Looking For Used Saddles for Sale?

When buying a saddle, be it newly or used, it is very important that the saddle not only fit you, but that it also fits your horse. While some saddles can be re-stuffed, only so much can be modified through the re-stuffing process. It is best to find a saddle that fits well in the first place.

Most retailers will permit purchasers to take a saddle home to try on their horse. Some will charge a deposit or even the full cost in advance, but will accept the return if the saddle does not fit. As long as you do not damage the saddle, most will accept a return without trouble.

Saddles are calculated fitting to the length of the seat. A 16" saddle measures 16" from the pommel to the cantle. With this in mind, you need to consider how big a saddle you need to comfortably sit in. The regular adult is comfortable in a 17" seat. Teenagers can generally manage a 16", while children oftentimes need something smaller.

If possible, try sitting on a few various sizes of saddles to see what size of seat best suits your needs. Keep in mind that the higher the pommel and cantle, the tighter the fit will be.

As long as the saddle feels good to sit in, your will in all probability be in good form as a rider. Keep in mind the height of the pommel and cantle, and the positioning of the padding. Some saddles provide flexible padding, in particular in the knee roll.

The rest of the fitting is related to your horse. Saddles come in three basic tree sizes, narrow, medium and wide. Most horses will fit a medium tree. Fine boned horses such as Arabians, sometimes need a narrow tree to fit the structure of their back. Wide trees are suited to horses with broad backs such as warmbloods or draft crosses.

When the tree is the correct width, the saddle should sit equally on your horse's back with both sets of padding resting on the muscles along the spine. There should be a clear opening along the backbone all the way from the front to the back of the saddle. If there is no gap, the tree is too wide. If the padding is sitting on the backbone, the tree is too narrow. Some saddles have adjustable trees, making them great for riders who need to ride a range of horses who may have different body types.

Next, you need to consider the pommel. While the height of the pommel affects your seat, it also relates to the horse's whither. If your horse has a high whither, you might need a saddle with a higher pommel. Some saddles have cut-back pommels which are designed to offer room for a particularly high whither.

Ultimately, the flaps need to rest comfortably along the horse's shoulder and side. The front edge should not rest off the horse's side, nor should it dig into his shoulder. A properly fitted saddle should rest smoothly along your horse's side, with no air space or pinched places.

Take Away the saddle when you are done, and check your horse's back. Are the sweat marks evenly matched from one side of your horse to the other? Are there any places that seem to be more worn than others? If the sweat marks are even, and the weight appears to have been distributed evenly throughout the saddle, your saddle fits. Any irregular wear is a sign that it does not fit right.

Make sure to lightly clean the saddle before giving it to the store. Sweat can damage the material if left on the saddle for any length of time, and it looks bad to return the saddle with signs of wear and tear. Do not use the saddle for more than one trial ride. Let the store owner know how your ride went, and either return or keep the saddle depending on how well it fit.

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