I was looking at the Ariat website...and the most expensive pair of English boots they have are $900.00 the most expensive Western cowboy boots they have are $500.00.
Same with English saddles they are a lot more expensive than Western saddles, Western saddles use more leather too.
I don't buy Western tack, but I've certainly seen some prices on it that will make your head spin.
I think any well made tack is expensive, regardless of the discipline.
Those boots you're freaking out over? Any field boots that cost the kind of money you're talking, are custom made. Custom made anything is always more expensive that just off the rack.
I show western and english. Western is more expensive by far. yea the tall boots might be a lot of money but my show saddle for western was 13,000. most expensive english saddle ive seen=9,000. most expensive western saddle=18,000. and the custom outfits...thats a whole other story. 5,500 for just the top. chaps 800. so the only thing in english more expensive are the boots. thats it
I think it depends on the maker,quality of the materials used, and what area.. a lot of people here ride western and I notice a lot of english tack here is pretty darn cheap.
ErikaLynn..it's good to hear that you are a funny person :P
Those Ariat boots that you posted in the OP are actually slightly customizable, so it will take more time to make then just stamping out the same leather shape each time.
They have different calf sizes, plus 3 (?) heights available to them.
I find Ariat to be a good quality company, so of course they are going to have a more expensive product. I bet though that Der-Dau is MUCH more expensive then what Ariat is.
You cannot really compare a pair of field boots to cowboy boots either. They are not the same at all.
My guess on why the saddles have different pricing though would be the work put into the leather. Most eglish saddles have a "softer", for lack of better words, leather then what a western saddle does. However, there is also a lot of work that goes into tooling on western saddles as well.
Saddles also retain a considerable amount of value if they are well taken care of and do not have a lot of markings, so even if they are used, it can still be expensive.
I don't know about the rest of the world/country, but here....
There is more cheaply made Western equipment than English. Western is more common, so they make more, and its quality usually sucks.
So you may be in a tack shop and see a nice-looking Western saddle for a few hundred next to an English saddle for $3,000 and think, "Wow, that's ridiculous," but in actuality the English is of much better quality, possibly imported, better balanced, etc.
Again, I don't know about the rest of the world, but that's how it is here. Posted via Mobile Device
One is not cheaper than the other. I wouldn't assume things. I've seen $10,000+ western show saddles, just as I have seen similar prices for English saddles.
It's all about where you are in the world and what the main discipline is.
I would very rarely consider any leather product of high quality materials and make overpriced. You get what you pay for, for the most part. AND if you take care of it you've got a product that can easily last you 20+ years. My trainer has had some of her tack for over 10+ years and it looks brand spanking new because it's been kept clean, oiled when necessary and generally just cared for well. I'm pretty sure that it's paid itself back over a few times because she hasn't had to go out and buy something new.
And it's not just saddles and tack. Buy a good quality set of boots for your horse? Buy a nice sheepskin pad (trust me, not cheap. I just bought one for almost $200)? They can last you a long, long time and pay for themselves. It's all about the quality of the product and the care you give them. Regardless of whether you're buying western products or english products, quality will cost you. As you become more competitive and especially if you plan to make horses your career it becomes worth it to pay a lot for an exceptional product.
I have found that just looking through the catalogs the english seems to be more expensive. It might just be that companies think that they can charge more for english because there is more of a market for it. There are huge ranges for products of both disciplines though, I would not judge a discipline just on how much it costs.
I honestly think it's just more of a market. You're speaking in outrageous prices and that's not a good comparison for anything - there's an Arabian show saddle in Vegas made entirely out of beads for $20,000. Should we compare those?
On the cheap side, English is WAY cheaper. It's virtually impossible to buy a brand new Western saddle for $150. You can get a brand new English bridle for $20. If you go cheap as possible, an entire English set is far cheaper. Most Western saddles go for $800 - $1,500 (average) so you don't get the huge fluctuation you do with English saddles ($150 - $4,000, average).
It depends entirely what level you're thinking on. There's a much wider variety of English stock to buy, and so the prices vary like crazy where Western prices tend to to be more consistent.
I have no doubt that the majority of the cost depends on what level of equipment you are looking for. I don't know how much English equip usually runs but these show saddles are pretty darned expensive.
Check out western show saddles, namely those with lots of silver and inlaid Swarovski crystal. I've seem some western show saddles cost upwards $15,000. Western show headstalls cost between $250 (minimal silver) and $700 (all decked out) for the headstall alone (no reins or bit). I've seen a western show bit that cost $950. That same manufacturer's snaffles started at $190. Show halters (for halter classes aimed at the western world) tend to be between $400-$1000 depending on the halter/brand name. Western show outfits can be upwards a few thousand as well. No matter the discipline, you're bound to find equipment to fit every budget - the quality is what makes the difference.
Allie, this is a site I ended up browsing while looking for an affordable custom bit maker. Needless to say, most of theirs are way out of my price range LOL. Bit & Spur Company
Look at places such as Bob's saddlery.... Or google "custom made western show clothes and chaps" That, my friend is expensive. As far as the boots go different types of leather more of it, imported.
There are people who I know who bought custom showdress boots 20 years ago who still ride in them today. There's also people I know who coughed up $3000 for a top notch saddle many moons ago, and again, are still using it today.
The high end English stuff is bought by those who foresee themselves using it for a long time ... or those who just have money to burn.
You'll find that a lot of English people are more middle of the road with their purchases. Quality that will hold up, but not be so cheap that it becomes disposable after only a year or two. And yes, used English saddles hold their value quite well primarily because the styles come and go verrrrryyyy slowly. And even then, the trends are so small, you could ride in a saddle from the late 60s or 70s and it would still look somewhat like the newer saddles.
But the beauty of riding English is this: Even though you may not be able to afford the high-end stuff, you can still look just like everyone else in the ring. The judges don't notice if your helmet is an Antares, a Charles Owen or is a knockoff. They don't know your coat was only $100 and not $500. It's VERY easy to look the part without spending thousands of dollars.
Allie, this is the one that nearly caused me to crap and fall in it. I can appreciate that it's covered in silver and it's a spade, but come on, you know it only cost them a few hundred at most to make it. Ernie Marsh Spade Bit
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