My daugter has been riding English style for years, she finally bought a horse. Problem is, I have a horse in the back yard and she needs a saddle (plus about everything else.

Here at Oklahoma State, the Equestrian team only use top-notch stuff... really expensive. My daughter really only wants to be sure the stuff is real leather, and good (she's not a champion rider at this point). The tack dealer they use is probaly too "good" for us.

On Ebay, I see leather saddles selling for less than $200 and it includes extras.

Any good ones I should be searching for? or avoiding?

Your kidding right?:D

It's probably as important that the saddle fit the horse as the person. At a seminar I saw a horse that had never moved freely for the rider. The lady was using a saddle built by a Germand "professional" specifically for this horse. The lady putting on the seminar, noticed immediately that the saddle was pinching the horses withers. A little padding in the right places made an amazing difference in the way the horse moved. Old saddles can look like new but be so dried out that they will tear along the stitch lines like a postage stamp. Don't buy a saddle that you can't inspect and try out. You can waste a lot of money. My wife was into tack repair for a few years and saw many of the problems that can crop up.

Your kidding right?:D
No, this is horse country. I don't know squat about horse tack (although I grew up in Texas) and my daughter learned English riding. Maybe this should have gone into the off-topic forum :confused:
Don't buy a saddle that you can't inspect and try out. You can waste a lot of money. My wife was into tack repair for a few years and saw many of the problems that can crop up.
Crop up... funny.. ;) Thanks for the advice, but what amazed me was that NEW saddles are cheap on Ebay. Although my daughter speaks with authority, she doesn't always seem to really know that much either. I am going to inspect the saddle and tack offered by Trophy Tack (trophytack.com) but $800 vs $200 seems huge right now.

my wife rides english here in NC. she is deployed at the moment, but i will ask her. she has gone as far as eventing, but never was a "rich kid", so she might have some good advice for ya. i will get back to you when i get an answer. might even be able to get her to talk to ya directly.

No, this is horse country. I don't know squat about horse tack (although I grew up in Texas) and my daughter learned English riding. Maybe this should have gone into the off-topic forum :confused:

No,put it where you want. Just kinda figured if you wanted info on Chevelles or cars in general youd go to this message board or another automotive board. If you wanted advice on horses youd probly get more and better advice from a forum that deals with horses and such.

But hey,what do I know. Im a gearhead,not a cowboy. I think they make glue out of horses,dont they??

Cool post.

I learned to ride bare-back with a halter as an early teenager and finally our neighbor up the road that had three Tenn. Walkers let me use his English Saddle.

I thought his horses were just that until he got them to show point or whatever you call it when they stretch out and raise their heads and tails.

He jumped on one and got it to "walking" and it was something b/c I had never seen a Tenn. Walking Horse walk before...

Can you try to find somebody to help you find something that is decent that your daughter won't be ashamed of and yet, not going to cost you a pound of flesh??

pdq67

my wife rides english here in NC. she is deployed at the moment, but i will ask her. she has gone as far as eventing, but never was a "rich kid", so she might have some good advice for ya. i will get back to you when i get an answer. might even be able to get her to talk to ya directly.
Great! I'd like some advice from a rider... mostly if a cheap leather saddle is too cheap, or if the expensive ones are just not worth it for the average rider.

From the daughter of Cam:

Hello there! I, being a fairly experienced ;) horsewoman myself, can be of some help.

Firstly, A good saddle does not have to be leather. Synthetic saddles are twice as easy to clean, and are a lot more comfortable for the rider, and lighter and easier on the horse's back. Secondly, Wintec is a great brand to buy if you want a good all-purpose saddle (Which is what you should be starting with.) You won't be able to get any new saddles for $200 or less, however, if you buy a used saddle (provided it's clean and has all it's billet straps etc.) it will be eaier to break in and can go as low as $100. If you want to order online www.doversaddlery.com (http://www.doversaddlery.com) has a great selection, or
www.horsetack.com (http://www.horsetack.com).

Hoping this helps,
Melissa

p.s. The fit saddle-to-horse depends on what breed,age and gender the horse is.

