Choosing a Used Saddle - What Are the Things to Take a Look At?

Saddles are expensive, and brand-new saddles are even more expensive, if you are looking for a good fitting saddle you may look into the used market to not only save yourself money, but to purchase a better quality used saddle overall.

With all of the new technology out you might be tempted to look for an inexpensive brand-new saddle, but workmanship has a lot to do with how well the weight is distributed across your horse's back. Those saddles that are inexpensive fashion statements are not necessary the best saddle to choose for your horse. You'll often find these inexpensive saddles are made with inferior leather, inferior stitching, and are not made to fit a horse well. This means that not only are you throwing your money away on a saddle that will be used up within a few years, but you can also cause behavioral problems with your horse through an ill fitting saddle.

This is why it's better to look for a used saddle of higher quality and spend your money wisely. You'll often find used saddles available at many of the auction sites, free listing sites, horse magazines sites, farms sites, and many other types of horse or livestock sites.

When it comes to choosing a good used english saddles or used western saddles for your purchase, there are several things you want to take a look at. The first thing you need to do is make sure that the tree has not been broken or compromised in any way. You can do this by setting the saddle up on its horn and pushing on the back, you should not get independent movement of the saddle at all. Also, check the fleece on the saddle padding thoroughly. Run your hands all over it and make sure there aren't nails or screws that are poking through. The next thing to check is the skirting on the saddle, it should be made of heavy enough leather to distribute the weight on your horse's back evenly. You'll notice bad skirting on your saddle in the edges start to curl up, when you sit in it and the skirting is not sitting on the horse but is poking out, and all of this can cause the saddle to fit inappropriately and carry all of your weight on just the saddle tree.

Once you have gone through the saddle completely, then you'll need to make sure that it fits your horse. When it comes to purchasing your first saddle, try to stay way from the trendy fashion saddles that are available today and is a quality used english saddles or used western saddles instead.