Saddles for Gaited Horses

[Pat Fautt]

My husband and I own two TWH and two saddle horses. We are interested in feedback about different saddle types. We purchased saddles two or three days after we got our horses and really didn't realize that we might need something different for a gaited horse. Thanks for your input!

[Bubba's Last Words]

I have a trooper saddle and several amish made tennessean western saddles. Each horse is different. As they put on weight the saddle will fit different. My trooper saddle fits great but we ride rough sometimes and its hard to stay in it going up a real steap hill. Thay bridle shop in lewisburg has special pads to help a saddle fit better. Thats what I do. You can go to Ethiridge Tennessee and ask dirrrections to a saddle maker. If you find Marshall's grocery turn on the road right beside the store go a couple of miles and there is one on the left. He has made one saddle for me and I really like it. You can take your horse to him and he will custom make it.

[Susan Brown]

Here's the link...
http://www.haggissaddles.com/
And also there is nothing wrong with a Western saddle for a gaited horse as long as it fits.

[Susan Brown]

I really love my trooper saddles. My friends and I have bought Jack Haggis Saddles for 20 years. Jack died years ago, and now his son, Jeff makes them. They fit most gaited horses, very comfy, he now has a Rocky Mtn model. Not too expensive, but superior quality. We've ridden an unbelievable number of miles in my 20 yr old saddle and it's still great. Great customer service. He'll be there for you for years to come. Hope this helps.

[Nancy Ave]

I had Gillian Guin fit my horse for a saddle as I was having a horrible time. She found the Big Horn gaited horse saddle worked. The saddle is great for him & I love the comfort. It was definitely a win-win!

[Vicki S]

It gets overwhelming doesn't it????? I have a couple of friends that ride in the Steele Saddle and have been doing so for 20 years and rave about them...if I hadn't just purchased a Bob Marshall treeless a year ago I would definitely consider buying a Steele. Another one you may want to look into is Specialized Saddles, just saw them this past weekend at Big South Fork - they are beautifully crafted and you can build them to your liking. The width, arch and angle can be independently adjusted to achieve a perfect fit. It's easy to adjust as the horse changes to fit precisely: pad postiion pad thickness and shims. You can even get spare shims to perfectly fit another horse, they attach by velcro. Another bonus is they are lightweight and start at 12 lbs. The Brenda Imus is very nice too but quite heavy. Hope this helps!

[JRoy]

If you like lighter saddles, Big Horn has a nice cordora Gaited saddle. I think mine is #309. I really like it!

[Robin Murray]

The Alabama Gaiter by Circle Y looks good.

[Pat Fautt]

Linda, I checked out the site on line and can't wait to go there to check them out. Thank you

[Linda Grajewski]

National Bridle in Lewisburg has saddles made especially for gaited horses. I have a Big Horn and ride it on 4 different gaited horses with no problem.

[Jackie]

Gaited horses need saddles that fit over the back and give the shoulders room for freedom of movement-especially if you have a long strided horse, you will get much more shoulder motion than with a trotting horse ( I have both gaited and trotting horses). If the shoulderblade hits the saddle as the horse moves its leg foreward, they will not have as much reach and may lose that smooth gait we all strive for. Some gaited horses have wide round backs, others have more of an A frame look to their back. It's best if you can try several saddles on your horse before you buy. I do not have a specific "gaited" saddle for mine, just well made good fitting saddles. I do have a specific saddle for the specific horse depending on their build, but use the same saddle on an Arab and a TWH. Let me know if you have any other questions!