I’ve got a black, not very big horse I’m looking for a show saddle for. I believe im
looking for a 15.5"…that’s average for an adult, correct? I’ve liked the Chavez and Broken Horns I’ve ridden in and know they fit Morgans (which i have:) Question is…if I get a light colored one, can I get it dyed black? There are so many light colored used ones to choose from!!
In western saddles, other than cowboy ranch saddles, most others are generally average at 16".
You can tell because 15 1/2" are harder to sell.
Seat also depends on how a saddle maker measures seats.
Most were measured for decades on the tree.
Today more saddlers are measuring the finished seat, that also can be plain, single and double padded, which would change the size of the seat.
Best is to try the saddle yourself to be able to tell which size is best for you in what kind of saddle.
Dying a saddle may end up with you getting black on your clothes.
Better find one already made dark or black.
My ranch saddle is a 14 1/2", my reining saddle 15 1/2", but I am only 4’11" short.
Why don’t you try cross posting to Off Course, or PM the poster clanter, he has morgans and they were showing them, so he knows what fits them best, having seen way more than most.
A good saddle shop can absolutely dye a saddle for you - they’ll have the knowledge to do it right and really bring new life into a used saddle. 16" is the most common seat size in show saddles, IME.
If you join any of the Morgan tack/show FB pages, you’ll find tons of dark oil & black show saddles. You can dye them (or have them dyed) but it’s a major process.
Thank you all!
While we only have one show saddle currently, we have made many in the past. It looks like most of your questions were answered, but to address the question of whether you can dye the saddle - we would recommend against doing this. The main reason is that different dyes can react to each other in strange ways, especially from different years, and it can cause the leather to bubble - ruining the saddle.
As far as seat and tree size, like Bluey said, it’s best to try out the saddle yourself. There is currently no standardization within the saddle industry for tree sizes, and the geometry of one tree may be perfect for your horse while another very similar saddle may not fit at all. For your seat size, we would recommend checking a seating chart for the saddle type you’re interested in. While seats are going to be measured approximately the same way across different saddle makers, there is also the question of padding. For example, we recommend all riders go up at least a half size in Tucker (and provide a chart showing this) because Tucker saddles have so much padding in their seats.
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