I need a show saddle for my 14.3 hh quarter horse. I’m not sure about other measurements because I don’t know HOW to get them. I’m going to show in western pleasure and reining so it’ll need something I can show in both. Her wither is normal (for lack of a better discription) so how do I get measurements I need to buy a saddle, what are good brands, and since I’ll be buying online what do I do if I get the saddle and it doesn’t fit well?
If you are showing in western pleasure and reining, those are very technical disciplines, you really need a trainer to help guide you thru that.
Your trainer should help you try saddles and find one that fits your riding and horse.
Most trainers also have show saddles they loan the students that don’t have one.
The better saddles you can show in generally cost from around $2000+ used to over $3000 new, way more if it has more silver.
With those saddles being a serious investment, getting help from your trainer makes sense.
For reining, some of the names of saddle makers that cater to that industry are Bob’s Custom saddles, Continental, Jim Taylor, Silver Spurs and such.
There are some very high end brands, Leson, Ryon, but the other are what most use.
Mine is Bob’s Lady Reiner and has fit any horse I put it on and fits me, other than being a bit too large in the seat.
I only ride reining, not western pleasure.
If you are trying to show on your own, without a trainer and are a beginner, as it seems from your search of a saddle, I really think you should go work with a trainer first, before putting any money into a saddle that may not work for your needs.
There is no seat of the pants riding in reining, you do have to buckle down and learn properly what all that very technical discipline expects of a horse.
I do have a trainer that will be taking me to shows and he is going to help me find a nice show saddle (or saddles) but I don’t know very much about show saddles since I’m switching disciplines (from hunters to reining. I’ve done a lot of training though) I just wanted more information on how to measure my horse for a saddle, what are good brands, and how to buy online. My trainer doesn’t have show saddles for me to borrow.
You don’t, unfortunately. Sometimes you can do wither tracing to give you an idea on if you need a semi or full QH bar saddle, but because there is so much variance between brands, I personally find the wither tracings to be pretty useless.
There is no standard in the Western industry. Each company’s tree will be different from another company. Your horse might fit a 7 inch gullet and full QH bars perfectly in one brand, but need a 6.5" gullet and semi QH bars in another brand.
Yes, very frustrating! It is all trial-and-error. You won’t know if the saddle fits until you put it on your horse’s back.
In my opinion, I think fitting a western saddle is much more difficult than English, because you can never modify the tree on the Western (like you sometimes can with english) and it’s just much harder to see what exactly the tree is doing under all that leather.
Here’s one link and here’s another for you to start to educate yourself on Western saddle fit.
You’ll have to read the fine print of the website you plan to buy from. Most websites will charge a restocking fee of some sort, and you are usually responsible to pay for the return shipping.
Your best bet is to take your horse to a tack shop and try saddles on your horse. They don’t necessarily have to be show saddles, because if you can at least find the BRAND and tree type that fits your horse, then you can see if that brand offers show saddles in the exact same tree.
So your trainer doesn’t show?
Surely your trainer has reining or western pleasure saddles (even if they aren’t show saddles) that you can at least try on your horse for fitting purposes.
Your trainer could also ask other clients if they would be willing to let you set their saddle on your horse’s back, to see if it fits. And/or start asking around and asking your friends!
But again, it’s best if you can take your horse to a tack shop and try multiple brands on at once.
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I see you seem to have a problem there.
Strange that a trainer is not just telling you what you need?
Every trainer I know will talk your ear off when talking tack of any kind.
Your trainer doesn’t has to loan you a saddle to ride, but at least he could let you try some on your horse to see which type seems to fit best?
Most reining and cutting trainers tend to agree that Bob’s Custom saddles generally fit most horses in those disciplines.
It is the ones they have for showing and for their assitant trainers and galloping help to use because of it.
I have heard some competitors say that the relatively new Continental ones are super comfortable for the riders, but don’t know if that is true.
For showing in reining or cowhorse or cutting, look for a more specific type of saddle than for basic training.
If participating in more than one of those and ranch versatility, a working cowhorse taller horn saddle with less silver, but not as tall as in a real cutting saddle and a back cinch, is what most use.
For reining, a shorter front and horn is preferred.
Don’t know about western pleasure and those other show classes.
Why not look at youtube videos of the classes you will be showing in and see which of those types of saddles there you like best?
Notice the details, if double skirts or Mother Hubbard single one, if bigger or smaller skirts, if rounded or square ones, what kind of rigging for cinches, in skirt or standard, if slick or padded seats, with a pocket and built-up in front or flat seat, which kind and width of cantle, swells, horns.
Then find out who in your area will have shows and go see them in person and ask what they think.
