Western Tack for Dummies

[talkofthetown]

Or an eventer that doesn’t have a clue! DH rode western when he was younger but it was basically “put this saddle on this horse and don’t fall off.” We’re casually horse shopping for his again and I want to make sure that we buy/borrow the appropriate stuff. I don’t know the first thing about the different types of western tack or how to check for proper fit. I realize that there is a Great Big World out there, but are there any basic, general guidelines you can share?

DH is slender, 6’3 or 6’4. Wouldn’t be doing much more than trail riding. He has an older saddle but I have no idea what size it is (for the horse…I did measure the seat). Horse that we are casually looking for is a pretty thick/solid 16h appaloosa.

Help a girl out?

[aktill]

Best advice is find someone local to help you out.

There’s as much, if not more, crap in the western side of the tack store as there is in the english side.

Also, since I can see you setting things up a bit in this vein, don’t assume that you can cheap out on tack because you’re “just trail riding”. If anything, I’d sooner cheap out on tack I’m only using in an arena than I would on tack to use outside the fences. A good trail horse is harder to make than a good arena horse, and likewise with tack it needs to be better for the trail than in the arena.

Basic guidelines:

1. saddle seat should have enough room to suit, not too big or too small. Stirrups in balanced position
2. saddle shouldn’t poke horse or bridge anywhere. If you can’t assess that, find a good fitter. Likewise if you can’t judge the quality of saddles you’re looking at…it’s no longer a case of “is brand X a good brand?” as more stuff moves offshore
3. tack should be made of good leather, or tough synthetic. Crappy water buffalo with shiny paint and beads will get people and horses hurt.

[beau159]

[QUOTE=talkofthetown;8657948]
I don’t know the first thing about the different types of western tack or how to check for proper fit. I realize that there is a Great Big World out there, but are there any basic, general guidelines you can share? [/QUOTE]

My first recommendation would be to find someone knowledgeable to help you. Having fit both English and Western saddles myself, I personally feel that fitting a Western saddle is more difficult because it’s much harder to tell what is going on under all that leather.

Here’s a couple information websites that you can look over and start to give yourself a basic understanding of all the things you’ll need to think about.
http://saddlemakers.org/id193.htm
http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/tree-and-saddle-fitting/factors-that-affect-tree-fit/

The only “general guideline” I can give you is that there is NO STANDARD in the western industry. Just because (for example) Circle Y says their tree is a full quarter horse bars, does not mean it will fit the same as a full quarter horse bars Crates saddle.

And there’s even variations within brands. A saddle may have two trees labeled as FQHB but if the gullet and/or bar flare is different, you’ll have two completely different fits.

Saddle fitting is a lot of trial and error.

@talkofthetown;8657948

DH is slender, 6’3 or 6’4. Wouldn’t be doing much more than trail riding. He has an older saddle but I have no idea what size it is (for the horse…I did measure the seat). Horse that we are casually looking for is a pretty thick/solid 16h appaloosa.

In general, if you do have a stocky horse, I would probably start your search with saddles that have a 7" gullet and full quarter horse bars, and go from there.

Since hubby is taller, I’d probably also look at saddle seat that are at least 15" or larger. Seat size is going to depend on what feels comfortable to him, and what style of saddle you end up with.

[QUOTE=aktill;8658041]

Also, since I can see you setting things up a bit in this vein, don’t assume that you can cheap out on tack because you’re “just trail riding”. [/QUOTE]

I agree 100% and this bears repeating!

Even if you are “just trail riding”, you don’t want to put a garbage saddle on your horse’s back.

[talkofthetown]

Thank you for the advice! I will ask around locally as well, just wondered if there were any tips to be had from here. Those links are a great starting point, I appreciate it.

Sorry if I gave the impression that I am trying to “cheap out on tack”. I just meant that DH is not going to be barrel racing, or roping, or some specific discipline that may require a certain saddle style.

[aktill]

It wasn’t you, we’ve just seen other people do that

If you have any specific questions please shoot them over later on.

[imaginique]

horsesaddleshop.com has a lot of good information on saddle fit, but as others said, there’s no substitute for someone knowledgeable who can help fit the horse.

[Pocket_Pony]

[QUOTE=aktill;8658041]
Best advice is find someone local to help you out.

There’s as much, if not more, crap in the western side of the tack store as there is in the english side.

Also, since I can see you setting things up a bit in this vein, don’t assume that you can cheap out on tack because you’re “just trail riding”. If anything, I’d sooner cheap out on tack I’m only using in an arena than I would on tack to use outside the fences. A good trail horse is harder to make than a good arena horse, and likewise with tack it needs to be better for the trail than in the arena.

Basic guidelines:

1. saddle seat should have enough room to suit, not too big or too small. Stirrups in balanced position
2. saddle shouldn’t poke horse or bridge anywhere. If you can’t assess that, find a good fitter. Likewise if you can’t judge the quality of saddles you’re looking at…it’s no longer a case of “is brand X a good brand?” as more stuff moves offshore
3. tack should be made of good leather, or tough synthetic. Crappy water buffalo with shiny paint and beads will get people and horses hurt.[/QUOTE]

aktill, just curious as to why you say that?

OP, aktill has good advice regarding saddles. My best recommendation is if there is a fitter in your area who works with western saddles to see if they can help you. It is A LOT of trial and error. I feel that I’m pretty decent at being able to know if an english saddle is a good fit for my horse, and I can figure out various padding options if need be.