More informatio would help in giving a answer. Is your daughter showing? If so what type of showing? Saddle fit for both the horse and rider MUST be taken into consideraton. Has she taken lessons? If so inlist the thoughts of her instructor. Learn about leather quality. I have seen some inexpensive leather saddles that were good looking and comfortable. How comited is your daughter? Does she spend every possible moment with her/or someone elses horse? Does she like to clean tack? Does she groom the horse just to be doing something with the horse? Does she read books on horses? try to learn better ways interacting with her horse? All these are signs of a serious love of horses not just a passing passion. I would not start off with the cheapest or the most expensive. Look for a good used saddle. It is well worth the time. Just like a new car as soon as you own it the value goes down. While I did not tell you any specific's of what to buy I hope I gave you some food for thought. Wife of Grey Beard

Cam's daughter is spot on with her answer. A Wintec is the way to go for starters. they are a great synthetic saddle. My wife rides and has had both leather and synthetic. The Wintec is her preference. There will be plenty of time to spend way too much money on a leather show saddle later. In between shots, shoeing,feeding, more shots, shoeing etc...

And you thought cars were expensive, horses need fuel 24/7. On the good side my wife never questions how much I spend on my car or Harley.

He, He!!

I was cooking for the Mexico, MO's JC Chapter at a horse show event the Chapter resurrected years ago and I took a break and went over and stood behind a couple of older guys talking, sitting in front of a M/B and a great big fancy P/U right next to the arena. (Btw, Mexico, MO is the Horse Capital of the Country, believe it or not!)....

Anyway, one guy asked the other if his daughter was showing and the other guy said, no, that her horse was still at school, (Stephens College, Columbia, MO), but that next time she would be.

And the other guy said, yes, I know what you mean about a horse at school b/c it must run me $50,000/year for my daughter's horse hobby!! Just as matter-a-factly!!

I liked ta fell over AND both of the guys were as serious as a heart attack!!

Talk about OLD/BIG money!!

pdq67

Wow! Great replies. First let me assure you "wife of greybeard" that my daughter is quite serious. She's been riding and taking lessons for over eight years (that's half her life). She has shown several times, with a bundle of ribbons. She is hoping to learn jumping, and has RECENTLY purchased a 4-yr-old gelding quarter-horse that is 15.3 hands and fairly green. The guy who sold her the horse only wanted the trailer, but had to buy the horse with it (?). She has a sincere love of horses, and has a passion for proper training. Horses have been probably the most important aspect of her life. She has volunteered, and eventually coordinated and managed, events at a therapuetic acadamy of riding when we lived in TN. She grooms, mucks, and has spent countless hours cleaning tack.

BUT... now we live in OK, and her previous instructor in TN has told her to purchase a leather saddle. Although she has used a Wintec saddle and admitted they were "comfortable" she is reluctant to buy synthetic because of this advice.

This is where I come in. I want to get her the equipment she needs as a gift, but don't want to spend too much. I checked online (thanks Melissa!) and was amazed at the price disparities. Sorry if this sounds cheap, but I've already spent a lot on this horse, and we are getting ready to purchase a house on some property specifically so she can keep the horse on our land. We could have a bought a much nicer house closer to work, but I want to support my daughter's passion. I see new synthetics for $300 or less (including additional tack) and I see leather saddles on Ebay selling NEW for $200. (AAARGH!)

So today I'm going to look at about $650 worth of used saddle & tack from Trophy Tack, who supplies equipment to Ok-state, the former NCAA champion equestrian team. My gut feeling is that this is better than I need, and probably focused on jumping, rather than all-purpose. My wife just wants to "buy it" to get it over with, but I'm not quite ready to fork-over that much cash... especially when I NEED a MIG-welder ;) Maybe I'll get lucky and the stuff won't fit the horse.

