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  Discussion on Western saddles
Author Message
Member:
Christos

Posted on Monday, Apr 5, 2004 - 4:11 pm:

Hi, all,
I'm gonna need the help of all America on this one.
I am thinking of buying my first western saddle. I think it will facilitate work (light roping, carrying things, ponying) a lot better than the good old english saddles I'm used to.
And here start the problems. I will not buy a new one, as I can't find a decent manufacturer/retailer in Europe and shipping from US plus import tax will almost double the price, and I'd rather put that money in saddle quality.
I've found a couple of nice ones on e-bay (UK), but I'm very worried that they won't fit our thoroughbred crosses. Any information/links for sizing/fitting of western saddles will be mostly appreciated.
I also do not understand the difference between roping and other styles of western saddles. They all have a horn, so if they have a back cinch you can use them for roping, right?
Heeeelp!
Member:
Lhenning

Posted on Monday, Apr 5, 2004 - 4:52 pm:

Hi Christos,

Here are a couple of webpages I found very helpful when I was looking for a western saddle. I hope they help.

https://westernsaddle.com/saddlefitting.html
https://rbpaints_2000.homestead.com/saddlefit.html

Linda
Member:
Christos

Posted on Monday, Apr 5, 2004 - 5:25 pm:

A million thanks, Linda.
Member:
36541

Posted on Monday, Apr 5, 2004 - 8:00 pm:

I would lean toward the synthetic if I were you, as you won't be showing in it. You really can hose them off, although they need a day in the sun to dry out. Perphaps Wintec is making some form of the adjustable tree for their western gear - I have loved my adjustable dressage Wintec for riding multiple growing youngsters...
Member:
Juliem

Posted on Monday, Apr 5, 2004 - 9:51 pm:

Christos, if you plan to do any roping or ponying with the rope "dallied" (wrapped, never tied!) around the horn, you must have a tree that is made for this or you will break the tree or snap the horn off. Standard for this kind of work is a wood tree wrapped with rawhide. Like an English saddle, the tree is "internal"--you won't see it unless you lift up the jockey and look between it and the skirt. The point is, just because a saddle is rigged with a back cinch it may not be suitable for real work. I don't know if there is a synthetic with a rawhide covered tree. Most of those trees are fiberglass or some other "composite". They are much lighter weight, but also lighter duty.
As to fit, most Western saddles are built on one of three trees: Semi quarter horse, which is narrower, quarter horse which would be a little wider, and full quarter horse which is the widest. That said, there is no standard that requires all semi quarter horse trees to be the same, etc. Also, Arab trees tend to have flatter "bars" for the broader, flatter Arab backs. The gullet width varies tremendously as well, with a wider gullet allowing the pommel to sit lower than a narrow gullet. With TB's, you may need a more narrow gullet to keep the saddle from rubbing the withers--there should be about four fingers of clearance.
The seat is measured from the back of the pommel to the front of the cantle. 14 inches is usually the smallest adult and 17 would be for a large person (or a person with a large rear end!) You will also find variation in the way the stirrups are hung and swing (I prefer a bit forward and very free swinging). OK, we're not done yet. The rigging (the way the cinch is positioned) also varies. A good basic all around rigging is the 7/8 position. Also, various seat types--for trail, roping, reining, cutting, etc. They are really not that specialized, and are pretty interchangeable. Weight varies considerably with roping saddles being quite heavy and synthetic trail or endurace saddles the lightest. This is all very over simplified, and I'm sure you'll have a great education by the time you research this. Years ago cowboys had one saddle, used it on every horse, and for hours and days at a time, so maybe it's not as complicated as we've made it seem. If you will have this on the same horse for hours at a time in fairly rigorous conditions or you are expecting top performance, I would try to fit the horse as well as possible. There is a lot of difference in the comfort for the rider as well, but again only really a factor if you're spending hours in the saddle. Good luck, Julie
Member:
Cowgrl

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 6, 2004 - 11:42 am:

Cristos,
As horses' shapes have changed over the years, so have western saddles to accommodate the changes. The most common tree size you'll find is called the Association tree. This is similar to the semi-quarter horse. The quarter horse or full quarter horse would be too wide for your TB crosses. You might want to check out a style called "A fork" that is taller and narrower than the more common western styles. This saddle has no swells but can add "bucking rolls" to create swells.

For roping you'd definitely want one that is stout enough to handle the stress. The rawhide wrapped wood tree is about the toughest you can buy. The wet rawhide is wrapped around the tree then shrinks to fit when it dries. It also creates a fairly heavy saddle. I had a roping saddle that weighed in at 45 lbs.

You should shop for a saddle that is designated a roping saddle - it has a larger wider horn, usually a straight cantle instead of a rolled cantle, and rear cinch. Crates, Colorado Saddlery, Hereford, and Circle Y all make good saddles in a variety of price ranges. I'd be really wary of buying a saddle off of e-bay.

In addition, invest in a good quality pad. Your horse will thank you.

Good luck Cristos.
Holly
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