Don't Buy a Beginner's Horse Saddle Until You Read This!

Understanding Parts of a Western Saddle

These are the basic parts of a Western saddle, but there's a lot more to it.

Saddle Tree: Serving as the backbone of the saddle, the tree, primarily constructed of wood, determines the saddle's size.
Gullet: Positioned beneath the saddle, the gullet is the channel fitting the horse's withers. Its proper measurement and fit are essential; if too wide or narrow, the horse will experience discomfort.
Saddle Horn: The saddle horn is the defining feature of the Western saddle. It sits on top of the Swell or Fork. While its mostly used to tie a rope (or dally), some riders also use it as a support.
Saddle Fork (or Pommel): It's called a Pommel in English riding and a Fork, or Swell, in Western. And it's the saddle's front section. It rises slightly to support the rider and should provide clearance over the horse's withers. Here you'll find knee pads or flaps for comfort.
Saddle Seat: Positioned above the tree, the seat is where the rider, well, sits. It usually combines leather and cushioning for optimal comfort. Seats come in various designs and sizes, but the most comfortable ones have a gentle curve and are padded with soft materials.
Saddle Cantle: The cantle gives you back support and security in the seat. It comes in different heights. A higher cantle gives you a deeper, more secure seat, for sports like barrel racing, and a low cantle gives you more freedom to move, for things like ranching and roping.
Saddle Skirt: The skirt is attached to the saddle seat and drapes down the horse's sides. It is there to improve balance and distribute weight evenly.
Saddle Cinch (or Girth): English riders call it a "girth" and Western riders call it a "cinch." It securely fastens the saddle to the horse. This helps stabilize the saddle and keeps it in position, not slipping for shifting while riding. It also helps alleviate pressure on the horse's withers.
Flaps and Billets: The flaps and billets are there to secure the cinch in position. In Western saddles, the billet is typically found on the right side. English saddles have billets on both sides. Saddles can have either a single or dual flap.

How To Buy A Beginner Saddle

Buying your first saddle is really exciting. Whether you’re brand new to riding or have been borrowing a saddle for a while and are ready for your own, here’s what you need to know.

Where To Buy Your First Saddle

When shopping for a new horse saddle, don't buy online - UNLESS the store has a track record for amazing customer service, communication, and a great exchange or refund policy.

Most new riders go to the local tack shop where you can touch, feel, and talk to an expert about the saddles you like. Once you find one, ask to take it for a test run.

What To Look For In Your First Saddle

There are a few things to know when you start saddle shopping.

The fit needs to be perfect. If the saddle doesn't fit well, it can injure both you and your horse. Make sure you do a great job of measuring or have a professional do it. There's a really good book on saddle fitting and back pain below.
Make sure it's comfortable. If the cantle is too high or the seat isn't the right width, you can end up with a backache. This goes back to getting a great fit.
Don't go broke. It's tempting to buy a brand new really expensive saddle because you're having so much fun as you get started, but make a budget and stick with it. A new high quality saddle will be at least $1000. You might be able to find a used high quality saddles in your area for less. Check out online equestian groups or marketplaces for listings.
A high quality saddle should last for years and years. Pick one that has a good solid tree and is made of high quality materials. Cheap saddles tend to fall apart.

How To Measure For a Western Saddle

To find the right western saddle for your horse, you can do these things:

Put your horse on flat ground with its head straight.
Use a measuring tape to measure the horse’s back length from the base of the withers to the point of the croup (where the tail meets the body). This tells you how big the saddle should be.
Measure around the horse's middle, just behind its front legs. The tape should be tight, but not too tight.
Place a flexible wire over the top of the horse’s back (about 1-2 inches back from the shoulder blade) and shape it gently to the horse. Then use your tape to measure the distance between each side of the wire. This measurement can help determine the height of the saddle’s gullet.
Assess the horse’s back shape and note any unusual contours or dips that may affect saddle fit.
To find the right size for you, try sitting in the saddle before putting it on your horse.

It's really important to do these steps so the saddle fits well and is comfy for the horse. A good fit keeps both you and the horse safe from getting hurt.

Horse Saddle Size Guide

Kids: 12″-13″ saddle
Small adults: 14″ saddle
Average adults: 15″ saddle
Bigger people: Larger than 15″

Best Beginner Saddles

No one can really tell you, without understanding more about you and your situation, what type of saddle you need as a beginner. So ask yourself these questions.

