Getting my first western saddle but I need suggestions and input!!

[LoriW]

I’m so excited - I’m having a saddle made by Allegany Mountain Trail Saddles but being a Western novice having ridden English all my life, I need some help. Here is what I’m getting:

http://trailridingsaddles.com/saddles/saddle-gallery/western-trail-saddles.html

One of their Western Trail Saddles. I’ve done the fitting for the tree and now we’re down to the nitty gritty and I have to say I’m a bit lost with a few of the basics and thought I would get some thoughts from you all!

1 - Brest Collar - yay or nay?
2 - Skirt Finish - comes standard with synthetic fleece - do I want/need sheepskin or wool felt?
3 - Fender Style - I went with Slim Straight??
4 - Border - deciding between the roses (thought nice for an OTTB) or the fleur de lis
5 - do I need extra strings?
6 - Bucking rolls??
7 - What kind of pad do I want?

Boy I thought English saddles were complicated - they’re a piece of cake compared to this!!

Thanks for any and all comments and suggestions!

[katarine]

1 - Brest Collar - yay or nay?
I don’t do matchy matchy I’d personally skip it but whatevs.
2 - Skirt Finish - comes standard with synthetic fleece - do I want/need sheepskin or wool felt? Synthetic is fine
3 - Fender Style - I went with Slim Straight?? You’l like that it will break in the easiest
4 - Border - deciding between the roses (thought nice for an OTTB) or the fleur de lis - whatever makes you happy
5 - do I need extra strings? You do want the standard four saddle strings, two in the front, two in the rear
6 - Bucking rolls?? nope

Get the Cheyenne roll on the cantle.
7 - What kind of pad do I want? whatever you like and helps fit the horse. I like the 100% wool navajos and the Professional Choice pads, personally.

if your horse is super short backed consider the butterfly or rounded skirts.

[aktill]

@LoriW;7240258

1 - Brest Collar - yay or nay?

Do you ride a lot of hills? If you do, or just like the look, sure. Personally I avoid any of the styles where the collar crosses the line of the shoulder and attaches on low.

@LoriW;7240258

2 - Skirt Finish - comes standard with synthetic fleece - do I want/need sheepskin or wool felt?

Synthetic is cheap and is good for areas where you have pests which will eat wool. It’s MUCH slipperier than wool and doesn’t last near as long, and it’s not great at wicking. Felt isn’t a common option, and really only came out when wool was in short supply during wartime, but I’m told some like it.

@LoriW;7240258

3 - Fender Style - I went with Slim Straight??

Good if you ride with very straight legs, else one of the curved ones or a wider option might have been a better choice.

@LoriW;7240258

4 - Border - deciding between the roses (thought nice for an OTTB) or the fleur de lis

Personal preference.

@LoriW;7240258

5 - do I need extra strings?

Very handy, rarely a bad option.

[QUOTE=LoriW;7240258]
6 - Bucking rolls??[/QUOTE]

Meh. Ride a lot of broncy colts?

[QUOTE=LoriW;7240258]
7 - What kind of pad do I want?[/QUOTE]

5 star fleece 7/8 pad

[Hermein]

They are all very pretty saddles.

Breast collar–Do you need one on your English saddles? Are you going to do hills/mountains? If you answered “yes” and “yes”, than YES you do.

Yes on wool fleece for the same reasons others stated.

Consider that the more tooling you have on your saddle, the more time you’ll need to spend keeping it presentable. I have a older western saddle that has lots and lots of basket weave trim. It is a pretty saddle, but it’s the pits to keep clean. As to pattern–personal choice.

Strings–often useful, not in the way if you don’t need them.

Bucking rolls? If you think you’ll need them.

Pad? Everybody has her/his favorite. You could start with a plain blanket, & if you need/want more you will still have enough money to buy it.

[itwasyou]

A word on bucking rolls. My experience has been that people only use them with an A-fork or slick forked saddle. Most of those trail saddles look like they have swells already, so the bucking rolls would be awkward and unnecessary.

[LoriW]

Thank you everyone for all your advice and suggestions. The saddle is ordered and should be done in about 3-4 weeks at which time I will be back with pictures!! It should be gorgeous!

[LoriW]

I realized I never posted a pic of my gorgeous saddle! Thanks to Allegany Trail Saddles and Staci for making such a work of art!
http://s956.photobucket.com/user/lwhite1027/media/Western%20saddle/fe3f16d74f35c220a7bbc71fff48b298.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

[beau159]

I’m going to give a second vote to 5 Star pads. A bit pricey but well worth it. I use the 1/2" and the 3/4" thicknesses on my horses. Less is more in my opinion.