Is this a good saddle?

[paintedhorizon]

http://cgi.ebay.com/DRESSAGE-ENGLISH-SADDLE-FOR-PASO-FINO-GAITED-HORSE-16_W0QQitemZ6632583448QQcategoryZ3170QQrdZ1QQcmdZV iewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/HILASON-NEW-BLACK-WIDE-DRESSAGE-ENGLISH-SADDLE-16_W0QQitemZ7243862719QQcategoryZ3170QQrdZ1QQcmdZV iewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-16-GAITED-HORSE-SADDLE-NO-RESERVE_W0QQitemZ7245100113QQcategoryZ47293QQrdZ1Q QcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/GORGEOUS-16-GAITED-FLEX-TREE-SADDLE-PACKAGE-COMPLETE_W0QQitemZ7245438907QQcategoryZ47293QQrdZ1 QQcmdZViewItem

[ErinC]

I would go with the english, looks like a nice saddle !

[paintedhorizon]

which one?

[Pasogirlz]

I liked the second one myself. But I like the close contact saddles.

[LynnG]

At the recent Riley kester clinic, he stressed to fit the saddle to the individual horse. Not every saddle will fit every horse. So consider the individual horse it will be for before buying the saddle......

[appyday]

I have two saddles I am going to sell...around $250 one is a trekker type endurance no horn the other is a halison treeless endurance both I paid almost $400 for this past fall/winter..

[Edurne]

why are you selling them?

[appyday]

why are you selling them?

Last summer when I got the pasos I did not know what saddle (s) I wanted for them..I bought several to try now I have decided what 3 I am going to keep and I am selling the other two...yes I bought like 5 or 6 saddles to try out. ..The Haliason is too large in the sides for the smaller 13 h pasos...the other one is a little small for me at 175 lbs...

[Edurne]

what kind of saddle did you decide on ? I'm just wondering because I bought a knock off Barefoot type endurance saddle which I use mainly for knocking around in the fields. I still used my dressage saddle for the big trail ride I took.

[paintedhorizon]

Well, it's not just for one horse persay. LOL It's for me to use out at Stella's.

[hast]

Considering the gaited dressage shows, I'd definitely choose a dressage saddle if I were you. Actually, I might need to buy a dressage saddle for my boy too. ;-) I'd especially LOVE one like Lori has for Tequila... I just LOVE that saddle.

[paintedhorizon]

Well, I can always use Stella's dressage saddles, I want something to be able to use at the open shows and around Stella's barn.

What about these?

Just the english ones

http://www.tack-wholesale.com/cgi-bin/ez-catalog/cat_display.cgi?26X334316

[Edurne]

that horn looks impressive

[paintedhorizon]

Horn???

that horn looks impressive

[Edurne]

sorry, misread that you said just english ones.

[paintedhorizon]

Oh!!!! :lol: Gotcha!

I would love to get a western saddle, that's why I listed the two at the beginning, but nobody has remarked on them. LOL

I just don't know what to look for in buying a saddle for a paso fino

[Edurne]

well.... what's the criteria for you?

[paintedhorizon]

16 inch seat, prefer black, but dark brown is okay. comfortable, of course, LOL That's about it.

[Edurne]

why would you love to get a western saddle?

[paintedhorizon]

Oh, and prefer a deep seat

[paintedhorizon]

I've always ridden western, my entire life, other than the short period I rode english in college. I feel more comfortable in a western saddle. Also, if I get a western, then Stella and I could show in both western AND english classes.

[Edurne]

what western saddles do you like? (I myself think those horns are super dangergous - but then I have ended up hanging on a few necks in my time).

[paintedhorizon]

I honestly have no preference, other than something that's not ugly. LOL I don't want a tall horn though, shorter horn b/c yes, I have taken one too many horns in the gut or thigh before! I thought about an australian saddle, but you can't show in western pleasure in an australian saddle, can you?

[Mellifluous]

I have a used Simco western style endurance (no horn)...getting the tree checked to make sure it is still OK after some years of use. Not terribly pretty but comfy and med tree size fits average horses that don't have strange back configuration. You can see pics of it on Phoebe in my parade pics in the paso chit chat forum. Mary has seen it too.

I am thinking about an upgrade so if I do, this one will have to go.

