Longtime dressage rider (used to show wp and show ring trail as a kid) looking for a western saddle. I just joined the sheriff posse, (mounted patrol, SAR) and need a western saddle. What are the finer points? What do I look for in balance, comfort, etc.? Wanting something used and not too expensive for this once a month or so adventure. I won’t be roping or dragging (or even cantering). Just need something comfortable to sit in a few hours at a time that is also comfy for my girl. Do western saddles come in med and wide trees? Any advice appreciated.
SAR?! Would love to do that here in New York. My aunt is SAR Canine Unit. We assist with training alot of the time, hosting Unit training sessions on our farm. My daughter also hides for the dogs. (Abby ((SAR DOG))thinks my daughter is not so smart, I am sure - she gets lost several times a day in her own back yard)
I would head to a big tack shop where you can sit on all the saddles till your heart’s content. Find what fits you best, is comfortable, see what style you like the best. Lots of tack shops have saddles on consignment, so you can try a used saddle too. Take a friend that rides western, too.
I personally prefer a trail saddle, with suede seat, lots of places to attach thingies, and well balanced.
Best way to see if a saddle fits your horse is to place it on your horse’s bare back and let it “settle”. Run your hand along underneath and see if you find tight spots. There was a great article in Horse & Rider about saddle fit.
Best of luck!
I did MSAR in Virginia and rode in a Bob Marshall treeless saddle. It looks western and has western riggings, but is super comfy!! We’d be out in the woods “practicing” all day long and I never had any soreness issues (me or my horse).
There are a TON of western saddles out there and they have another tons of choices – flex tree, treeless, treed, semi-quarterhorse bars, full QH bars, roper, rancher, trail, endurance, wade, sythetic, and light weight – I could go on and on. The trick is to find one that you like AND that fits your mount.
Good luck!
I use the Circle Y Flex Tree Trail saddle which fits both my horse and myself nicely…has a wonderful gel seat and is lite weight…I am in the Mounted and have no problems sitting in this saddle for 6 + hours at a stretch. They have several to choose from…but look for the term flex tree and trail in the description.
I took my horse to a tack store and tried on many saddles and actually sat them before deciding. The other wonderful one was a Reinsman. My saddle retails for 17-1800…and paid 1200 at Bedford Tack in Tennessee who also wholesales. Incredible sales person on the phone…shipped immediately for me to try and I could send it back if needed to. I went on to purchase 20 Tucker Trail saddles (flex-tree) complete with the halter bridle, reins and breast collar from them for the unit. You can google them for the number for a price quote once you’ve made a decision. I will buy from the again.
Big Circle Y fan here. Comfy, and they last forever. Pretty reasonably priced too! 
If you’re looking for a real bargain, American Saddlery or Circle A’s have been SURPRISINGLY nice in my opinion. They sell them sometimes at Tractor Supply. The leather’s a bit stiff new, but they break in amazingly.
Yes, Western saddles come in a variety of trees and fits. I strongly recommend any saddle that is built on the Steele Equi-fit tree. Crates makes very nice saddles that fit a variety of horses. Their saddles also have a narrow twist which many women prefer. Not much padding though. Consider National Bridle Supply for some others built on the Steele tree.
Sit in many, try them on your horse. Borrow other people’s saddles to check fit on your horse. etc. Then look for used equivalent on Craigs lists, at auctions, Ebay, and consignment shops and auctions.
Fabtron makes a very nice part leather, part synthetic saddle. If you can use that type, that’s another possibility.
Thanks guys, that gives me a starting ground. I checked my local store, but they were all (except 2 crappy ones) more than I want to pay so I was searching ebay, but lost on specifics. I’ll go back and actually sit in a few at the tack store so I can see what I like and go from there. I don’t know why I felt it would be different from a dressage saddle-but I’m not going custom for this!
I am really interested in a Circle Y but have a hard to fit Arab. Since I would have to order it online I’m kinda nervous about it - do any of you who have one have an Arab?
[QUOTE=Lisbeth;3817015]
I am really interested in a Circle Y but have a hard to fit Arab. Since I would have to order it online I’m kinda nervous about it - do any of you who have one have an Arab?[/QUOTE]
I do not have one, but this website seems to have a lot of good info on saddle fitting.
http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/
I just got a Specialized Saddle. http://specializedsaddles.com/new/ I am still working on getting the fit just right, but so far I am really happy with it.
another vote for a Crates, we have one and it is comfy and fits our horse well.
