Friday, April 11, 2008

Saddle Dilema

It is hard to saddle shop. There is so much to consider. I lucked out getting my dressage saddle. I managed to find it after testing about three and I was lucky to find a beautiful used one. I ended up with a Wintec Pro with Cair. Now I am looking at a new trail saddle. I have had Circle Y saddles my whole life, so I am a little partial. After talking with the folks at Double H down in Salem, I learned a lot of about the flex trees. Circle Y now has a new design called the "Flex 2." Which still has "give" but not prone to "spread" like the "Flex 1." That was the main complaints I was hearing about flex trees. I returned the used flex tree saddle I was trying out. It was so comfortable and beautiful, but I think it had spread, and that is why it sat so low on her withers. I am now pinching pennies and working on saving for a new saddle. I am really torn between the "Yuma" pictured above and the "Cactus Flower" pictured below. I kind of like the vintage look of the Cactus Flower. I love the tooling and the seat color. It also has a really cool vintage looking bridle to match. The Yuma just looks like the kind of saddle you will have forever and I also like the basket weave design. Which one do you like?

15 comments:

20 meter circle of life said...

Will this just be for trail riding? Not to drive you a bit more crazy but have you looked at the Wintec Pro Stock saddle. If I were buying a saddle just to hack around with, it would be the wintec. Both of your choices are lovely, i think I like the bottom picture better

Jessie said...

If it were my choice, I would take the bottom saddle! Although, I like a suede seat better than a smooth leather one.

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

I'm drooling over the Cactus Flower. Because I have Arabians with short backs, I always have to search for saddles with short skirts. I love the tooling and the tone of the leather. The shape of the seat on the Cactus Flower looks like it might be a little more comfortable, but I stick better in saddles with suede seats.

Anonymous said...

Gosh those stirrups look so short? Or can you let them out? These are nothing like the saddles I rode on back in 1952. I don't remember much about it after all these years except it wasn't nice to just look at.

Anonymous said...

Cactus flower! I like the vintage traditional look as well.

Pony Tail Club said...

Wow, I'm so excited to hear about the jumping!!!! That is really cool. I hope you're right about spring. Keep me posted on the jumping!

Rising Rainbow said...

I think I prefer the cactus flower as well but, what does that color look like on your horse? Or do you care?

Kathy C said...

I like the cactus flower as well. I must also vote for the suede seat, although that wasn't an option.

I personally have a Circle Y Park and Trail with a suede seat. The suede helps keep my uncordinated self in place. My all time favorite is Nicole's Circle Y old barrel saddle. We will all cry when it finally falls apart. It just cradles you like nothing I've ever ridden in before.

Good Luck!

Callie said...

I like them both, but I think the more practical one would be the top pictured one.

Jack McCoy said...

"Cactus flower" I shall can can be to say to you about it more on saddles, because I am going to make a training course of equitation Western in June in a Ranch in France, and yes!! We have Ranches in France with of cattles to be worked and in certain ranches of bisons
Excuse I for the translation in English, because I do not speak about English Speak you about French?

Jessica said...

Which one makes Maddy look prettier? :)

LA Nickers said...

Which saddle coordinates best with your horse's natural coloring?

I love Circle Y saddles. In fact, I just bought a new one. The dark tooled leather and black seat look stunning on my sorrel colt. In fact, it looks nice on our dark bay as well.

We looked at a few of the lighter toned saddles too, but they didn't look as pretty on our light colored horse.

Have fun saddle shopping!

Blessings,
Linda
The Mane Point


'SADDLE UP, on THE MANE POINT

Beckz said...

Cactus flower is beautiful.

Lori Schmidt (LoriProPhoto) said...

I have always been partial to the dark leather. I have no clue about western saddles so I cant help much there I am afraid. So glad you got out to ride, I am still chomping at the bit to get going this year. I am feeling better and determined that I am going to start enjoying my horses because they have just becoome a chore, there is no enjoyment when you have to drag yourself out there every day with a feeling of dread. 78 F here today, just a week or so ago we were in the 30s, no in between weather here, either too darn hot or too darn cold LOL.

Lori

Lori Schmidt (LoriProPhoto) said...

One other thing, the first comment in this string is a spammer, I would delete these posts, this is one of the reasons I have put my blog on comment moderation, so they dodnt get out into my blog