# Saddle talk :)



## WallTenters (Mar 24, 2010)

I love chit-chatting tack with anyone that will listen 

The photo of my mare (in fact many of my photos of her) are with the uber comfortable saddle that is in fact my mother's saddle. She's owned it over 20 years, and it's still in perfect shape. It speaks volumes to the great quality that leather saddles can be.

HOWEVER 

I LOVE MY ABETTA!!! I have never felt so close to my mare except when bareback. And no, she does not ride smooth bareback. I bought this saddle barely used from a good friend of myn, because they bought too many they loved them so much! 

One of the things I like most is the lack of saddle horn. It makes for a much more comfortable ride, and I dread riding friend's horses only because they come with their own saddles . 

Even my most die-hard western riding friends ride my Abetta a few times and are set on getting their own endurance-type saddle. I think for the cost and comfort, definetly a great deal.








Unfortunately our Arabian gelding is next to impossible to fit for saddles. Go figure the one we find that fits him the best is a craptastic one (I think Big Horn?). The seat is very comfortable, and I'm not saying it's not a decent saddle, but I just think it looks cheap, and I always worry the spindly little saddle horn is going to spear me one of these days. Oh well, it was on sale and we bought it after trying on about ten different saddles for him. 

He's an Arab, but he's big for an Arab, with high withers, a strong wide short back, and a huge stride. The Arabian saddles we found were much too narrow and pinched in the middle, the QH saddles were too low for his withers, etc etc.

What's your favorite saddle, for the price, quality and comfort?


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## ducks4you (Mar 24, 2010)

WallTenters said:
			
		

> One of the things I like most is the lack of saddle horn.


DITTO.  I've never been hung up on one, but I don't ever WANT to be.


> Unfortunately our Arabian gelding is next to impossible to fit for saddles. ... He's an Arab, but he's big for an Arab, with high withers, a strong wide short back, and a huge stride. The Arabian saddles we found were much too narrow and pinched in the middle, the QH saddles were too low for his withers, etc etc.


Mine was hard to fit, too.  I just ended up being creative with padding.  Have you tried either of these?
http://www.horseloverz.com/Roma-Merino-Half-Pad-pr-177709.html
http://www.horseloverz.com/Rambo-Air-Half-Pad---Plum-Kitten---Horse-pr-297727.html


> What's your favorite saddle, for the price, quality and comfort?


We have spent most of our horse-owning years doing CW Reenacting, so we have MANY McClellans.  Many have the original 1859 trees, others have trees from 1903, primarily because these were the two times in our history that the saddle was used the most.  I can tell you that they are hit and miss.  Some are awful, and some (the ones that we kept) are about the most comfortable saddles I have ridden.
The _best points _about this saddle are the light weight, no horn, equally high pommel and cantle, the hole in the center of the seat which relieves pressure on the horse's spine, and the ability to tie all sorts of stuff onto the front and back--VERy convenient for long trail rides.  
The _bad points _are that, if you saddle as the Cavalry did, with 6 folds in a wool blanket, it might not fit every horse.  It did fit my 15'2hh Arab very well.  WE use an inch thick pad underneath the Cav blanket--never had a sore back in 25 years by doing this, but it isn't authentic.  Still, most of our McClellans cost under $200 for the saddle, and replacement skirts, leathers, covered stirrups, and quarterstraps.
Here's a pic from the Net, but the saddle bag isn't 1859 (picky me!):
http://www.victorianvilla.com/sims-mitchell/local/sheltonp/mcclellan/
Here's a pic from a previous thread. 
http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2536&p=3
 (I really MUST accumulate my 25 years of photos and put 'em on a webpage--sorry!!)


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## lupinfarm (Mar 24, 2010)

I have a Wintec Western, I haven't ridden in it yet but I am pretty confident it'll fit MylieMonster. It's really comfortable off the horse though lol. 

My most comfortable saddle was a no-name brand english all purpose saddle we bought at the livestock auction for $200 and it fit my gelding perfect!


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## WallTenters (Mar 24, 2010)

> Mine was hard to fit, too.  I just ended up being creative with padding.


We actually do use an insert saddle pad, even with his current fitting saddle. He's naturally a bit swayed in the back with age (over 3500 competitive miles will do that to an old guy) so we use the inserts to make sure everything's up where it needs to be. I also think this summer I'm going to start using a rug under his regular saddle pad, just because I'm sick of cleaning the dried up sweat off the felt. Blegh.


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## michickenwrangler (Mar 24, 2010)

I use a Bob Marshall treeless endurance saddle. Endurance saddles don't have horns because they will get you in the ribs or gut going up steep hills or while ducking branches at 10mph.






I used to use a Bighorn Endurance on my purebred Arab, but it was a shade too narrow for her in the back. Not a biggie when casual trail riding, but we kept losing points in competition for back soreness. After 2 rides, we switched saddles, no problem.


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## sterlng&sierra (Apr 4, 2010)

I really enjoy my Timberline trail saddle, a Cutback Trail Blazer:





http://www.timberlinesaddlecompany.com/

It is so comfortable, I can put either a western or english trail bag on it, and it fits my Arab decently. The knee rolls are great for hills, too! 

My show saddle is a Crosby Equilibrium we got for a steal on Ebay. Here it is on my horse (for a pad reccommendation).






I enjoy it because it fits both the horse and me, and I have freedom to use my leg because I have no padding under my knee. And I get bonus points fro riding in EQ because I have no knee rolls or blocks to keep my leg in position .

Unfortunately, my Arab has a similar problem I think your Arab has. My horse's withers are rather high, and due to a Country Pleasure show career he has some muscle atrophy just behind his withers. To combat this, I have a Skito pad to go with my Crosby Equilibrium, and I plan on getting one for the Timberline as well. However, Skitos are EXPENSIVE, but well worth it. You get to make a custom pad for your saddle and your horse, and they have great foam inserts that you can put in or take out to fit the saddle. I lov my Skito!
http://www.skito.net/


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## Horsiezz (Apr 7, 2010)

WallTenters said:
			
		

> I love chit-chatting tack with anyone that will listen
> 
> The photo of my mare (in fact many of my photos of her) are with the uber comfortable saddle that is in fact my mother's saddle. She's owned it over 20 years, and it's still in perfect shape. It speaks volumes to the great quality that leather saddles can be.
> 
> ...


Can you give me more information on this saddle? What do they usually cost? I will be needing a new saddle soon,one that is comfortable and cheaper,and preferabbly not with a saddle horn(but still has the western look). And this seems like the saddle for me.


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## michickenwrangler (Apr 7, 2010)

Abetta can be ordered from most catalogs. The endurance style has semi-quarter horse bars, designed for a slimmer, higher withered horse than most quarter horses. I know Abetta does make western saddles with full or regular QH bars, but you may need to do some searching for an endurance saddle like that since most endurance horses are slimmer with higher withers than most QHs


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## Horsiezz (Apr 7, 2010)

michickenwrangler said:
			
		

> Abetta can be ordered from most catalogs. The endurance style has semi-quarter horse bars, designed for a slimmer, higher withered horse than most quarter horses. I know Abetta does make western saddles with full or regular QH bars, but you may need to do some searching for an endurance saddle like that since most endurance horses are slimmer with higher withers than most QHs


Okay thanks!


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