New and Used Western Saddles For Sale

Hello and welcome to Quality Western Saddles. Your home for great deals on quality new and used western saddles. Do you sometimes feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of buying a western saddle with all the choices out there?

There are lots of styles and types to choose from and while it's good to have a wide variety of options, that same variety can make it hard to select the right one.  Here are some helpful tips to help you pick the correct new or used western saddle as well as a few questions to ask yourself to help you decide.

What Do You Want It For?

The first big thing you'll need to decide is what kind you'll need.  This is based on the type of riding you'll mostly be doing.  There are western saddles for sale for almost every activity, but you don't have to have a different saddle for each activity.  Just choose the one that fits the majority of your riding activity.  Trail, also know as pleasure, saddles for example, make an excellent choice for general riders.

How Does It Fit Your Horse?

A new or used western saddle should fit you, but it should also fit the horse.  Every horse is different, and a saddle that fits badly can cause your horse to be uncomfortable and even unhealthy.  It can also be an issue in training.  Many behavior problems are actually due to a badly fitting saddle.

Pay attention to any unusual characteristics your horse might have, as well as their breed and general size.  Look for a horse that clears the withers comfortably, gives free movement in the shoulders and has a balance that offers good weight distribution.

How Does It Fit You?

Of course, the other side of the coin is that a new or used western saddle which fits your horse but not you will make you sore and unhappy.  Poorly fitting saddles put you in a wrong position for riding.  The solution is to try out as many saddles as possible, whether it's your friend's or one in a saddle shop.  Your fit will be affected by the size of the seat, its angle, the height of the cantle, the angle and height of the fork, and the position of the stirrups.

How Much Can You Spend?

Western saddles range in price between a few hundred dollars and a few thousand, making it important to pay attention to what you can pay.  It's important to spend as much as you can afford, and avoid saddles that seem underpriced.  After all, a good saddle is important for your safety and for your ride. That doesn't mean you don't look for a bargain, but a saddle that is too cheap may have something significantly wrong with it.

Remember that as with most things, you usually get what you pay for, though you can cut costs by eliminating fancy detailing.  It's often a good idea to stick to brand names, since they give you a good point to start from.  They're costlier, but at least you know them.

The more often you ride, the better the saddle you'll need, so expect to spend more if you're a frequent rider.  Fortunately, a good saddle could last you for life!  Remember to talk to people with experience to find out little tips that could help you find the best brand and style as well as reading over the material offered on this site.

Used or New?

With an unlimited budget, a high end new western saddle would be the perfect choice.  You could even choose the perfect custom saddle.  Most of us don't have an unlimited budget, and may be asking whether it's better to spend the same amount of money on a high end used western saddle or a lower end new one.

Generally, the answer is to buy the best saddle you can, new or used.  Remember - this should last a long time.  Just remember that used western saddles won't be pristine but can be the best bang for your buck. Take a look at our reasons for liking used western saddles.

Where Do You Go From Here?

We invite you now to look around our site as we have some great deals on western saddles that will be of interest to you. We also have some good articles that will help you determine the best saddle for you as well as some frequently asked questions in our blog.

Have Fun!

Please Note: We have split out the deals we find by type of saddle and update the listings daily so you'll want to bookmark this site to be kept up to date on all new and used western saddles for sale.