How Many Saddles For How Many Horses Do You Have?, western & english Options

[Austrian Western...]

I'm just wondering this - and I'd love to see pics of saddles *lol*

I have 2 horses and 2 saddles. 1 horse ist only 2, I'm going to start him under saddle next spring. So, I use 2 saddles for 1 horse right now. Which ever I prefer (I have a Circle Y Reining and a Circle Y Team Penning saddle.)


So, how about you?? Why do you use only one / more then one saddle?

[Kristina]

All I have is a cheap synthetic Western Abetta saddle that I got 5 years ago when I got my first horse. I'd love to have a leather one but until that is in the budget I am stuck with only 1 saddle for one horse. It's ok for short trail rides of 2 hours or less but any longer and it starts getting uncomfortable for me.

[glm0711]

I have 2 saddles and one horse, soon to be two horses!!!

I have a middle of the road (quality wise) english saddle which is what I mostly ride in. I aquired a western saddle this summer. Its a pretty cheap saddle, but I use it when I trail ride with my "western" friends.

[SpottedTApps]

I don't know if I want to answer this question. I try not to keep track of how many horses I have nor how many saddles.

I have 7 horses, but one is a weanling.

I have an excuse. 4 of them are 16+ and have earned their retirement with me, so I could never send them on their way. 2 of them are 4 & 5, my up and coming long term horses. And the weanling of course.

Saddles, well I barrel race and rein, so I have a lot of saddles.

I have my Lynn McKenzie that my ex hubby bought me 8 years ago. I custom ordered it and love it. It is worth more NOW than when we bought it. I will not part with it.


I have a cheapie barrel saddle that I won in 2000 and I use it as my "colt" saddle and extra saddle. It fits most horses, but is nothing special, yet I won't part with it either.


I have this cheapie barrel saddle that I won a couple of weeks a go. It is my 5 year old's first prize and I have yet to set it on a horse. Will probably put it on a stand in the house and leave it set.


I have a Long Horn all around saddle I bought used when I started in working cow horse. It is a great saddle, but since I purchased a new one I have no real use for it, so it is for sale at the local feed store.


The saddle I bought to replace it is a new Rico's Custom Cowhorse saddle. I love it, other than it paints my butt black.


I also have a 17" Billy Cook cutting saddle that has HUGE sentimental value to me. It belonged to a very good friend and mentor who passed away about 3 years ago. I was able to purchase it as a memento. I rode and showed in it for a year or so, but it is too big for me. Now it sits in my house. I'll never part with it either.


Other than that, just a dressage saddle of unkown identity that I seem to have inherited from an old boarder.

So I guess that means I technically have 7 horses and 7 saddles, not that each horse has a specific saddle or anything. In fact, only 1 has a saddle that is only hers. The reining/cowhorse.

[ExtraHannah]

I've got two riding horses and four saddles, each with matching headstalls. I keep thinking I should sell at least one, but just can't bring myself to do it.

I have a Klimke-Miller dressage saddle and a Crosby SofRide all-purpose. Those are the two that I use the most, as they are most comfortable to me. It just depends on my mood. I bought the Crosby for Gulliver when I got him, as he needs a wide tree. I bought the Klimke because it was an amazing deal, used, and it too has a wide tree, so fits Gulliver and Rommie. I thought it was going to be Rommie's, but she's still not going under saddle. We showed Gully hunter last summer, but I think he would be better at dressage. So, if we can get some dressage lessons in, I may be using the dressage more often.

Then I have a TexTan Flex trail/pleasure western saddle. I bought that years ago for Gully, since I thought at that point we were going to start trail riding. It's nice to have a western for that, as it's much easier to attach saddle bags and such. I hardly ever use it currently, but I keep thinking I may start trail riding regularly at any moment. And, it would be a good saddle for Joe to learn in if we ever get around to that. He refuses to ride in an english saddle as he thinks it looks girly.

Lastly, I have a treeless Barefoot saddle. I bought that because I thought my other saddles might be interfering with Tigo's shoulders and that's why he wouldn't gait. Plus I didn't want to get Tigo a saddle that fit while he was fat and then have to replace it if I ever got him into shape. Turns out he just doesn't like to gait, period. The saddle made no difference at all. But, I like having something that will fit pretty much any horse in any condition, so that one stays too.