Western saddles have so many different “things” about them that make them confusing. There’s the tree - angle of the bars, shape of the bars, rock of the bars, width of the gullet, height of the gullet, type of material used, placement of the fenders. Then there’s the rigging - many various options there, too. The seat isn’t so standard, either. Sure, 16" is 16", but what about the angle of the seat and how open it is? And the type of swell? Where do the fenders hang in relation to the deepest part of the seat?

It really can be mind-boggling. I’ve tried and failed at way more western saddles than I have english saddles.

Do a lot of reading first. Have DH sit in a lot of saddles. Get a fitter out or go to a tack shop with your horse and see if you can do a fitting there. There is no substitute for someone hands-on who can help you make sense of it all.

[partita]

As mentioned, different saddles for different purposes. For your husband, I would look for a trail saddle. The fenders will be hung in a more comfortable position for that.

[the_rook]

Sorry if this isn’t super useful, but I would suggest looking at Aussie saddles for him too. Those things are comfy. But of course you might have a harder time finding one that fits as there are just less of them out there.

[Donkaloosa]

As tall as hubby is, you should be looking for a 16" or 17" saddle — the seat size has a lot to do with upper leg length. Avoid equitation-style saddles — they are not comfortable for men! And check to be sure the stirrup leathers are long enough. Blevins buckles on the stirrup leathers are good — cheaper saddle will have simple two prong buckles.

[SuckerForHorses]

The only “general guideline” I can give you is that there is NO STANDARD in the western industry. Just because (for example) Circle Y says their tree is a full quarter horse bars, does not mean it will fit the same as a full quarter horse bars Crates saddle.

Yep. Just like women’s pants - nothing ever fits similar! SO ANNOYING! :lol:

[aktill]

[QUOTE=Pocket Pony;8662794]
aktill, just curious as to why you say that?[/QUOTE]

Because the terrain and surroundings never change in the arena.

The barn owner not having a chance to grade isn’t the same as your favorite trail getting washed out or muddy and having to detour, and someone leaving a jump standard out isn’t quite the same as a moose walking out in front of you while gathering cattle off a neighbour’s pasture.

Life is more interesting, though occasionally more exciting, outside on the trail. Being able to do the same things you do in the arena outside takes them to a whole new level.

[Pocket_Pony]

I’d be shocked if a moose jumped out on the trail in front of me! (Considering we have no moose, that is.) But I do regularly get ducks taking flight from the irrigation ditch that borders the trails I ride on. Or a herd of mule deer running through the forest. Or a snake crossing our path.

Thanks for clarifying. I find work in the arena more difficult with Mac. I do highly value a good trail horse, which is why I spend most of my time out there.

Back to the OP, while properly fitting tack is always important, I think if you’re out on the trail it is double important, for the comfort of your horse and your safety as a rider. And always check it before mounting! Friend’s husband forgot to check his cinch once and had a bad accident because his horse spooked and the saddle slipped. Maybe not so bad in the arena with good footing and a fence so horse can’t run away…but on hard ground in the middle of nowhere it is a different story.

[Lexie55]

My hubby prefers a smooth seat saddle. Says the padded suede seats chafe. He and the other dudes at his cutting horse barn also wear the long (almost to the knee) tight fitting undies for a long day in the saddle. These are men things I know nothing about, but the gist of it seems to be that the boys need some support, and the hairs on the insides of their legs will rub/chafe and then get ingrown without something to keep the jeans off them.

I have a Sean Ryon cutting saddle and intend to be buried with it. It is expensive but definitely worth it. I have trail ridden, worked cattle, shown cutters and reiners, and everything else in it. Perfect pocket (the spot your fanny sits in) and perfect balance.

I second the cinch part. I only use either nylon or super tough leather off billets and cinch straps. Hubby had a thinner leather off billet snap in half and got dumped, breaking some of the finger things off his lower vertebrae. BAD!

Most of the pro trainers I know like the mohair cinches, but if you leave in a wet/humid area, they may get nasty. I use them, but I live in a generally dry climate. Some trainers like the neoprene cinches (one swears by smooth, saying the dimpled pull out hair; one says the smooth gall his horses, so who knows). I like the ease in taking care of them but I think the mohair is prettier.

For bridles, plain harness leather with a nice buckle says “cowboy” for not a lot of money and pretty easy to care for, just wipe down with Leather New.

I have a co-worker who is 6’5" and has ridden western his whole life. He acquired an Australian saddle somewhere along the way and now trail rides in it exclusively.

If you seriously aren’t doing anything but trail riding, I hear the treeless and/or flex tree saddles are lighter and fit more different horses better. I have never ridden in one so can’t give first hand opinion.

I like the Classic Equine saddle pads that are wool felt top and bottom, with foam in the middle, with wear leathers. The fitted design seems to stay on the horses backs nicely. I also like the all-wool pads from Diamond J.

[Palm_Beach]

[QUOTE=imaginique;8662596]
horsesaddleshop.com has a lot of good information on saddle fit, but as others said, there’s no substitute for someone knowledgeable who can help fit the horse.[/QUOTE]

Agree. They have templates you can download and print to try on your horse. I highly recommend it - it will give you a good start as to what width to get. Their customer service reps can recommend saddles based on which template seems to do best on your horse. I have a Circle Y trail saddle with the Flex2 tree and love it - fits multiple horses well and was super comfy right out of the box. I rode 2 hours in it the first day.

Also, you don’t have to necessarily go Western just because hubby will be trail riding. You can get an all purpose English saddle that will be comfy for him, or an endurance/trail saddle. Duett makes saddles in many different widths, and for the price point, they are good saddles.