Western Saddles & Accessories

Q: Can Western saddles be fitted?

Western saddles are extremely comfortable saddles that offer the rider plenty of space with their wide seat. While they are relatively firmer and harder than English saddles, there are many Western saddles with gel or otherwise padded seats. Unlike English saddles, Western saddles cannot be further modified after the initial fitting. Western saddles still consist of a solid wooden tree, which must basically fit the horse's back. Therefore, pay close attention to the fit of the saddle and shape of the horse when purchasing a Western saddle. Many Western riders have their saddle custom-made due to the lack of flexible adjustment options. In addition to the shape and width of the saddle tree, also pay attention to the length and seat size of the Western saddle. The tree size for Western saddles is given in different conformations of horse types. You can find a table on this and what else you need to consider when buying a Western saddle in our detailed guide on Western saddles. Despite excellent fitting, it can happen in various Western disciplines or maneuvers that the saddle slips backwards. Especially in steep terrain, during gallop work or cattle work, a Western breastplate can be useful. This prevents the Western saddle from slipping back. Additional Western saddle accessories can also include a back cinch, which stabilizes the Western saddle as a rear girth. Due to its minimal padding, every Western saddle without exception requires a thickly padded Western pad. For show purposes, a thin show blanket can add colour to the Western outfit.

Q: What does a Western saddle cost?

The prices for a Western saddle depend on various factors. First of all, one must distinguish between a custom-made saddle and a ready-to-wear saddle. At Kramer Equestrian, you can buy ready-to-wear saddles in different sizes and shapes. The price range here varies from £130 for pony saddles to £800 for high-quality Western saddles made of premium leather. For custom-made Western saddles, however, you have to dig deeper into your pocket. Here, the price depends mainly on additional customer requests. Elaborate tooling or conchos can drive up the price of a Western saddle. For a custom saddle, you should expect a price starting from £2500 but actual prices vary greatly from saddler to saddler.

Q: How do you girth a Western saddle?

Since Western saddles do not have integrated girth straps, Western girths are attached to the saddle via an Off Billet and a Tie Strap. The connection between the Western girth and the short Off Billet remains in place and is not released. In contrast, the Tie Strap is used to tighten or loosen the saddle. At first glance, girthing a Western saddle seems more complicated than an English saddle, where short girths and long girths are simply fastened via buckles to the girth straps of the saddle. A Western girth, however, has only one center-bar buckle, and the Tie Strap is wrapped multiple times as follows: The Tie Strap is threaded from behind through the girth buckle and upwards through the D-ring on the saddle. This is repeated a second time. Now, the girth can be tightened. Once the Western girth is tightened, the Tie Strap is passed through the girth buckle one last time. Now, the punched holes of the Tie Strap align with the center-bar buckle, which can be inserted into a suitable hole. The excess end of the Tie Strap can be threaded into the so-called Tie Strap Holder on the saddle.

Western Saddles

Western Girths

Western Saddle Accessories

Western Breastplates

Saddle Bags

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Can Western saddles be fitted?

Western saddles are extremely comfortable saddles that offer the rider plenty of space with their wide seat. While they are relatively firmer and harder than English saddles, there are many Western saddles with gel or otherwise padded seats. Unlike English saddles, Western saddles cannot be further modified after the initial fitting. Western saddles still consist of a solid wooden tree, which must basically fit the horse's back. Therefore, pay close attention to the fit of the saddle and shape of the horse when purchasing a Western saddle. Many Western riders have their saddle custom-made due to the lack of flexible adjustment options. In addition to the shape and width of the saddle tree, also pay attention to the length and seat size of the Western saddle. The tree size for Western saddles is given in different conformations of horse types. You can find a table on this and what else you need to consider when buying a Western saddle in our detailed guide on Western saddles.

Despite excellent fitting, it can happen in various Western disciplines or maneuvers that the saddle slips backwards. Especially in steep terrain, during gallop work or cattle work, a Western breastplate can be useful. This prevents the Western saddle from slipping back. Additional Western saddle accessories can also include a back cinch, which stabilizes the Western saddle as a rear girth.

Due to its minimal padding, every Western saddle without exception requires a thickly padded Western pad. For show purposes, a thin show blanket can add colour to the Western outfit.

What does a Western saddle cost?

The prices for a Western saddle depend on various factors. First of all, one must distinguish between a custom-made saddle and a ready-to-wear saddle. At Kramer Equestrian, you can buy ready-to-wear saddles in different sizes and shapes. The price range here varies from £130 for pony saddles to £800 for high-quality Western saddles made of premium leather. For custom-made Western saddles, however, you have to dig deeper into your pocket. Here, the price depends mainly on additional customer requests. Elaborate tooling or conchos can drive up the price of a Western saddle. For a custom saddle, you should expect a price starting from £2500 - but actual prices vary greatly from saddler to saddler.

How do you girth a Western saddle?

Since Western saddles do not have integrated girth straps, Western girths are attached to the saddle via an Off Billet and a Tie Strap. The connection between the Western girth and the short Off Billet remains in place and is not released. In contrast, the Tie Strap is used to tighten or loosen the saddle.
At first glance, girthing a Western saddle seems more complicated than an English saddle, where short girths and long girths are simply fastened via buckles to the girth straps of the saddle. A Western girth, however, has only one center-bar buckle, and the Tie Strap is wrapped multiple times as follows:

The Tie Strap is threaded from behind through the girth buckle and upwards through the D-ring on the saddle.
This is repeated a second time.
Now, the girth can be tightened.
Once the Western girth is tightened, the Tie Strap is passed through the girth buckle one last time. Now, the punched holes of the Tie Strap align with the center-bar buckle, which can be inserted into a suitable hole.
The excess end of the Tie Strap can be threaded into the so-called Tie Strap Holder on the saddle.