This post has been edited by ExtraHannah: Oct 30 2009, 10:17 AM

[Austrian Western...]

SPottedTApps - wow, I like ALL of your saddles a lot, but the Lynn McKenzie is simply great!! I'd love to have one simular to this one day.

This post has been edited by Austrian Westernrider: Oct 30 2009, 10:23 AM

[mrs]

I have two ropers, a barrel saddle, another roper on loan from my mom (wider tree), and a old comfy trail saddle on permanent loan (I found it in the bottom of their storage shed...upside down with piles of junk on top of it so I took it home and cleaned it up and started using it. I told them when they want it back they can have it. LOL

My favorite saddle is my custom roper. It was made by Billy Kenney in Iowa. It has a cut away skirt for closer contact. My only complaint with this saddle is that I had it made back when I was riding a TON of two year olds and I only had her put a SQH tree in it. It's pretty narrow for a lot of the older "colts" I ride now. I paid $100 a pay check forEVER to pay this saddle off but I love it and still use it all the time. It fits most horses except the really wide horses I've been riding lately (Vista and Jake)
Dazzle modeling


This is my Courts roper. I bought it for an ex-boyfriend and kept the saddle. I got the better end of the deal. I never use this saddle. It's about 7 years old and not even broke in. I really need to sell this one.
Little Rat (now Roc) modeling



Here's my barrel saddle. It's a Rico.
Dazzle running around like a lunatic.



This is the Herford roper mom loaned me. It has a bigger seat for my hubby and a wider tree for those halter bred horses I've been riding lately.
Diamond modeling. He was standing on a pretty good slope there. He looks funny.



This is the saddle I rescued from the shed. No idea what the brand is on this. It's plain but very comfy actually!
Jake modeling.


And then I have my pleather Wintec All-purpose.
Needza modeling. The saddle is sitting a little too forward in this picture. I've been shown how to set it better now.


Oh, I forgot. I also have another really old Circle Y barrel saddle that I'm not even going to try to find a picture of. I "loaned" it to my husband's sister for her kids to use. They are using the crap out of it so I don't expect to ever need it back.

ETA: I have one horse right now that's a keepr. Dazzle. Other than that my numbers vary through out the year. Right now I have three total (WOW!) but try not to get above 5. My mom and my husband's dad both raise horses so I have an unending supply technically. Although mom's program has moved to pretty highly bred horses that go to "real" trainers to be shown now days. She still raises me a project or two though. I'd rather ride her horses than anything.

This post has been edited by mrs: Oct 30 2009, 10:44 AM

[SpottedTApps]

Mrs..... I'll trade ya my long horn for your rico. ;)

[rc_rosealetta]

I have 4 saddles for 1 horse....BUT...2 are show saddles and 2 are work saddles.
1: A medium quality english saddle for just general english riding
2:A high end english saddle that lives in my bedroom for showing
3: A medium quality western work saddle
4. My circle Y show saddle/ arabian saddle

[mrs]

Mrs..... I'll trade ya my long horn for your rico. ;)

You know, I'd actually consider that if your Longhorn didn't have text on it. I hate the writing, even on good trophy saddles. I'm looking for a 16/16.5 inch seat for my hubby. I'd trade my Rico or my Courts for something good.

[manesntails]

Millie, my mule has an Aussie saddle (picture in my siggy) and a Western endurance saddle with tapaderos:


Then I have a CircleY show saddle, Bob Marshall Western Saddle, Wide Draft size Aussie Saddle, A narrow western saddle, and my Favorite Western saddle is a Frost, A-fork Center Ride with a Steele flex tree and bucking rolls.

Then I have a baretek and a Natural Ride bareback pad.

I never know what I'll need to fit, as far as saddles go, so, I keep these because, at least one of them will fit just about any horse that comes along.

Forgot to add: I have a 13h mule, a 14.3h Appendix QH and a Haflinger. The Hafie is only broke to drive, haven't ridden him but, I have had him saddled and the wide Aussie fits him well.

This post has been edited by manesntails: Oct 30 2009, 10:36 AM

[HoofsinMotion]

I have 4 saddles for myself, Hubby has a real cheap one. Mine are nothing fancy, but are as old as I am. No fancy names on them, so I don't even know who made them.

This one is a older one


This is my favorite one.


This is the one I ride in the most.