[DebbieS]

If you do a lot of trailriding in the woods where you have to lay on your horse's neck to duck branches, the horn can be a nuisance. One day, a lady on our ride, caught her bra in the horn. It took a while before she could sit up on her horse :oops:

[Brigitte]

I liked the second one too

[Terry Wallace]

Just a word on western saddles...
Personally...I LOVE them...use them more than any other kind.
A western saddle, particularily for a larger rider, is much better for the horse in that it will spread the weight over a much larger area of the back, than an English type saddle which puts much more pressure to specific areas of the back of the horse.

I see many, many endurance & trail saddles using more of a western type (larger area) of weight displacement. I would think it is because it is better for the horse, easier to carry a longer distance, and much more forgiving to the back than an English type saddle.

If you don't want a horn, you can sure get a western saddle without one...I have two Tennessean saddles....both western, one with a horn & one without. I PREFER a horn, but my husband does not!

[paintedhorizon]

But in western pleasure classes, will they not require an "authentic" western saddle? ie. with a horn

[Mellifluous]

Found this in the GA Market Bulletin. I know the lady, she takes good care of her stuff. Can look at it if you would like...

Like new western saddle with silver trim, 16" seat, full quarter horse bars, $250, also used saddle. Martha Scissom Blairsville 706-745-4119

[Terry Wallace]

Yes...and not only a horn, but a lariat and a pair of chaps.... I never could understand...why the lariat and chaps...chaps are high dollar, and I have never worn them riding western, the only place I use lariats is at the house during training! Perhaps the PFHA wants folks to think the Paso Fino is a ropin' horse (?)

[paintedhorizon]

I can't go above $150 Lexi. That's my limit. Go check out "what about these". The prices are low but the saddles seem good???

Found this in the GA Market Bulletin. I know the lady, she takes good care of her stuff. Can look at it if you would like...

Like new western saddle with silver trim, 16" seat, full quarter horse bars, $250, also used saddle. Martha Scissom Blairsville 706-745-4119

[ASB.Immortality]

I hate to be a party pooper here, but when it comes to your horse's health. You shouldn't be setting a limit on him/her. A poor fitting saddle can cause a great horse to turn into a demon overnight. I have seen that happen too many times to count.

Once a horse starts hurting it is hard to get them over expecting that pain. It may also change the way they travel. That takes forever for a horse to get over & some never do. I have seen some Saddlebreds that do that.

Don't skimp on a good saddle. Get a well made saddle that fits you & your horse. Not just something that looks good & is cheap. There are alot of good saddlemakers out there that can make you a well fitted saddle pretty reasonable.

[CarolU]

Ditto ditto ditto...can't say it enough, do NOT put an ill-fitting saddle on your horse!

I have a friend here who rode her Paso last year in a bad fitting western saddle. It caused very bad back and wither sores. She had to stay off him for the past 7 months while it all healed. Now he has pain memory and even with a good saddle he bunches up and 'spooks' whenever he is mounted our dismounted. It will be a long time before he forgets.

I STRONGLY recommend not buying ANY saddle until after you have your horse and then buy one that fits him/her correctly. As with my friend, you still have to feed, board, and pay vet bills on a horse you can't ride while they heal.

[Edurne]

I know that many of you have many many saddles and tack.

I myself have three - an all purpose (purchased new) that I used on my previous horse - don't use now $800

a 2nd hand Keiffer dressage, used all the time for the past ten years and worth the money I spent $350 just had to replace billets.

a cheap ($500!!!!!!!!!!) treeless endurance saddle from Spain ..... which I purchased because I didn't want to shell out the money on an Ansur and the BM looked tooooooo western. The treeless was a gift to myself for surviving the school photography season and so far it's great for what I have used it for. Also wanted stirrups if I needed to remount.

New is pretty...... but in a few weeks it'll be just as banged up as a used saddle.

Perhaps there are people out there who have a saddle that meets your requirements that they don't use. Maybe it would be worth waiting to get a better saddle (used or not) than one that doesn't fit your horses. You say you have a saddle you can use when you go to Stella's?.

[Linda Y]

I couldn't agree more about getting the best saddle you can. I have spent a lot of money buying so-so saddles that either didn't quite fit me or the horse. Just ended up having to get rid of them and get the Bob Marshall. I will say that I spent big bucks on an Ortho Flex once. Hated it.
There is a dandy looking endurance saddle at Sam's right now. They bought out a Tractor Supply and got LOTS of nice Tex Tan saddles they are selling for half price. I went yesterday to get that saddle, but no one could find a price on it. :-? I wasn't going to keep it, but offer it up for sale. They have a boatload of Abetta saddles, too, that figure up to about $200 apiece if you may be interested.