Buying a saddle for a pacer

Question
Hello and thank you for taking my question.  I take care of a ex-neglected horse.  I have a Academic horse training and usually ride on a English saddle within an arena.  Last summer, I started riding this horse that is a pacer to get him out of the  pasture and give him some exercise.  I then used my English saddle.  I am now looking at buying a Australian Outback saddle since I will trail ride him more this summer.  Is this a good buy for this horse.  I hear gaited horse and pacers have special needs and my goal is to provide us both with comfort and safety.  Thank you for your answer. Louise

Answer
Louise,

I ride a Standardbred, trotter, in endurance and have not needed any kind of special saddle.  I've also ridden a pacer competitively.  I have worked on lots of Standardbreds and don't really see a need for a special saddle.  I have several friends who ride them in distance competition and they use regular saddles on their horses.  As long as the saddle fits I don't see why you would need anything different.  I also have friends who ride true gaited horses distances, Tennessee Walkers and Missouri Fox Trotters, and they don't use any special saddles.  You do need to make sure the saddle fits the horse and that you don't set it too far forward because you will interfere with the action of the shoulders, but that goes for any horse.  I don't see why you can't use the saddle you have used as long as it fits and is comfortable for both of you.  If you want to buy an Australian Outback saddle that's a good choice for trail riding from a comfort and safety factor for both of you.  They are pretty good at distributing rider weight on the horse.  But you can use the saddle you have, you don't need a special saddle.  

Lyn