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Western Saddles Get It Right First Time

By: Norman Stanley

Western saddles are great looking and really comfortable as long as you get the right one. Western saddles are not cheap, you will struggle to find a well made quality saddle for under $500 so please don't buy cheap, buy well.

Western saddles are American. Cheap imports will not cut it. A poorly made and, even worse a poorly fitting saddle will leave you feeling sore and your horse in pain. A badly fitting saddle may even cause your horse to becomme skittish and unpredictable, lets face it when your pants are too tight don't you get crotchety?

Before you buy your western saddle have a good think about how you will be using it. Ask yourself what type of saddle you need, a barrel saddle for barrel racing, a trail saddle or just a ranch saddle. Each type of western saddle is designed for a specific task. You wouldn't buy a sports car to go off-road driving.

Look for a well known brand, some of the best known saddles are Rico, Circle Y and perhaps the best known one of all is Bob Marshall. These names have been around for a long while and that only happens when they produce top quality products. When you buy a quality western saddle it will last and last so don't scrimp on the price as a cheap saddle will cost you more in the end, buy the best you can afford.

Fitting is extremely important and you should take heed of any fitting recommendations the maker provides. It is for your comfort and the horses well being. Take a look at any horse you may ride and notice if there are any sore patches on the animals hide, even white or grey hairs growing where the saddle may be rubbing,does the horse show signs of being saddle shy. These are all pointers of a poorly fitting saddle.

When riding the horse the saddle should not restrict his movement in any way. The saddle should sit well upon the horses back and definitely not rock from side to side. This will make you feel unsteady and will rub your mount up the wrong way.

A good resource for your western saddle is ebay and other auction sites. There is generally a good range of western saddle available and often at a better price than will find at sporting goods stores. Ask all the questions you may have about the saddle before you buy and although most online sellers do really want you to have a good buying experience there are the occasional shysters out there so buyer beware.

I hope this has been of value to you and so I say "Happy Trails"

Article Source: http://www.articles4meandu.com

Norman Stanley is a horse rider and freelance writer. Find quality western saddles at low auction prices

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