Does anyone ride in a western saddle?

MrsElle

MrsElle

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I picked up a lovely western saddle very cheap the other day. Not really sure why I bought it, but think it might be a good saddle to start my boy off with next year, with the added bonus of having a seat I probably won't be able to fall out of!

I don't intend to ride western stylee, just wondered if I was the only one drawn to the western saddle for its comfort and shape?

I will have the saddle inspected to ensure it is a good fit and doesn't have a broken tree etc before plonking it on the boys back :)
 
I've got a treeless western saddle, though it looks like a treed one. I only went for treeless because of the lack of western saddle fitters around here - they do require quite a bit of fitting. Have to say I'm delighted with it, it feels very secure and my horse moves very freely. I love the fenders and deep western stirrups, they're really comfy, but you might want to think about some form of safety stirrup.
 
I hack out in one, it's very comfortable and the wide stirrups are great. Highly recommend a decent contoured pad underneath - the thick compacted wool ones not the sheepskin ones or blankets on ebay. Not sure what it would be like falling out of one due to the horn, touch wood it hasn't happened yet but now I've said it I'll probably exit left any day now!! I tried to school with it a couple of times and it was quite difficult to do, no hope for rising trot but extremely comfortable for sitting trot and canter. Perfect for hacking though, can amble around all day with it. My horse seems to go well in it. Oh and dismounting is really rather strange to get used to!
 
I also have a treeless western :) best thing I ever bought I think! (Ned doesn't count, I didn't buy him!) it's so comfy and I feel really secure. I don't ride western though, I still rise when I trot and go into light seat in canter.
 
Sprout you can get a turner which you fit to the fender which makes it easier on the ankle

I ride western as I have a deformed hip and can no longer keep my balance in my English saddle, please be careful there are many cheap horrid made westerns around and also there not quite so one size fits all that way too many people believe. You may also need someone to show you how to correctly rig it depending on the set up most people have no idea how to cinch up a western weather they need a rear cinch if the saddle width and style fits their horse etc its not as straight forward as it looks.
Bonus side yes they can be very comfortable and a lot more secure you don't nesacerily have to ride western style to ride in a western saddle, mines a life saver as meant I didn't have to stop riding the horn is great when am having a painful hip moment, wider seat area so the balance issues I have are much less than in the English, greater leg stability as when on I can barely use my left leg, so have had my horse neck rein and voice command trained. He isa green spooky youngster and he rarely moves me in the western where as in the English if I turn a tight circle I can slide out the saddle due not being bale to set level on my seat bones
 
I have a western endurance saddle: one of the trailmasters shown here.

http://www.specializedsaddles.co.uk/category/endurance-models/

I absolutely love it. Have raced up to 120km in it and my horse's back was in fantastic condition after the ride and the training that went with it. I am very secure in it. The adjustability works really well for us, and it just looks so good!

Here is a picture of us in action in it.

a48268b3-c477-4728-b6f3-5c12f8a4ab63_zps6aa6dca4.jpg


And yes, before anyone says anything, Marjorie was pulling like a train at that point.....
 
I have one- its heavy as its suitable for showing/competition, but ultra comfortable. However I'd second everything Hawks27 says about fitting them as there are few, skilled fitters in the UK. In the US the wranglers do rising trot in theirs and depending on your fender length, it is possible to trot quite comfortably. I've done it while rounding up cattle. Just don't try jumping in one- lol!

The security of the western saddle is great, but you can't leap off them as quickly as an English one.
 
MrsElle said:
I picked up a lovely western saddle very cheap the other day. Not really sure why I bought it, but think it might be a good saddle to start my boy off with next year, with the added bonus of having a seat I probably won't be able to fall out of!

I don't intend to ride western stylee, just wondered if I was the only one drawn to the western saddle for its comfort and shape?

I will have the saddle inspected to ensure it is a good fit and doesn't have a broken tree etc before plonking it on the boys back :)
Click to expand...
I have a BOBS western saddle and toying with the idea to sell it
 
Faracat said:
Margorie - what a fab name. :D

What makes of treeless western saddles do others have? I have a Barefoot Nevada.
Click to expand...

Officially it's Vlacq Majid but she is a Marjorie through and through!

I did dabble with the Dartmoor treeless western for a while which was great for shorter distances and light hacking but I started to get a pressure point under one of the stirrup bars when we upped the distance in both competition and training. After a disaster with an Orthoflex (or should that be an awful-Flex), I switched to the Specialized and haven't looked back.
 
No body has mentioned it yet, so I'm curious as to how you all ride in a Western saddle?

I've ridden a friends horse in America a few times in one, and I wasn't really supposed to use my lower leg in the same way: instead it was all voice control, and hip, head and upper body movements.

Do you all ride your horses relatively similar to as in an English saddle, and only just change the saddle not the technique, or do you go all one handed and rodeo? :D
 
A combination. Voice, seat and one-handed most of the time, backed up with with more traditional English techniques if needed. Western is a more economical way of riding which saves energy - vital on a long endurance ride where you don't really want to be using leg with every stride!
 
I have an Acavallo Freemax western ( not like the cheapie 'freemaxes' seen on ebay ), they are more common in France and Germany than here, I don't think many people in the uk have heard of them, they are somewhat heftier and more traditional looking than the barefoot saddles.
Like others I ride a sort of mixture of English and Western, my horse has been driven so is very good at voice commands.
 
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