Second hand Barefoot saddles, how to tell how old they are

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Shady

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I know this will only be of interest to a limited amount of people but i think it's really important to know how to tell how old a treeless saddle is and i recently found out how on a Barefoot.
I'm a massive fan of treeless saddles but i cringe when i go on Ebay or Preloved and see ancient Barefoot saddles for sale at ridiculous prices, not only are they a rip off but you do not want to be putting an old treeless on your horse, as tempting as that is when you look at the cost of them new and it's something you want to try for your impossible shaped horse.
So here's something that will help you decide
All Barefoot saddles after 2003 and Spring 2005 have a serial number somewhere on them, mine is under the flap,
for example
01 02 15 3710 443 or a number a bit longer

01 = the model of the saddle, in this case 01 = the Cheyenne
02= the colour, in this case 02 is brown, 01 is black
15= the seat size in western, in this case 15= size 1 , 17= size 2 and 13=size 0
3710= the week and year of production, in this case week 37 of 2010
The last number is not important , it's just for the manufacturer

I recently bought a second hand Cherokee and i couldn't believe how many people lied about the age and size of their saddles, obviously there are some that are older but have had very little use but you need the newer models with the VPS, anything with a zip on the cantle is before this was introduced and i would avoid them.
I hope this bit of info helps some of you, posts pop up quite often regarding them.
 
Thanks for the info - that is interesting (to me anyway).
I bought a new cheyenne last year so have just gone and checked the serial number which is
11 01 13 3015 31381 which all fits with it being a size 0 and black - its the drytex version though so I guess that is what the 11 at the start refers to?
 
Bumping this thread for anyone who is interested.
If the saddle is in good condition, and well looked after, then to be honest, there isn't an awful lot of difference between old and new. Some of the newer saddles are not as flexible as the older models, perhaps the materials are different.
 
Highmileagecob said:
Bumping this thread for anyone who is interested.
If the saddle is in good condition, and well looked after, then to be honest, there isn't an awful lot of difference between old and new. Some of the newer saddles are not as flexible as the older models, perhaps the materials are different.
Click to expand...
I do agree with this up to a point, and i've seen some nice older Barefoots since I wrote this 7 years ago, however the older models have a fixed stirrup point, and many riders, myself included , noticed the position tipped you forward too much. The later models had moveable velcro to adjust your position:)
 
Yes, agree with the above point. I bumped the thread for a poster with an 11yo daughter who was struggling with the saddle that came with the loan pony. As an adult, I tended to sit quite deep, and as my boy remained bum high, I thought it was a combination of things that caused the slight tipping sensation.
 
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