Hello, I have a wide short backed pony and I am starting some endurance trail riding with a friend and would like recommendations for a saddle. I am also dabbling in western dressage so something lightweight and with a horn would be great. Any advice greatly appreciated. TIA
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Your saddle is not required to have a horn for Western Dressage but it must be a Western or Australian style saddle for competition. If you don’t plan to compete you can do it in any saddle.
You have two other important parameters – fitting the saddle to your horse, and to your budget. It’s easy to spend $3-5K on a good saddle, but if you find a saddle you like, you can often find one used for a third to half the price. If you go synthetic, like Wintec, those are much cheaper and also quite light.
I would say, avoid treeless, they can really slide around on those wide backs. Might start with saddles made for Arabians. But working with a good saddle fitter is really important. Almost any saddle made for endurance will be light.
Crates has several lighter weight round/short skirted ladies western saddles- mostly trail or reining. I have a Crates ladies light trail saddle and like it quite a bit.
Circle Y has a great selection as well- the Omaha trail is a nice one. There are a lot of choices based on fit, saddle type and style that appeals to you.
This is the model I have-
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DP Short and Light western saddle with the dressage seat. Comfortable, fully width adjustable by yourself, and very short for the horses back, and very light.
We’ve seen a lot of success with the Julie Goodnight saddles, they’re comfortable for the horse and rider so they’re great for long days on the trail, and they were designed for equitation, making them perfect for Western Dressage. Her Cascade Crossover is one of the most popular, it’s very lightweight, extremely comfortable, has the equitation seat and all her saddle features, and is great for short-backed horses.
Alternatively, something like the Walnut Grove might work well because it’s designed for short backed horses and has a great look.
What do you guys think of the Big Horn cordura endurance saddles? They come both with or without a horn. I thought that the center fire girth might suit my wide load mustang?
Hey @Salty!
We can’t speak to those particular saddles, but there are High Horse Cordura and Endurance saddles that we’ve trail tested and can recommend. Our lead saddle designer personally rode in the High Horse models to ensure that riders would be comfortable all day. One of the most popular models we have is the Daisetta Cordura Trail Saddle, which has the center fire rigging you’re looking for, or there’s the Highbank Endurance Saddle if you prefer to ride without a horn, it also has the angled rear dee for more secure rigging on trails.
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Thanks! I’m getting a High Horse endurance saddle on trial and I hope it fits!
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So my High Horse Highbank endurance saddle is a perfect fit for my mustang and me, and insanely comfortable. Now I have to find a pad. It’s a 14 inch saddle and she’s got a short back, so right now I’m using my dressage pad. Do you have any pad recommendations? All the Western ones I’ve seen are far too long.
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If you’re looking for a saddle pad to pair with the Highbank saddle, we would recommend a shorter pad around 28" long. That saddle has a 25" skirt, and you want your pad to be long enough to protect your horse on either side, so a 28" pad with a round cut should work perfectly.
One option that we think would be a great fit is the Julie Goodnight Cascade Saddle Pad. It’s specifically designed for the Cascade saddle so it has a very short design that would work great with the Highbank. Made with M2 felt, it’s lightweight and designed to wick moisture and keep your horse cool, even in warmer weather. Plus, you have the option of either a wool or a Tacky Too® bottom. Tacky Too® is breathable, easy to clean, and nonslip, making it a great choice.
Alternatively, if you prefer a wool pad, you might want to consider the Dropped Rigging Trail Wool Pad in 28". This pad is cut back for horses with shorter backs and made with all steam-pressed APEX wool to help absorb shock and moisture.
We hope this information is helpful!
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Thanks!