What kind of horseback riding are you doing (your discipline)?
How long do you plan to do it?
What's your budget?
Which saddles fit best and feel the most secure and comfortable for you and your horse?

Best Trail Riding Saddle For Beginners

Trail saddles are designed for long hours on the trail. Sometimes called a pleasure saddle, it's lightweight, has a deep, comfortable seat, a moderate to high cantle for security, padded stirrups, and extra rings and ties for attaching gear.

They're also designed to be shorter and lighter than other Western saddles, so the horse has less weight to carry and more freedom of movement.

See our Trail Riding Saddle pick from High Horse

Best All Around Saddle For Beginners

All Around, or All Purpose, saddles are great for beginners who aren't sure what their discipline is yet, or you want to use the saddle for many things.

All Purpose saddles can be used for trail riding, ranching, and even a high speed sport like barrel racing. They can be used for roping but the horn isn't really made to dally, or tie, a rope. It has a strong tree, a deep seat for security, and a low to moderate saddle horn.

see our All Around Saddle pick from Billy Cook

Best Barrel Racing Saddle For Beginners

Barrel racing saddles are designed for the timed rodeo event, barrel racing. This is where a rider completes a cloverleaf pattern around barrels as fast as possible.

The barrel saddle is lightweight, has a narrow seat, short skirt, long thin horn, and a high cantle to lean forward and stay balanced during sharp turns and quick maneuvers.

see our Barrel Racing Saddle Pick From Circle Y

Best Roping Saddle For Beginners

Roping saddles have a purpose-driven design. They’re built for Team Roping, steer roping, calf roping rodeo events and ranching.

They have a strong tree, horn, and reinforced rigging attached to the tree. This makes them much heavier than most other saddles.

There are about 6 types of saddle horns and their all strong enough to withstand the push and pull of a lassoed animal.

Roping saddles typically have deep roughout or suede seats, which keeps you in the saddle. The stirrups on the saddles are hung a bit forward to help with balance. They have a low cantle for an easy dismount and a long skirt or a double skirt for balance.

See Our Roping Saddle Pick from BIlly Cook

Best Cutting Saddle For Beginners

Cutting saddles are designed for the timed rodeo event where a rider works to isolate a steer, calf, or cow from its herd. It’s made to help maintain balance and control during the quick maneuvers required in cutting.

Cutting saddles have a deep seat and high cantle for security and a forward-leaning roping horn for the rider to grasp and dally. It has a shorter skirt and lighter build compared to other saddles, which gives the horse more freedom of movement.

See our cutting Saddle Pick from Hud Roberts

Best Reining Saddle For Beginners

Reining saddles are designed for a timed rodeo event called Reining. Reining is an event where the rider guides the horse through spins, stops, and rollbacks, as fast as possible. He needs close contact with the horse to communicate well.

Reining saddles have a low horn to stay out of the way, deep narrow seat for balance, and wide swells for added support.

See Our Reining Saddle Pick From Crates Classic

Best Show Saddle For Beginners

Show saddles are made to impress the judges at horse shows while supporting the rider in demonstrating skills and ability. Show saddles are fancy, with lots of decorations like silver and detailed designs.

Show saddles are made to look good and work well. They can be used in different kinds of horse show events, like Western pleasure, equitation, and halter classes.

These saddles come in many styles and sizes, so they can fit different riders and horses. Often, they are custom made just for one rider and horse, so they fit perfectly.

See Our Show Saddle Pick From High Horse

Best Mounted Shooting Saddle For Beginners

Mounted shooting saddles are made specifically for the rodeo event mounted shooting. In this event, riders navigate a course while shooting at targets. These saddles are made to help riders stay steady, safe, and move easily while they're competing.

They have a low, learning horn to stay out of the way, long fenders, a deep sturdy seat, and custom saddle trees for support.

See Our Mounted Shooting Saddle Pick

Best Ranch Saddle For Beginners

A ranch saddle is a special kind of Western saddle made for hard-working ranchers and cowboys. It's made to be comfortable and secure for both the horse and rider during long workdays. These saddles aren't for quick competitions; they're for real ranch jobs like herding cattle, roping, and cutting. Ranch saddles are tough, strong, and can do lots of different jobs. They're usually heavier than other Western saddles because they need to handle tough ranch work.

Ranch saddles have a sturdy tree and a strong horn. This lets cowboys rope and secure cattle safely. The way these saddles are designed, riders can move around easily but still stay stable and supported while they're doing all sorts of ranch tasks. They're built to last through tough ranch work and are super important for ranchers and cowboys who spend many hours on horseback, doing all kinds of jobs on the ranch.

