[QUOTE=CanterQueen;3816718]
I did MSAR in Virginia … [/QUOTE]
Sorry to hijack, but I am so very much interested in this group in Virginia. How would I find them in order to read up about them and see if I could volunteer my time with them.
Thanks,
Western bridles are easier to fit than English. I can make nearly any western headstall fit my biscuit headed QH; but to get the right fit for an English, I had to buy bigger for the browband and then have 2" taken out of the cheek pieces, caveson cheeks, and throatlatch.
And sit in and try as many saddles as possible. Do not worry about the price of them or you’ll never begin to figure out what suits you or not. There are varied cantles and pommels.
And… tooling on the jockeys increases grip but also increases chafing. Tooling also increases the amount of work keeping the saddle clean.
Suede seat increases grip - not always a good thing.
If you are under 5’4", be sure that the fenders will go short enough for you and still allow the stirrups to turn easily (another plus for Crates).
I’ve had 2 circle Y saddles. I prefer my Crates.
Inexpensive saddles - American and Simco are others to consider - especially the really old Simcos.
All leather and lightweight? Circle Y.
I used to have both Crates barrel and roping saddles and I loved them. The roping saddle was heavy (48 lbs) but the tree fit every horse I put it on - even the super shark-finned TB that my BIL had. The barrel saddle was reasonably comfy (they aren’t meant for long rides) and secure.
I’m looking now for a Crates all-purpose saddle for trail riding. I did MSAR with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse back in the late 70’s early 80’s, and loved it, all except when we had to patrol the mall at Christmas. I liked the S&R part the best, even when we weren’t successful.
Well, I sat in about 15 today. The first thing I learned is that I take a 15.5, not a 16. I also apparently don’t like barrel saddles. Couldn’t give you an exact ‘why’ but didn’t like any of them. The 3 circle y’s they had were equitation style (reminded me of my youth!). Too much up front-felt a bit trapped. Really liked 2 different roping saddles, 1 was a Three Bars which the salesgirl said were ‘crap’, but it was quite comfy, fit my wither tracing and seemed to be sturdy, etc (what do I really know?) The other was not stamped with any brand name, and the leather felt a bit chincey, but it was comfy and fit my wither tracing. Several other ropers I tried were way to narrow, but comfy enough for me. Apparently I like that type. There is 1 on ebay thats cheap, when I remember hte sellers name, I’ll see if any of you know of them.
Glad you got to try some. Finding half sizes isn’t easy, but they are out there. I ride in a 15", but can ride a 14.5" comfortably. As mentioned, barrel saddles aren’t meant to be sat in for long periods so they’re not as comfy. Roping saddles are very comfy if you can find a light one. It’s been a looong time since I’ve bought a new western saddle and I’m not familiar w/ those names.
I will second the Simcos, though. My friend’s ex wife had one and I wanted it soooo bad when she left, but he sold it before I spoke up. It fit me perfectly and every horse it was put on. It was an oldie, too, but sure didn’t look it. He’s anal about clean tack and equipment.
I’ve not heard of Crates. May have to check them out. I’d like to get a new western saddle for my son for 4-H this year, but knowing he’ll grow out of it and isn’t up to my size yet, it won’t last him but a year or two.
As for the western bridle. I had a bridle made for my stallion (Percheron) that would work for english and western. I have a removable crown and browband then had a seperate one-eared crown piece made to put in their place. It’s black and I love it. If you’re in Amish country, you could have one made for her pretty reasonably and to your specs.
1/2 sizes in western saddles
You will find very few 1/2 sizes in western saddles. Many of the “new” style gaited saddles will be 1/2 sized to allow the rider to sit back farther for those gaits that place your feet out farther to the front. It takes the weight off the front end of the horse to let it’s shoulders lift more.
So far as seat size… it’s not so much “bigger” as it translates to longer. With western, you’ll ride with your feet under yourself more, with longer stirrups than most English disciplines, and the length of your thigh is part of the whole picture for fit.
Be sure to ALWAYS have the stirrups adjusted and put your feet in the stirrups always, when testing a saddle. it makes a big difference in your seat.
If you are finding the roping/ cutting saddles to be more “comfy” - it’s probably because they are flatter. They will also be considerably heavier than all purpose saddles due to the extra rigging required.
A western equitation saddle will be more sloped from the seat pocket up through the pommel and horn. It should “force” you into the shoulders, hip, heel vertical line. Not really great for hours and hours in the saddle.
You might find that reining style saddles will provide more front-back motion of the stirrup fenders which can help tremendously when spending long hours in the saddle… it allows you to reposition your legs for short periods of time. Not as heavy as equitation or roping/cutting. Not much padding and a fairly flat seat.
Trail saddles will also have more freedom in stirrup position and more padding in the seat. In addition, they will have the rings and strings needed for tying stuff to the saddle. These type of saddles will run the gamut from hardly any cantle to very high cantle - even more than a barrel racing saddle - supposedly to provide back support. However, as a trail rider, I would prefer to be able to make a quick exit if necessary and prefer a low cantle (Also the reason I don’t like suede seats for trail saddles.)
If your horse is large and round bodied, I can only tell you that a Circle Y will most likely NOT fit the horse. They have a very upright angle to the tree that they traditionally use. However, I have seen a larger variety of saddles in their line - so perhaps their newer ones use a different tree. Circle Ys from the 1980s and earlier, with a full foundation QH bars, may be suitable.
I sent you a PM.
Here is an interesting site with information about western saddles, how to chose one, saddle fitting, etc.:
http://www.western-saddle-guide.com/choosing-a-western-saddle.html
My personal favorites are the Billy Cook saddles (the originals, not the Longhorns). I have 3 of them.
The Circle Y’s are a good saddle also and so are the Crates.
Any one know about Kings RB “Adjustable” saddle? “This saddle features an auto adjust flex tree that automatically adjusts to fit wide, regular, and narrow needs.”
They sound a touch on the heavy side, but wondering if it really does fit all horses…
Yes, my roping saddle was very flat seated (and slick, which was not very secure, but I learned to sit in it). I trail rode in it as well as roped (heading) and loved it for both. I bought the roping saddle used, because I wanted it already broken in - I’d recommend going the used route if possible, just because western saddles don’t wear like english ones. If you need to replace the riggings/leathers it’s a lot simpler and cheaper than replacing billets, too.
I’m not surprised you didn’t find barrel saddles comfortable - they are meant to hold you securely in place during both forward speed and turning, and can be murder on a long ride. Even though roping saddles are heavy, they distribute weight well and are pretty comfortable for most horses. We worked cows in them for 10+ hours a day with no problems. And often had to switch horses, too. Western saddles are meant to fit a variety of horse back shapes, just because you often have to switch saddles when you have a long day like that.
