Dear Jessica-- I'm a new subscriber. You are wonderfully able to weave together all of the best principles of horsemanship and combine them with common sense. Thank you for sharing your sound advice.
I'm hoping you can help me to find a secure, comfortable, balanced trail saddle for recreational riding--one that won't cost more than my horse did (she was $750). I want it to feel just like my dressage saddle but give me more confidence in new potentially spooky situations and when going up and down hill (we live in a fairly mountainous area).
I'm a 45-year old advanced beginner, taking dressage lessons on my own 7-year old Arabian (together we have more than one clue, so we are doing OK). I like my Wintec "Pro" dressage saddle (it fits my horse well and only bites me when I'm sitting the trot incorrectly) for arena work. But I would like to have something a little more secure for trail riding--hopefully still with a balanced seat and good contact. I've tried a bunch of western saddles (one an A-betta, and a few barrel saddles), and they all feel big (wide in the twist) and ungainly to me.
I haven't found anything on your web page mentioning treeless saddles like the Bob Marshall Sportsaddle, and wondered what your opinion is of these. I'm also interested to know what you think of the Synergist saddle--although the latter is out of my price range. But I think these two styles might position me more as my dressage saddle does.
Since I've had good luck with Wintecs fitting my horse, perhaps I should consider a Wintec endurance, western or out-back models. In your opinion, are they "balanced" and do they have a narrow twist?
Do you have other suggestions for me?
One last question--since endurance riders don't generally have horns on their saddles, I guess the horn must get in the way. I think a horn is handy for hanging stuff on--but when I'm feeling insecure, I always reach for mane. Do you think a horn has any benefits for recreational trail riding?
Please help!! I'm tired of buying, trying and selling saddles (always at a loss!), and my husband is convinced that I'll never be happy.
Thank you in advance for your help. Lucy
Hi Lucy! If your Wintec fits your horse well and you're comfortable in it, that's a very good sign and gives you a basis for comparison.
You might want to try the Wintec endurance model, which will spread your weight over a larger area and make your horse more comfortable on long rides. You might also like the Wintec "outback stockman" model, which will help you stay with the horse on hills -- those poleys can make a huge difference to your security! Wintecs are relatively inexpensive (I think the outback model retails for around $500), and are much better quality than the sort of leather saddle that you'd be able to purchase NEW for a comparable price. You could look for a good used leather saddle in the $500-750 range, but the best ones will be at the upper end of that range, and you're unlikely to have the same range of choices (tree width, seat size, and style) when you're looking for used saddles.
Saddle horns not only get in the way, they can get in your stomach, quite painfully, whilst you're going up and down hills, especially if you are moving at speed, and most especially if there are sharp turns involved. If you're not roping, there's no need for a saddle horn. Endurance and outback-style saddles come with a great assortment of O-rings and D-rings, and you'll be able to attach all manner of things to your saddle without having a horn in the way.
The Western saddles do tend to be wider in the twist, and most of them will put your leg in front of you. Notable exceptions: Fred Miller saddles and John Fallis saddles -- but both of these are expensive!
I've seen only two examples of the SportSaddle in action, and although I liked it, I don't know how well it would serve over the years. Both of the horses that wore the saddles became sore-backed after a few months, but I don't know whether that was the fault of the saddles or whether it was a reflection of the fact that the horses were both in heavy training and getting steadily wider in the back.
I haven't been at all impressed with the trees of, or the idea behind, the Synergist saddles, although I'll admit that their advertising is catchy. ;-) If I were shopping for something along those lines (stirrups hung farther back than on most Western saddles), I'd go for a Miller or Fallis saddle -- but again, that's getting into expensive territory.
So I'd stick with the Wintec idea if I were you. The outback and endurance models will both allow you to sit in the same position as your dressage saddle, but with more security. ;-)
Jessica
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