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when shopping for a western saddle

6K views 41 replies 16 participants last post by  Stan 
#1 ·
What do you look for in fit and to know if its quality or not? I know nothing about them. I do know to stay away from Hilason and the saddle bundles you can get on eBay, but there seems to be as many brands of western saddles as there are breeds of horses. I don't want to spend a fortune, just have something to play around with and trail ride (and ride in until I can get an english saddle figured out).
 
#31 ·
My gelding is an even bigger tank than your mare, and my Circle Y show saddle fits him beautifully. I'm pretty sure it has the full QH bars. I honestly never measured. All I know is it fits him. He's in the Wide gullet in my Wintec, and the extra wide really would fit him.

Just make sure your pads not too thick also. I made that mistake, and he got a very sore back, from having all that thick pad up under there. I bought a Supracor pad, and it's back to fitting him like a glove again.

There's also Billy Cooks (expensive, but you can buy some nice ones used), and Billy Royal. Those are the only two I have a first hand opinion on. Everyone around me is either in BC's or Circle Y's.
I'm a believer in Circle Y, because they are so nice in quality, and fit my boy so well. I got mine used from a friend for $1000, and love it.
 
#35 ·
He's in the Wide gullet in my Wintec, and the extra wide really would fit him.
My mare is an xxwide-xxxwide in a wintec, but a wide in a toulouse saddle, go figure. :lol:

It sounds like she needs a cross between an arab tree and a halflinger tree, wide but with good room for her shoulders. She is quick to let me know when something doesn't fit, she will toss her head and nip at me if she really hates it before I even girth up, at first I thought she was being witchy until I noticed she did it whenever something was bridging. She won't move if its too narrow, and gets really hollow and high headed if its too wide. She is very easy to read. :lol:
 
#34 ·
Gee, Stan, are you sure you want to open up that can of worms on a site that is probably 95% female??

Glad to see another Tucker fan. I love mine. My friend has the Equitation Endurance with the English rigging and loves it too. She just bought a new horse, but while she was looking, the number one criteria for the horse was that her saddle fit it. She was not giving up the saddle.
 
#33 ·
Its not how it looks its how it functions and feels.
I also get a few looks and comments but I most likely have the only Tucker endurance saddle set up in western style in New Zealand. In fact I'd go as far as to say the only tucker endurance saddle in NZ.:lol:
 
#37 ·
i know it's all frustrating..when i was looking it took me awhile...i'm not sure what your budget i or the look u r looking for but i know for whatever reason, probably cuz i already baught my saddle and paid a fortune) i've been seeing nice saddles on craigslist in our area...porter on ther now for like 450...and at our feed store the get consigned saddles, small town poor economy bla bla) but they have some nice hand made yet no name type saddle that are 250-350..was just looking at them yesterday....i can give u info to reach them if you'd like
 
#39 ·
im not sure if they do...they r only 2 miles from my house so i just go down but their # is 541-437-1794 it's called elgin boot and saddle..ask for chris or chelsea...he'd send pics im sure if they dont have web sight....we're pretty rural over here :D
 
#40 ·
I have a 15 inch (I think) crates saddle I use on my quarter horse, it fits her beautifully, and I love it. The way it feels to ride in it keeps me feeling secure and yet I feel very in control and free. I also have a King Series saddle like 16 inch probably I don't feel as comfortable as in my crates saddle and it doesn't fit one of our horses but it fits our other one well. I don't use it as much so that's probably why i don't feel very comfortable in it. I feel as though my legs are swinging all over the place even though they're not.
 
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