it was easy to keep clean.
Also - a breed show thing.
Not to sound snobby, but no one who really rides in an english saddle would have a different one for shows.
No 4Her or Pony Club kid that I ever knew had a show saddle! Some were lucky to get one set of decent tack, there was a lot of lending and ransacking of tack trunks as well as marathon tack cleaning sessions before Rally.
I am of the ‘show bridle and pads but one good saddle’ majority here.
I think it is terminology used for one purpose - to make potential buyers think that it’s “used” but “barely used”. Perhaps more appealing than a saddle that is used every day. Lots of people have bridles and martingales that are only used at shows. Reins get dirty and nasty and it’s good to have a nicer quality bridle for shows. Girths less often but I do know some who use cheap fuzzy girths that can be tossed in the washing machine for every day and a nice leather one for shows.
But I really think it’s just something that is said in a for sale ad to make it more appealing.
I sold a pair of field boots a few years ago that were USED. And I mean USED. I bought them used and the were used, used, used. I saw the person who bought them selling them as “used at less than 10 shows!” Maybe SHE used them “at less than 10 shows”.
When I used to show seriously, I had my parents income to back me, so yes I had show tack. All my tack was cleaned weekly, with less effort going into the everyday tack.
Now I am supporting myself, I’d use my every day tack, and put more effort into cleaning it. It’s just an income thing.
[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;7902050]
Not to sound snobby, but no one who really rides in an english saddle would have a different one for shows.[/QUOTE]
You do sound snobby, though maybe snobby isn’t the right word. PITA or jealous maybe? 
The saddleseat equitation princesses I’ve known, who “really rode”, as in an entire string of saddlebreds, from 5G to equitation, had multiple show saddles. They had duplicates of the same saddle for multiple horses, since they showed in multiple classes in a night. In their prime, I’ve no doubt they could ride circles around you, especially since they had (and won on) horses some trainers couldn’t even ride.
They, of course, were truly incapable & undoubtedly horrible people since they had full time trainers and didn’t do all the work themselves.
If I could afford another good saddle, I’d have a “show saddle”. It would be a duplicate of my regular saddle. While my 15 year old saddle cleans up just fine to show in, it would be nice to have a shiny new one just for shows.
I only have one double bridle for each horse, and that’s the horse’s show bridle. No need for two- the double is rarely used at home, and once you’ve got that bridle “right”, you don’t want to be messing with it.
I do have girths, bell boots, and sheets specifically for show. I want them to be bright and shiny.
[QUOTE=red mares;7902904]
You do sound snobby, though maybe snobby isn’t the right word. PITA or jealous maybe?
The saddleseat equitation princesses I’ve known, who “really rode”, as in an entire string of saddlebreds, from 5G to equitation, had multiple show saddles. They had duplicates of the same saddle for multiple horses, since they showed in multiple classes in a night. In their prime, I’ve no doubt they could ride circles around you, especially since they had (and won on) horses some trainers couldn’t even ride.
They, of course, were truly incapable & undoubtedly horrible people since they had full time trainers and didn’t do all the work themselves.;)[/QUOTE]
Sorry, I forgot I was in Off Course and not in the H/J forum.
No one in the H/J world has “show” saddles. They have multiple saddles, but no one keeps them specially for showing. Our saddles are supposed to be broken in and soft. I’m sure if we rode in slick shiny saddles we would consider getting ones just for show, as well.
And I’m neither a PITA, nor am I jealous. And I’m sure that a saddleseat rider could ride saddle seat circles around me since I don’t participate in the discipline.
Although I did drive a saddlebred once in a junior handlers class at the state fair. But maybe that didn’t count, since that horse was ride-able (and drive-able) by many people.