[QUOTE=kahjul;3817007]
Thanks guys, that gives me a starting ground. I checked my local store, but they were all (except 2 crappy ones) more than I want to pay so I was searching ebay, but lost on specifics. I’ll go back and actually sit in a few at the tack store so I can see what I like and go from there. I don’t know why I felt it would be different from a dressage saddle-but I’m not going custom for this![/QUOTE]
When you go to the tack store to sit in them (go to a big store, even if you have to drive a few hours), take along one of those cardboard cutouts of your horse’s withers/shoulders so you can shove that up in the saddle front and make sure the tree is the right width. Helps eliminate a bunch of saddles that might feel nice to you but will never fit your horse.
Another vote for Circle Y-I have the flex tree and love it. The older Circle Y’s tend to be pretty heavy if you look at used ones. Ask about the saddles weight if you do the ebay thing.
I might suggest a Big Horn cordura too. Less money, comfortable, pretty well made. Light weight. Check the Cultured Cowboy site for the best deals on Big Horn.
Good Luck!
I’ve always ridden english and never liked the feel of a western saddle until I got my Circle Y- for the first time I didn’t feel like I was sliding around in a big bucket of a western saddle! It is one of the older ones and probably weighs about 30 lbs but I can ride in it all day and don’t get the sore back that I got using the jump saddle out on the trail.
It seems to be a bit narrower than some of the other western saddles I tried- so it seems to fit my TB better (but not perfect). I am thinking about trying out one of the freeform treeless saddles- but thats another topic.
If I was looking for something super comfortable I’d look into Tuckers. They are the Barcalounger of the saddle world.
Lots of good info on saddle fit in their catalog:
http://www.tuckersaddles.com/catalog1.shtml
There are certified dealers that will do a saddle trial with Tuckers. You can sometimes find a used or demo saddle.
Would an endurance saddle work, or do you need something with a horn? I love my Abetta Trinity endurance saddle. Very lightweight and it’s got a memory foam seat so it’s super comfy.
http://www.horse.com/Abetta-Trinity-Endurance-Saddle-WKS53.html
And I’d also put in a good word for the Abetta endurance saddle! Thats what I use now for long rides and its great.
I rigged it up with english leathers and billets and really enjoy it. They come in various tree sizes and won’t kill your bank account.
I got mine from Tools and Tack I think was the name of the internet store. $339 included shipping.
What about an Australian Stock Saddle? If that’s an option, do NOT buy one built in Pakistan or India. Spring for a well-made model from Australia or the USA.
Used Western saddles can be quite reasonable. Get closer to “ranch” country and you’ll find lots & lots of good used saddles in the tack stores. Check the rigging to be sure it’s safe & replace anything that looks iffy.
Didn’t see this mentioned, so thought I’d throw it out there since you’re looking online and such. English saddle seats are not sized like western saddle seats. The size of your english saddle’s seat won’t be the same. It’s 2" less. 17" english would be 15" western. And full QH bars are wider than semi QH bars.
HTH and good luck on your search. I like the leather saddles w/ suede seats and lots of rings and such to hook things. As long as they’re not super heavy like some of the roping saddles out there. My friend has one and I swear that thing weighs as much as I do!! I can’t get it on a horse w/out help. It’s pitiful really. 
I too am an avid english rider but needed something to start horses in. I finally found a saddle I love. It, like the other poster’s, is an older Circle Y. It has an arab tree. I love it but it is heavy! I used this saddle almost daily for the last 10 years.
I never had a horse sore from it. I simply rode with thick to thin pads depending on the horse.
For the poster who was asking about Western saddles for Arabians – because of their short backs, a round-skirted saddle is usually a better fit than a square-skirted one.
I have my wither tracing in the car and I thought the seat size was 1’ difference. Thats why the 16’s look so big!! Thanks, I’ll let you know what I find today. The SAR has a rule about “Western saddle required. Must be completely made of leather and of ‘stock’ type, no treesless, hornless or endurance”. So that shoots alot of options in the foot. They also have silly bridle requirements that will demand alot of creativity for the size of my girls head!!!
