Your favorite & least favorite saddle

What's your favorite saddle and what makes it special? -- How long have you had it for, and is there a story behind it?

Do you have a saddle that you regret acquiring? & Why?

Well i've bought a hilason and a billy cook saddle

I loved the hilason one because the price wasn't so high and it was very comfortable and the leather was great.

The bolly cook saddle was a knock-off and broke within 4 uses :(

I've had hilason for a while now and I order alot of them for my family members too :)

I have a custom built that was my grandpa's which he got built about 5 weeks before he died. The saddle is an all rough out cutting saddle (peronally the looks of it are a little much for me) I don't like a completly roughed out saddle. The cantle and every thing....But it has value to me. One day I let my step dad take it for a mountain ride because its te only saddle that fits his big mare. Well he thought he would clean it when he got back....the saddle was wrecked. It changed the color of the whole saddle. I sent it back to teh guy who made it(who made all of my grandpas saddles) and he complely overhauled the saddle. Took off lots of the rough out and replaced it wtih smooth leather. The saddle sits now in my living room on a stand and no one is aloud to use it!!!

My favorite: the saddle my husband had made for me by Bob's Custom Saddles. It was made for me, and is beautiful. And, since it's a "Bob's", it has actually dramatically INCREASED in value (something that I've never had happen before!). Highly recommend it. It's the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden (English or Western), it's designed for close contact with the horse, fits perfectly, and if I ever needed to sell it, any horse trainer will instantly buy it from me because there aren't many used "Bob's" saddles on the market. If you can find one, used, buy it! You'll never regret it!

My old, old, old Circle Y trail saddle is incredibly comfortable and fits many different horses quite nicely. Everybody who has ridden in it has commented on how comfortable and well-made it is. I acquired it for free because it had a broken tree so the only cost was to have a new tree put in it.

I also have an old Schumacher dressage saddle that is tremendously comfortable. When I ride, the last thing I want to be thinking about is my saddle. This saddle is very well balanced and allows me the freedom to apply my aids subtly and accurately.

I have never owned one before, but I have ridden in enough to know that the Crosby Prix des Nations close contact is awful. Crosby is actually one of my favorite brands, but I will avoid riding in this saddle at all cost!

My most favorite saddle of all time is the Clinton Anderson close contact saddle made by Martin.

I love it all the way around. It fits all of my horses and is very well made for the money.

I was fortunate to have bought it a couple of years ago at the more resonable price of $1,200, now they are over $1,700 and I'm thinking I never would have bought one at that price. But, knowing what I know now after owning it, I would pay that price.

I have had lots of other brand names, Billy Cook, Circle Y's, Big Horn, Cordura models, and nothing has ever come close to this one.

TXHorseLaw, you have me intrigued by the Bob's. I have heard good things about them.

I have also been interested in the Fallis Balanced Saddles. I would love to hear if anyone likes those.

Banoota, you never said what you like or didn't like.

My favorite saddle is my keiffer dressage saddle, I brought it new, we looked at all the keiffer saddles and talked to lots of proffesional saddle fitters from kieffer and choose one that would best suit me and my horse and it was proffesionaly fitted so it's just the most perfect saddle, it took months to choose it.

I'm referring to western saddles here as I don't have that much experience with english ones.

I really dislike those cheap leather or synthetic saddles. They are very uncomfortable to sit and don't fit horses either. Also have really bad words to say about Wintec: it broke on me going down hill after just couple years of mild use causing an accident.

On my saddle shop I tried like 20-30 saddles and got Alamo trail pleasure saddle. Nice looking and very comfortable and fit both my horses (even though it's qh bars and one of my horses is on narrow side).

My favorite nostalgic saddle is my Crosby Sovereign Prix des Nations. It was the second saddle I ever bought (first being a regular PDN) and it engraved proper equitation into my body. The Sovereign leather is to die for and it still looks brand new after about 10 years of riding lessons on hundreds horses at numerous barns across the country. It fit every horse too! It now sits in my closet waiting the next time I take it out for a cleaning.

My favorite current saddle is my Forestier Boeckelo. I haven't actually ridden in it yet because it takes a short girth (which I don't have). I don't even ride XC, but man, that thing is a beauty! Far nicer then my Butet, Childeric, or Delgrange.

The saddle I regret buying was a 16" Circle Y. It was too big and I had to sell it. It was gorgeous.

Hi,

My personal favourite saddle is a dressage saddle. No specific brand just a plain dressage saddle.
I was taught to ride in a dressage saddle, it helped me find that true balance and deep seat and when I ride in another different saddle for example an all purpose I feel lost. :)
At the moment however, I just bought a Barclay Suprema Dressage Saddle $337 (inc. Postage) and I would have to say it would be my best buy!
I personally dislike synthetic saddles, I find them to be for the lazy people who can't be bothered to clean their tack and find them to be very unappealing.
Then again it might be because I show a lot and leather is the only thing allowed!

Also don't forget. Don't buy a saddle just because it has such and such name and has a big price tag. Look around, and choose a comfortable one for you and your horse and don't worry about the brand etc.


Hope It Helps!