My step daughter is a professional barrel racer and traveles all over the place to these shows that cost alot of money, sometimes she wins some big money but it never pays even close to what they have in $$ for all the stuff they have. We have 10 horses and I dont do squat with them they are the wife and daughters hobby and all I can say it its way more expensive than restoring a few Chevelle's. I bet my wife have over 200K tied up in just fricking horses & I see her saddles in the house that I know cost $5K each and I bet their is 8 other saddles in the tac room in the barn. Just 2 months ago we had to put down a very expensive horse thank god she had insurance on the horse.

alright here is the answer from the wifey. mind you i dunno a thing about horses, but she knows her stuff. so i am just the messenger here (so cut me some slack if ya'll dissagree with what she has to say). here it is:

Tell the guy that the most important thing is that the saddle fit the horse. For example, for a quarter horse, she’ll need a saddle with a wider tree and pommel so that it doesn’t pinch her horse’s withers. There are internet sites our there that will help her match her horse’s measurements to the saddle specs. Buying saddles based on pictures is hard, but there are a few main things to look for. The stitching- especially on the flap to make sure that it’s not frayed or loose, any discoloration on the leather, especially the flaps and the cantle means that it’s dry, but that’s not necessarily a deal breaker, leather conditioner does a lot. Cracked leather, though should be avoided- it would be a waste of his money. The best way to check that the flocking is in good shape from a picture is to look at it sitting on an even saddle rack from the rear- it should be even and level. I wouldn’t buy the girth and leathers used. Leathers stretch unevenly over time, so she’d be starting off out of balance- and a good quality girth is a must. My first English saddle was about 15 years old and lasted forever with minimal re-stitching and a lot of conditioning.

It does indeed sound like your daughter is serious! While I can understand your wanting to suprise your daughter with the gift of a saddle,I would be reluctand to buy a saddle with our taking into consideration if it fits her horse AND her. It it does not fit the horse,the problems are endless! From bad behaviour to right down pain an improper saddle can cause a horse. Some horses will put up with bad saddle fit and some rebel with behavior all the way from bucking to not wanting to move forward due to pain. If she is primarly focused on jumping then buy a saddle for jumping only. I rode for over 10yrs with a Wintec endurance saddle,trail riding in the MTs of WA. The ease of care can't be beat. Hose it off! In some area's of the US in the show ring Leather is the only exceptable type of saddle to be used. Judges and instructor's do not seem to think anything esle represents a serious rider. Really though my main concern for you purchasing a saddle with out the horse or your daughter in on the purchase is the fit of both the rider and horse. That does NOT mean the saddle has to be expensive! I recently rode in a CHEAP leather dressage saddle that my brother picked up at a local tack shop. IT was MORE comfortable than a MUCH more expensive saddle I had owned! The saddle was used. New cheaper leather is stiffer and takes some time to break in. Some of the leathers used today in Dressage saddles that are sought after do not require a break in period. BUT these type of leathers do not last as long. One more suggestion,some time the seller of a used saddle will allow you to return it if it does not fit both the horse and the rider. We have not discussed the seat size of the saddle your daughter would need,that HAS to be taken into consideration. To big and she will feel like she is sliding around,too small and she will be cramped and unable to get a proper form which can be critical to jumping correctly and SAFELY. I admire you for supporting her love of horses. It was my Dad who got me started. Best of luck in quest! Wife of Grey Beard

From the daughter of Cam a.k.a Melissa:
For future ref: (Of course my head is humungous from the thank you :D ) If your daughter hasn't started jumping yet, all purpose saddles can be comfortably used to jump up to two feet. I started learning that way, as did most of my instructors who now jump 7 feet or over. In any case, don't get top of the line tack if she can't use it to it's fullest.

OK I'm gonna pull my Daughter into the loop and we are going to make this purchase together. I have been having trouble getting this tack shop to contact me, and I wonder if there is a miscommunication or something (?). They were supposed to call me by Tuesday. Today (Sat) I still ahven't heard form them. I guess I'll try one more call.

IMO, a synthetic saddle makes sense for now. When she doesn't have as much homework to do she can work tack all night if she wants to. I'll purchase the girth and leathers new anyway, as the online prices are better than the local prices.

Thanks everyone. What a great bunch of people.

Waaaay cooool thread!!

AND looking back, And even to this day, I miss "Browny", the Gilding I learned to ride bare back on as a pup after Dad left us!!

pdq67