What make a saddle be a gaited saddle?

A little background first. I'm looking for a decent used trail saddle with a deep seat, close contact, and the sturrip leathers set so that they are under me and not out in front. I mainly ride dressage and have a really nice dressage saddle, but recently sold my horse (he and I were not a good match). I am looking at a nice trail horse and don't want to ride trails in my dressage saddle. I've looked at Aussie saddles, but all seem to have the stirrup bars set too far forward. There are several boarders where I board who are big Buck Brannaman fans and have the Wade roping saddle he likes. I like the look to, but they are so heavy, especially compared to my 15 lb dressage saddle. I found a Liberty Wide Gaited Pleasure Trail saddle on eBay (Item number: 251025967927) that looks pretty much like what I want, but don't know what makes it a "gaited saddle". This little mare I'm looking is a QHxArab and has a pretty wide back, needing a Full QH bars western saddle. So, is there something about these gaited saddles that makes them inappropriate to use on a non-gaited horse?

Often a "gaited" saddle is wider at the shoulder to give the horse room to motor in their shoulders. Some are made for a slightly more narrow horse as there are a lot of narrowly built gaited horses. I would definitely try one out first.

This saddle does have a 3 day return, but don't know what her reserve is. If it's the same as the Buy It Now price, then I'm not willing to go that high. Also, I don't think it's going to be a light weight. I've looked at a few synthetic saddles as well, but just don't know how they ride or feel to the horse. I haven't ridden western in about 30 years, and back then no one in my circle worried or talked about saddle fit, for rider or horse. Tnx

I love my Dakota, you might look into them. It's a barrel saddle, has a nice deep seat. New I bought mine for about 700, I've had it for about 3 years and it's been great. Probably weighs 15-20 lbs.

I had a synthetic wintec western saddle for the longest time that I trail rode in. It was reasonably comfortable and very lightweight. Great for what I wanted to do with it.

I have thought about a barrel saddle, except that the horn is so tall. But I need a saddle that will keep me in contact with the horse if something happens to spook it. I've been cracked loose too many times in that dressage saddle. I'm fine in it in the arena, but out on the trail, there are just too many thngs to make a horse jump, like deer and coyetes and turkeys and snakes just for startes and we have come up on our far share of all of those. There are several Dakota synthetic saddles on eBay right now and much more reasonably priced.

Just my op here, synthetic saddles are cheaply made. And there is a old saying in my neck of the woods, good saddles ain't cheap and cheap saddles ain't good

Dakota does not make a Synthetic Saddle, there are some Import Knock-offs called Tahoe Dakota ..... run away .... fast...



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American Made Synthetics may be 1/3 to 1/2 the price of Leather, but even the least expensive Abetta's will last 10-15 years, we have some Abetta's that are 17 years old and ridden all the time by our Students.....

Stick with Made in the USA and you be surprised, the bad rap is from all these 200.00 cheap Imports that have been flooding the Country for the last 10 years...



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I've also been looking at a Fabtron which is made in Maryville, TN. It's leather seat and synthetic skirting. Is anyone familiar with this brand. I went and looked at this mare today and she has a flat and I mean flat back. Full quarter horse bars is a definitely. Even if she lost 100 lbs, I think she would still be a wide wide back.