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| Light-duty Western saddle |
There are many kinds of Western saddles tailored to many different activities. This is a general, light-duty saddle, suitable
for pleasure riding or light trail riding.
Western showing requires a saddle lavishly decorated with silver. There are saddles built especially for roping, barrel racing,
and cutting, just to name a few. The most important thing is that the saddle fit your horse, but I'd advise buying a saddle
that's made for the activity you're interested in.
The tree of a Western saddle is designed to distribute load over the broadest possible area of the horse's back. It's important
that it fit correctly. Make sure that the saddle doesn't "bridge" (touch only a the front and back, with gaps in
the center), and that there's sufficient clearance for the horse's withers under the gullet. If possible, bring the horse
to the tack store for fitting. Many stores permit you to try the saddle on the horse as long as it is unmarked if you return
it.
A word about pads: don't rely on pads to adjust a poor fit (this goes for English as well as Western saddles). A pad is
there to absorb sweat, to keep the underside of the saddle from being exposed to the salts and proteins in sweat that will
damage the leather. A saddle that fits well, fits with no pad at all. Always fit the saddle without a pad first, then add
the appropriate pad.
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