[Brittany1990]

I'm having some difficulty finding a good english saddle for a gaited horse. Since their withers are higher up I can't use a saddle set up for a normal horse.

Just bought a Walker mare. First horse in two years. First gaited horse. My last mare was a POA, and a chunky one at that. So I didn't have to get a certain saddle. Haha, but now I have that dilemma.

If you can give me any sites, it would be pretty helpful.

[Heavenly Jumper]

What type of english saddle are you looking for?

[18thTomorrow]

For gaited horses, especially walkers, (as well as saddlebreds and some styles of arabs) people often use what's called a "cutback" or "Lane Fox" style saddle. Looks like this:



the cutback pommel allows lots of room for withers and shoulder movement, and the way the seat is set farther back gets the rider off the shoulders, allowing for freer gaits. I'd encourage you to look for one of these. Good names to look at are Barnsby, Whitman, Crosby, etc. you can get them on ebay for around $300. These saddles run "long" compared to general english saddle sizes--generally an adult will ride in a 21" saddle. Smaller adults might opt for a 20" (or those with short-backed horses). Kids ride in 19" or 18".

[Brittany1990]

I was just going to look for an all purpose saddle. I rode in one of the cutbacks the other day and I don't think my butt has ever been so sore. But if it's more comfortable for the horse then that's the way to go.

The thing about Ebay is that you never know what you're going to get. My dad bought a car off there for a couple thousand, they claimed it had no rust on it. Yet the fuel tank was all rust, and the floor was so rusted he went to put it up on jacks and it fell through the floorboards.

So I don't trust ebay too much.

[Finallyownhorse]

I got a great deal on a saddle off of ebay. It was blue and I only paid $38.00......unless you count the ER bill, dr. bills, surgeon bill, and prescriptions. Then I guess you could say it costed me, so far $3,000. Not all the bills are in yet.

It pinched the horse and Sammy threw me. Here is the saddle on Sammy.



And on Ace.



When Ace had it on he crow hopped several times. I thought it was Spring naughtiness until Sammy threw me. I even posted about how naughty he was on here. Never mind Ace didn't do it last year or ever before. Ace wore the saddle first, Sammy second. Sammy wasn't as nice telling me it hurt.

I don't buy cheap saddles off of ebay anymore because they are not so cheap in the long run.

[Brittany1990]

Yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of ebay. I almost bought a horse off there. But decided against it.

[Tack Collector]

Stick with a name brand cutback saddle. Don't buy anything no-name. I already posted a list of cutback saddle brand names. You can look it up with the Search and my ID. The cheap ones have no padding in the seats and panels are also rock hard in many cases. Anything made in England or America will probably be better than whatever brand you tried.

For western, these people use Steele brand trees, I think. If you're buing a saddel, they ship you some trees to try.

National Bridle Shop also sells Crates and other western saddles that fit gaited horses.

[AllAroundRdr]

There's nothing wrong with eBay if you know what you're looking at and buying. I wouldn't by a no-name brand from even a tack store let alone eBay. I've had tremendous success puchasing saddles on eBay - all of which were 'name brands'.

[18thTomorrow]

yeah, people need to stop bashing e-bay. 'buyer beware' is the phrase you need to keep in your mind. But ebay can be a great thing if you know what you're doing--look for good name brands, accurate measurements, and clear pictures from all angles, and you should be fine. I got a beautiful barnsby saddle on there for $700, well under retail value.

[2manypetz]

We got our saddleseat saddle for our TWHs and ASB off of e-bay. Got a great deal, fits the horses and my kids well. Also my daughters take lessons and their trainer sometimes gets saddles, tack and otfits in and reasells them to students. Maybe there is a trainer of gaited hroses around that could do that, or at leas let you trya some out?