The real cheap one.


I guess I only like the ones with oak leafs on them. I have none with flowers. Maybe someday I should buy me a new one. Oh and I have 2 horses that I ride now and 1 that is not broke yet. Hubby is horseless right now.

[kitten-kat]

I have 2 kids with me, Daniel himself has 2 saddles, about to be 3, and Tawny will soon have her own saddle.. so 4 for 2 horses.. I am a true blue bareback rider and oddly enough the older i get the more i prefer bareback over saddle.. saddles require my body to conform too much.. and well honestly my back cant do it that often..

Daniels saddles consist of 1 aussie, 19 inch seat, (17 inch by western standards) an 8 inch tree and a 2.5 inch gullet.. it took me FOREVER to find one that fit the boy.. It is comfy, but just not hte same as bareback..


1 colorado natural ride bareback, my ultimate favorite saddle to use.. I use it for pretty much all my trail rides, I use it for the lessons with the kids, and well I use it a lot.. I think I need to get another for when I wear this one out.


soon to be 1 western ( an older herferd ) and hopefully someday soon an english so I can ride him in both disaplines at shows.. (i do the easy pleasure aspects.. cant handle any more than that.)
Tawny's is a teeny tiny western fo the little kids.

This post has been edited by kitten-kat: Oct 30 2009, 11:35 AM

[Austrian Western...]

here are mine:

my Circle Y Reining saddle I use for shows and arena work most of the time:


And my Circle Y Team Penner. I use it for Trail riding. Love that thing. Fit every horse i put it on so far.

[redneckcowgirlmn]

1 16" barrel saddle, fits my blue horse & my half arab,
1 15" old beat up round skirt, fits my QH mare, the fox trotter & the little pony,
1 14" barrel saddle, fits the arab & the other pony,
1 17" Big Horn Cordura, "Kinda fits" the blue, the arab & the other pony, with the right pad, for puddle & swimming excursions,
1 17" English saddle, fits everyone pretty well,
one dinky little pony saddle that doesn't really fit anyone, but with a big fat pad under it, it's good enough for the 6 yr old to ride for a bit, as long as I can find a cinch that goes all the way around. (Kinda resembles a bra on a watermelon when I put it on my QH mare, lol!)

[kitten-kat]

(Kinda resembles a bra on a watermelon when I put it on my QH mare, lol!)
ROFLMAO

[redneckcowgirlmn]

(Kinda resembles a bra on a watermelon when I put it on my QH mare, lol!)
ROFLMAO

It DOES!!! See?

[kitten-kat]

too cute... way toooooo cute. LOL

[MidMopaints]

I have 7 horses and 1 of those is a weanling and 2 are 29 and 30.

I have 1 barrel racing saddle made by fabtron (not the best but I make do) 16
1 black roping/trail saddle 16-17inch
1 western pleasure training saddle 16
1 Laurent english saddle 16.5
1 Show Western saddle all blinged out 16 is approx 4yrs old and maybe has been used 4 times LOL.

[Lindsay H]

I have 4 saddles for one horse, haha. I love tack! I ride a lot of other people's horses though, so all of them have a purpose.

I have 2 Pro Riders that I won, 1 Blue Ridge that was also won, and a synthetic Abetta saddle for trails. And hopefully I'll be getting a new one for Christmas! I love them all :)

[ExtraHannah]

Other than that, just a dressage saddle of unkown identity that I seem to have inherited from an old boarder.

I totally want to see pictures of you riding one of your very cool barrel horses in that dressage saddle SpottedT!

[paintpony1]

well, my personal saddle is a pessoa. i don't know anything else about it, lol! i feel most comfortable in that though, and by some miracle fits every horse i put it on, which isnt a huge variety, all ponies, once in a blue moon my sisters warmblood.

[meeker_gurl8789]

I have 4 saddles for 3 horse but i only ride one horse lol i was ridding Leo but i want to retire him next year and only ride my new guy Dakota but then once Hawk gets older he will have his pony saddle...

[goatmom]

I have 2 horses and 3 saddles.

This one is a SRS barrel.


This is my "new" saddle that I got in March. Figured after 32 years I deserved a new one. It is a High Horse Big Springs trail. I love this saddle! If you are wanting a Tucker but don't want to pay the high price this is the saddle to get. Made by the same company. Can't tell the difference except for the name on the latigo keeper.


