WANTED: saddle!

Looking to buy a saddle....

EITHER:

* a 15-16" western saddle that is FQHB or WQHB
* a 17 or 17.5" english saddle that is Full or Wide tree.

I can only spend about $100 on the saddle... you must be willing to ship AND accept paypal :)

Please let me know what you have. Pics/price/condition etc.

Thanks!!!

NOTE: saddle does NOT have to be fancy.. I just do trail.

OR if you could help me find something on craigslist/ ebay / horse site that would be most helpful :) I am having such a hard time finding a saddle!

Thanks!

I may have an english saddle for you. Will PM you tomorrow when I have time. :)

I'll comment on your search for an English saddle.


If you're not in a hurry, then take a look at this thread and get an idea of what you can get at a great price. You have to be patient, and be ready to pounce.

Looking for a saddle on a budget?

While it's possible to get something decent for under $100 incl shipping, you'll have much more to choose from if you can stretch yourself to $150.

If you're in more of a hurry and don't want to wait for a "steal" to come along, then:

Don't cave in and buy a no-name brand saddle. It's likely made in India or Pakistan and will do more harm than good both to your horse and your riding ability. Be aware that some Indian-made saddles do have brand names: Silver Fox, Derby, Lancer, Regent, Kincade, Foxcraft, Cambridge, Equiroyal...

If you're patient enough to hold out for a good saddle at a steal price, some brands to look for are:
Crump, Crosby, Collegiate, Stubben, Passier, Courbette, Sattlerei beim Kloster Schonthal, AG Felsbach, Kieffer, Wintec, Bates, Nice, HDR, pretty much anything made in England or Europe.

You can usually find some Argentine saddles on eBay in your price range. While not great saddles, they aren't awful either, and the wider trees tend to be fairly common in them. Brands are Cortina, Ruiz Diaz, and Rossi Y Caruso. Some Collegiates are Argentine. A few other brands as well. Be careful on eBay, since a lot of people measure the seat size wrong. Verify before bidding that they measured from the nailhead at the side of the pommel to the center of the cantle.

Here's one:
17" #487 Argentina Close Contact Jumping Saddle with More | eBay

This seat is measured wrong - it's probably actually a 17". Who knows what the tree size is...
English Saddle made by Palaton Saddlery in England | eBay

Who knows how they measured the tree. Get measurements and pics from the front
Used Rossi Y Caruso All Purpose Saddle | eBay

A little more money, but the gullet and stirrups are included:
Wintec all purpose with CAIR panels and adjustable gullet. 17.5" | eBay

Looks fairly wide
All Purpose Saddle 17" Made in Argentina | eBay

The Wintec is likely the best of these.

I agree with the above poster on most of the things that were posted, I do want to add that the newer no name saddles are something to avoid, however, there are older ones that are still nice saddles. Not all of them, but some.

:)

Also, I wouldn't even push my luck with the majority of Argentinian saddles. Without getting your hands on it before purchasing, it is hard to tell the good ones from the bad.

Please do careful research before buying a $100 saddle. They're cheap for a reason - meaning that generally speaking, $100 will not buy you something that you'd want to even set on your horse's back.
My suggestion really comes down to: Ride bareback and scrimp and save a bit more money. It *is* worth it. The wrong fitting saddle can and will lead to problems, both behavioural and physically. The wrong saddle (which was $1500 used) made my horse lame. Another $2500 saddle made him uncomfortable and unwilling to round up. I'm now shelling out big bucks for a custom... sigh. I'm not saying you have to pay those prices, merely that fit is a *HUGE* thing that needs to be right.
Unfortunately, $$ does mean quality, to some extent. I highly doubt you're going to find something suitable in the $100 (with shipping) range.

Have you looked at online consignment stores? They'll treat you better and be much more knowledgable that most eBay sellers.

English Saddles Under $200
Maryland Saddlery Consignment*::*ENGLISH ADULT SADDLE
UsedSaddleCrofton*::*English Saddles Adult
Pelham Saddlery Saddle Consignment or Trade In
Used English Saddles For Sale - Bucks County Saddlery - Horse Saddle Sort Size