Trail saddles

[Becky]

Curious what type of trail saddle everyone rides in. I trained for my first ride in a big western show saddle but rode the competitive ride in a Stubben Siegfried jump saddle. Next came an Ortho Flex that I still ride in. I liked the Ortho Flex better before I had it refit with the System II after I had a "horse wreck" with it.

[Tracey Smith]

I ride in a big horn brand endurance saddle, which is a western style endurance saddle. I love it as I feel very balanced and it is lightweight and a good fit for my horse.

I do have a wintec dressage saddle as well as a western trail saddle that I sometimes ride in for recreational trail riding, but when it's time for a competitive ride ONLY the endurance saddle will do.

Sadly my endurnace saddle, which I bought used 5 years ago when I started distance riding is getting close to needing to be retired. It's been repaired NUMBEROUS times so it's about done.

I've looked at and tried several other styles and brands of saddles, but so far have not found anything I like better so I might end up just ordering myself a brand new big horn since I am used to it and know it works.

[Ari]

For the rides I've been on I used a stubben all purpose-leaning towards dressage saddle, not certain what name it has because I bought it used and it was rubbed off.

[Diana]

We've used a variety of saddles over the years. Generally what fits the horse best and rider comfort is thrown out the window.

We've used Stubbens: Rex, Tristan and Wotan; plus a Passier (70 year old hunt saddle) and a military style (not McLellan but similar, no brand name on it).

Right now the Appy in my photo uses the Passier, she has a weirdly shaped back and that is the saddle that fits her best. Last year we bought a HAF pad to go under it and have had some amazing freedom in her shoulder since then plus quicker cooling.

[Ann Hatfield]

Hi all,

I have not ridden in competition for a few years, am just on the trail now for pleasure but may return to some form of competition in the next couple of years. i own a variety of English and Western saddles, and have competed in old Wintecs that fit my mare of the time very well, and an ancient plantation saddle that fit one Arab very well. It was an unpadded, punishing old brute of saddle for me, even when my behind was in condition, and I used to have to put a piece of sheepskin on it. Have had luck in the past in endurance with treeless saddles. The first one was custom made for me, was somewhat like a hybrid Sport Saddle with western cantle and rounded pommel. Stirrups were fixed a bit too far forward, just an inch or so. Have just bought from Nickers Saddlery in Penticton, BC a hybrid and find it the most comfortable saddle ever. Apparently the horses think so, too, and it fits all the various shapes of horse, in cindition and out of shape. It isn't very high in the withers, though. The Barefoot brand treeless saddles that I have seen are higher in the gullet. I think the cost is comparable $1000 to about $1600. I liked the custom fitting to the rider of the Nickers, not sure if Barefoot does this. Ann

[Dianne Finnerty]

I currently am using the Abetta Endurance saddle with the padded stirrups. It is very comfortable, fits my TB and my Morab/Appy mare, both who are very structurally different from each other! AND is washes down with the garden hose.

[Ann Hatfield]

When you say padded stirrups do you mean ones with a dense foam pad under the ball of your foot or are they padded other areas as well?

[Diane Blakeman]

Hey Becky, saddles are a huge topic around where I live. I just spent over two yrs. trying to find the right saddle for my horse and myself. I wound up pulling an old roping saddle out of my neighbors shed. I t had been altered so it had a 21in tree with a 15in seat, exactly what we needed. I have further altered it by removing most of the rear skirting, the horn, and changing the rigging. It has been therapy for my horse and I have made a pad for the top because the twist was wide for me and now have changed the stirups. It is thanks to this saddle that me and my horse are doing 25 mile rides and we just did one 30 mile. One of the best things is that all together it only cost $300.00. I have several friends who swear by their drassage saddles for trail. Most of the western riders use barrel racing saddles, they are built for women with a narrower twist.