This last one is my very first saddle. I bought in 1977 at Sheplers when they were a real western store before Harry passed away. It is a Simco Pleasure. It has been through several different horses. Never had a problem with fit. I will never part with this baby. I turned those stirrups the day I brought it home and have never touched them since.


This post has been edited by goatmom: Oct 30 2009, 01:52 PM

[Mia'sMom]

Well....At one point in time I had 5 saddles and one horse, LOL. My oldest saddle is my enlish Whippy, it's at least 30, and so well made it will never die - I won't part with it. I sold my Tex Tan 16" western and my 13" TexTan kid/barrel saddle because they weren't being used, and I had found my dream saddle, which is my Stubben Seigfried - another I won't sell. I also sold my Aussie endurance after I sold my mare because it fit my friend's mare so well and I wasn't using it. She loves it!

So right now I have my Whippy and my Stubben. 2 saddles/ no horse. The Stubben fits the short WIDE Qtr types I love, and the Whippy fits the rangy/narrower types I also love.

My legs are so short I have two options - short/wide or narrow/taller horses. Otherwise I feel like the horse can't feel my legs or that I'm doing the splits!!!!

[SpottedTApps]

I totally want to see pictures of you riding one of your very cool barrel horses in that dressage saddle SpottedT!

Ask....





and ye shall recieve.




but then... there is this one of the real barrel horse, National Champ.... jumping. She LOVED to jump. :)

[sddeadeye]

I have one saddle and one horse. The saddle is a Circle Y Park & Trail. I really like the weight and comfortableness of it, but with semi QH bars, it doesn't fit alot of the wider horses I ride. I would like to get a roping saddle this summer with full QH bars. If I do get a second saddle, I will still keep this one as it does fit young horses very well.



Wow that is an unflattering picture of Diesel when I first got him. I really need to get out with my camera more often!

Here is the saddle when I got it, on my AQHA filly. Really wish I never would have parted with her.


This post has been edited by sddeadeye: Oct 30 2009, 02:03 PM

[Apps4Life]

Lets see.. I have 5 saddles and 4 riding horses.

1-17" Rocking R Training Saddle, FQHB
1-17" Rocking R Barrel Saddle, FQHB
1-16" Buffalo Saddlery Barrel Saddle, SQHB
1-16" Big Horn Synthetic (my grandma's, just keep forgetting to take it back), SQHB
1-17" No Name Cheap AP/Dressage Saddle

I have 6 horses at the moment (hard to think that the beginning of last September I only had Misty), Misty may come back into pony rides when kids come and visit.. she's just doing so much better, Peanut is the weanling. Allie, Buggs, and Dallas will be good in the Rocking Rs, Jade I'll need to double pad for a bit.

I need to take some pics of the critters too, it's supposed to be sunny on Sunday.

Here's one of Allie in my RR Trainer

[SpiffyGrl]

Well, I have 4 saddles and 4 horses. Only 2 are rideable though, 3 if you count Drifter in training with Dude only being a weanling.

My show saddle, that has only been on Spiffy and fits great. Yup, Texas Star saddle with matching bridle.


My mare wearing my saddle, no clue on who and when it was made.

Drifter wearing the same saddle. I swear this thing will fit any horse.


My dad's mare wearing her Cherry saddle, no idea who made it and when.


My new to me saddle. Jack said it's a Big Horn, Old! Before cleaning and oil.

After cleaning and oil.

[equinitis]

Let's see, we have 3 riding mules, 3 riding horses alhough one is pretty much retired, 5 horses in various stages of training with all but one backed numerous times but still not considered "broke". 1 mule in training, has not been backed yet as I intend for her primary job to be driving.

We have:
5 western saddles of varius makes and models, at least two of which are 30+ years old and only one really cheapo type
2 Albetta synthetic western saddles
2 Austrailain Stock saddles
1 dressage saddle
2 bareback pads (do those count?)
1 racing saddle that I sat in as a child but have no need for it although I wouldn't sell it for all the money in the world because it belonged to my granddad.
I ride an australian and wouldn't part with it. My husband and the kids all ride western. I rode english for years and was a dressage work in progress but have not ever gotten back to it.
Man that is alot of stuff, I am glad you didn't ask about bridles, halters or bits!