Does anybody know where I can find a halfway decent quality saddle for like under 0? I am currently using my college's saddles for my horse (which I love- he is in a Medium 17 1/2 County Connection for dressage and a County jumping saddle- I forget which kind). I have a synthetic jumping saddle (Dover Saddlery) right now and it is a medium, but it doesn't fit him anywhere near as well as the County's. A saddle that fits really well is a high priority because he has some issues at the moment that need to be worked through and tends to "buck/rear" with a saddle that fits him like it was made for him. Is that a really inexpensive saddle that will fit like a high quality saddle? I'm thinking that a wide tree saddle will probably be better for him since he has some muscling up to do and will pad it with a matess pad until he is more fit. Here's a picture of him- No Limits Dreamer. Thanks!
http://www.houghton.edu/equestrian/meet_horses.htm
I forgot to mention that the seat size needs to be a 17.5 or an 18 because of the length of his back. He also has skidrow pannels on his current saddle because of gaps behind his shoulders. If someone can find or knows of a saddle that is a medium but fits like a M/W that would be fine too.
Thanks. Yeah, he is very hard to fit and this is a hard transition for me to make. I am used to riding in really nice, high quality saddles that are made to fit each horse so this is a hard transition to make and to have a very small budget that is really only big enough to accomodate junky saddles. If I can get a Wintec to fit him that is probably what I am going to end up with, even though I wish I could find an inexpensive used County or Albion someone wants to sell- I just love them- they are so comfortable. I'm going to miss having one! Thanks everyone!
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a few suggestions for you. First, if you can find a used Wintec, this would give you the most options for fit. Another option is try to TRY used saddles from a local saddler, or from two stores I’ve been to that have used saddles you can try by mail. Rick’s Heritage Saddlery in PA and Pelham Saddlery in MA.
I do not recommend you purchase a saddle off of ebay or a saddle you can’t return if it doesn’t fit. You have a very hard horse to fit and a low budget, so this is not easy! I also have a horse with a long back and huge dents on both sides of his high withers. A wide cut back saddle fit in many ways, but left hands sized holes in those shoulder dents, which were from a previous owner’s poor fitting saddle. I tried so many saddles on him! I finally bought a Barefoot treeless saddle (barefootsaddle.com) which allowed for his withers, and had room to muscle up. A year later and he’s muscled up and the dents are filling in. You might be able to find a similar treeless saddle (mine is a dressage model) used or you can at least try one new from the company and return it if it’s not comfortable.
Special padding might make a wider saddle if the horse until he fills in, but padding up around these atrophied muscles will put more pressure on them and they may not come back easily. It will be a challenge to find a balanced saddle that will fit. Even a used leather saddle will likely need reflocked to fit a new horse and that’s about $100 there. Stay away from saddles with cheap foam stuffed panels or Argentine and Indian leather. Used junk is still junk!GL
Eddie is beautiful! I was in the exact same situation. I put an ad in the paper and got a great used saddle, which was soft and well broken in but in excellent condition. It was a German made saddle and I could never, ever have afforded it new, but the gal who sold it to me did not ride anymore and she solid it to me for only $175. You could try Craig’s list, too. I got a lot of responses to my ad in the paper, so I had quite a few to pick from. I also got a wonderful Western Saddle for $25 that is the only Western Saddle I’ve ever liked, it was so comfortable.
http://www.statelinetack.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=SLT700922%201650
Have you looked on ebay?
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=dressage+saddle&category0=
Try eBay. But’s it’s very unlikely you’ll find a dressage saddle in any useful condition under $200. Good Luck!
P.S.
The best cheap saddles are all-synthetic. Take a look at Wintec. http://www.wintec.net.au
You might want to try this consignment store – they have all items listed online and will ship anywhere in the US. The actual store is located in Buffalo, Minnesota.
http://stores.ebay.com/Windward-Farm
My aunt sold her saddle there, and my cousin bought her show outfit there. They have very nice tack and other things.
Otherwise save up and buy a good saddle! You can buy a good dressage saddle for around $400, you’ll have trouble finding one for $200 or under. Good luck.
Buy a used one. I recently bought a used saddle off ebay, it is working out wonderfully!
There are probably used tack stores in your area, you can also check one of them out. They usually have reasonably priced used ones.
Wintec are GREAT! not too expensive, but good quality.
Plus they have the changable gullet and extra little things to get a better fit.
But in saying that, if you are looking at under $200 you will probably have to get second hand to get a good quality.
Oh, another one that I have read about but never ridden in so I cant say how good it is, is a Kent saddle… some of their basic dressage are around the $200 (dont think thats mounted though…)
Good Luck!