I asked an earlier question about this. I’m in love with the Australian design, so I’m going to switch saddles, from western to Aussie. But first I have to convince my parents that I’m serious about getting an Aussie saddle, instead of another Western. So, I’m making a list consisting of the Pros and Cons of switching/using an Australian saddle.
Note to all-
I will not be doing anything competitive in the Aussie, just leisure and trail riding. My horse is not athletic, he’s just a plodder, and I’m getting a bit bored of the Western design and it’s a pain in the butt hauling this big heavy thunk of leather whenever I want to ride. I know, I’m a sissy.
3 Responses to 'Pros And Cons Of An Aussie Saddle?'
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OK, I have heard some talk, and done some reaserch, because, frankly, Aussie saddles are cool, and thanx to my best friend, I have checked them out more than I thought. I have been told, and discocvered that Aussie saddles help a horses gait. Because they fit more comfortably and they are smoother on the horses back than most english-related saddles. There-fore, encouraging the horse to speed up when he is asked to.
I know for a fact that its hard to get a plodder into a speed faster thana loap. Trust me. My horse doesn’t loap unless his best buddy is at the other end of the arena. (we’re working on that.) I have also discovered that Aussie saddles are very comfortable to the rider as well…
I bought an Aussie saddle on a whim after finding a good deal on a consignment saddle. I love it.
My saddle has small poleys and no horn, which I find to be awesome. Many Australian saddles are nearly as big and bulky as a Western saddle, which is what I wanted to get away from. The thing I like most about my saddle is that it is just about identical to a dressage saddle except that I have small poleys instead of knee rolls. The saddle itself is very comfortable to ride in, especially for trails.
There are not very many downsides to using Aussie saddles as trail saddles. They are a bit hard to find, but it is possible to find a good quality Aussie saddle for a good deal. I did have some trouble locating a girth that fit the billets. (PS…English girths are too narrow.) I ended up getting in contact with the woman who sold the saddle to the shop and buying a girth from her. Larger tack shops usually have at least one Australian girth in stock, or at least have a vendor they can order one from.
I think they are a ton of fun. Not everyone likes them. I know of a few people who do not like the poleys. All in all, I highly recommend trying out an Aussie saddle. They are fun to change things up a bit!
ok so the two answers just covered just about everything except one… fleece and stuffed. If your horse has a typical QH back… thick, no withers, then you need to do fleece. Stuffed are for horses with high withers and a narrow back, because it forms so well into every crevice of their little backs. This is actually the number one reason on why I am going to get one. My mare has a very narrow back and very prominent withers, and stuffed aussie saddles are great for horses just like mine! I have been through 5 (can you believe it?!) yes, 5 saddles, and it seems that all the saddle experts keep pointing me to stuffed aussie saddles.
Oh, and to touch base on the fleece… its basically just like the underside of a western saddle. nothing special really.