I am hoping to find an endurance saddle for my Arabian gelding. Normally we use an English saddle, a Crosby Lexington TC with a regular tree but he was started Western and seems to prefer it. I’m hoping an endurance saddle is a good compromise since I prefer something without a horn. We are both small. I’m 5’4 and weigh 125 lbs and he is not even 14 hh. I need a smallish seat and a regular width tree seems to fit him well. Used is better as I’m on a budget. Any ideas appreciated.
Heard really good things about Bob Marshall saddles but have not had an opportunity to test ride one. Not sure if they’re good for short backs. Had a Barefoot Cheyenne years ago but didn’t find it to be as stable on my then mare as I’d have liked.
I use an Abetta Endurance Saddle with an EquiPedic pad on my 13.1hh Arabian mare. She has a good shoulder/wither with a round barrel and medium length back. It fits her well and is full QH bars.
Because I am short (5ft), I took the western fenders and stirrups off and replaced them with english leathers/stirrups.
I love this set up. I can do long trail rides or ring work comfortably. And it’s super light weight as well. Only 10 lbs with the stirrups on.
FYI - Horseloverzs usually has a sale in January. Last year the Abetta was as low as $379.99.
Also a round skirt with a round pad (like a barrel pad) fit short backs better.
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My experience with Bob Marshall is it really depends on your horse’s shape. I had two ~ 14hh Arabs who were both Al Marah breeding and distantly related. Their backs were wide with almost no withers.
I had a Bob Marshall endurance with a Skito pad. It was incredibly comfortable, but I never felt like it was 100% stable, even with a breastplate.
On the the other hand, my husband has the basic trail for his Paint and it’s very stable on his horse. The diffference is that his horse has “normal” withers and a medium wide back.
The Bob Marshall looked long on my Arabs, but never seemed to bother either. PM me if you want photos.
Others I’ve tried:
- Freeform - it’s an English style treeless with panels. It feels more stable than the Bob Marshall.
- Ansur - super comfortable but I sold it because of the same lateral stability issues.
- Abetta - I know a lot of people love them, but I personally hated this saddle. I had the extra padded endurance model. The wide tree was also too A frame for my horse.
- Tucker - I just couldn’t get used to “perched” feeling and had the same sizing issue as the Abetta.
I’m currently doing most of my trail riding in a Smith Worthington dressage saddle.
I will look into this! Your mare sounds a lot like my gelding. Love the idea of a very light weight set up.
Thank you for such a detailed response! I would love photos as it might help me narrow this down. Sending pm.
Here are a couple of pictures to show you my set up and her conformation.
She is much rounder than my last SE Arabian, lol.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto…&id=1268207885
ETA the saddle is a 15" seat.
And I highly recommend a Biothane halter/bridle too. I absolutely love mine. Just slip the bit in, hook it on and go.
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Oh she is round and very pretty! What’s your mare’s breeding? Thinking I need to try several saddles but it’s very helpful to see how the saddle fits a smaller arab. Thank you for sharing!
Completely agree with you regarding Biothane. Cannot imagine trying to keep a leather bridle in good condition with this kind of use. As much as I like leather!
No papers, so no idea on her exact breeding.
But I was told she is Polish Arabian. Came from a large breeder seizure of over 100 Arabs in 2008.
Hello everyone, I am really looking hard to find connection with Brennemans saddle makers. I had one in western style and i loved it. Better than any other saddle i have ever had. I am getting older nw and need a lighter saddle. I want to connect to see if Brennemans will make me another saddle but lighter weight. Any info. will be GREATLY APPRECIATED. 
I will not recommend any brand, but you can get an endurance saddle in western leathers, or a hybrid. For size you fit a 15" western seat you will need a 16" minimum in an endurance. Cantle 3" gullet 7-7.5 inches, swell 10 - 11 inches. If you ride english 19" you will need a 17 - 18" seat, perhaps choosing the larger. Also make sure they have double D’s on each side. You may want to center fire cinch. I you are female, a narrow twist is great for a female rider, so this would mean a lady saddle. So I suggest you google ladies endurance saddle. Since I train gaiters, I have a ladies endurance gaited treed saddle that fits a variety of horses, feels like an english contact saddle, has a rounded skirt, and a lower than most leather drop so hides the buckles, and is light. I did have to change out the nylon girth to leather, and changed the endurance western stirrups to english stirrups and leathers. Mine is just a clean looking saddle that will accept english or western leathers and cinches /girths and is probably the best thing I have ever rode. You can get them with or without a horn. Mine is hornless.
As for Brenneman saddles were hand crafted by a Mennonite Craftsman in Kentucky. They were made with the finest materials and feature Semi-Qaurter Horse Bars and Stainless Steel over Brass Hardware. It Usually came with English style stirrups. This was considered as a plantation saddle for pleasure riding, and initially used by some for gaited horses allowing freer horse movement. There
The Saddle was measured from top of pommel to center of cantle rim. Plantation saddle seats are like english size charts ie… 18" plantation is the same as 16" western or a 17" - 18" endurance. A lot of professional gaited endurance people still ride Buena Vista Saddles. These saddles had rounded skirting plus great gullet flare and height to accommodate the rolling shoulders. Both also place the rider in a centered equitation riding posture rather than the chair seat position which will often encourage the rack or pace in many horses. They are out of business and no longer made but can be found occasionally used. Todays equivalent would be a gaited horse saddle or gaited endurance saddle. See my previous post.
Give the Ghost Treeless a try! Only 10lbs, its light weight, panels will adjust to just a wide variety of shapes, girth system is on a slide so it will adjust to the girth groove, and the stirrup placement is adjustable too.