See Our Ranch Saddle Pick From Billy Cook

Best Treeless Saddle For Beginners

A treeless saddle doesn't have the hard tree structure found in traditional saddles, instead they have foam and padding to give the saddle structure. They’re lightweight and spread the rider's weight evenly across the horse's back.

This avoids putting too much pressure on any single spot which is great for certain horses who are hard to fit or have health concerns. Treeless saddles can also help a rider who has neck, knee, or back pain because the absence of the rigid tree gives you more natural movements along with the horse.

For hard to fit breeds, like most Mountain and Moorland breeds, Quarter Horses with unique front and back conformation, and Arabians (to name a few), a treeless saddle can be the answer you’re looking for.

Treeless saddles are popular for activities like trail riding, endurance riding, dressage, and barrel racing. Just make sure you get the right saddle pads to add stability, cooling, and full protection of the horse's spine and loins.

See Our Treeless Saddle Pick From Circle Y

Best Australian Saddle For Beginners

An Australian stock saddle, often called an Aussie saddle, is made for Australian stock work and trail riding. This discipline requires long hours in the saddle on the Australian outback. These saddles are known for being comfortable and tough. Often misunderstood, the Australian saddle is not really a mix of English and Western saddles; it has its own unique design.

Australian saddles have a deep seat, high back, and a low, wide saddle horn. They have a strong reinforced steel tree for roping and are designed to distribute weight evenly across the horse's back. This saddle is all about comfort for both horse and rider for long hours on the ranch with the utility needed for ranching and roping.

Check out this EXTREMELY good deal

Best Youth Saddle For Beginners

A youth saddle is made just for kids and young riders. They are lightweight and have smaller seat sizes than adult saddles. They usually have a seat size of 14 inches or smaller and will fit a pony nicely. They're lightweight and easy to handle for children.

Youth saddles can be used for barrel racing, trail riding, and roping saddles, comfortable and safe for young riders and help them learn the right way to ride. You can find youth saddles in different styles like Western, English, and Australian in different colors and fun designs for kids.

See Our Youth Saddle Pick From Circle Y

Accessories For Your Beginner Saddle

Along with your saddle, you're going to need a few other things.

Leather Work Gloves

Holding reins, especially in the cold, can really do a number on your hands. And even more if you're doing ranch work. A good pair of leather work gloves help protect your hands and will last for years.

Saddle Rack

You need a place to put your saddle. There are flimsy saddle stands and there are, but a strong and solid steel rack will last for decades and not fall apart on you.

Saddle Soap

Keeping your saddle and leather horse tack clean will help them last for years.

Beginner's Guide To Tacking Up a Horse

Saddling up your horse can be done in 8 steps.

Brush your horse's back and girth area to remove any dirt or grit that might cause chaffing under the saddle or girth. Use this as an opportunity to check for any sore spots or chaffing.
Position the saddle pad or blanket over the horse's withers and slide it back into place, making sure it's even on both sides and not folded, wrinkled, or curling.
Lift the saddle onto your horse's back and make sure it’s high enough not to push the saddle pad out of position. The offside stirrup of a Western saddle should be hooked over the horn or folded over the seat. The girth buckle or cinch (if you have them) should be folded back over the saddle seat. The saddle should be placed slightly forward and settled back.
Check the pad or blanket for any wrinkles beneath the saddle on both sides. Buckle or tie the girth or cinch on the offside and check again that the pad or blanket is flat and the horse's hair beneath it stays smooth and lies in the natural direction it grows.
Tighten the girth or cinch gently in small increments, waiting for your horse to exhale before tightening again. This prevents it from being too tight which can injure your horse. Make sure you can slide your fingers between the girth or cinch and your horse's body. If you cinch up too fast or too tight, your horse might bite or buck. It may also become “girthy” and resent having a girth.
Loop the tabs at the front of the saddle pad, if there are any, through the D-rings at the front of your saddle to prevent the pad from slipping back.
Double-check everything, making sure the saddle is centered and level and the girth or cinch is tightened just right.
Take a quick walk with your horse to make sure everything feels good before you start your ride.

Richard Sutherland

RichardSutherland@bitsnspurs.org

Richard is a western lifestyle author for Bits N' Spurs, the weekly newsletter that keeps pace with today's rodeo. His articles are featured on dozens of rodeo and Western related websites and provide a window to the world of cowboy culture.

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