Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle Review for Trail Riders

Aug 10, 2023

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Hi there trail riding enthusiasts! Today, I’ll be reviewing the Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle. At the end of this post, I want you to let me know in the comments if my post was helpful to you. Deal? Great.

So, let me ask you: Did you ever ride all day, only to discover, to your dismay, that even dismounting hurt? Trail riding is one of the most fun things a rider can do. But if you’re sitting on the wrong saddle, you’ll pay for it later.

Comfort You Need and Want

No one likes a sore butt. Or an aching back. Unfortunately, that’s what you can end up with if your saddle is uncomfortable or ill-fitting. No two trails are alike. The same can be said for horse saddles. While some saddles are gorgeous to look at and may be perfect for the show ring, they probably aren’t what you’d want to use on a trail ride.

On the trail, it’s all about comfort and safety. If the saddle looks good, that’s a bonus. Your first concern should be a comfortable, safe saddle that fits you and your horse. Both horse and rider can enjoy the ride when the saddle fits and is comfortable.

You might think it isn’t possible to find a great saddle that you can sit in all day, dismount, and feel great after the ride. But you’d be wrong.

Circle Y Sunflower Flex Trail Saddle:
Features and Benefits

The Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle was designed with comfort for horse and rider in mind. It’s understandable that buying a saddle online can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Because this saddle promises a lot and delivers it all.

And it’s beautiful.

Impact Foam Seating: No More Sore Butt

The Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle will stand out on the trail with lovely sunflower hand tooling and brass sunflower hardware. It also has nice rounded skirts. When your saddle pals see this saddle, they’ll want to know where you bought it.

But looks aside, comfort is what makes this saddle so great. The seat is made of impact foam. And it offers comfort that is unmatched. It’s engineered to give maximum cushion and doesn’t wear down quickly.

It’s everything you need for a comfortable all-day ride.

Flex2 Tunnel Skirt: No Pressure on the Horse’s Spine

You won’t be the only one who loves this saddle. Your horse will too. The Flex2 Tunnel Skirt forms a channel in the horse’s spine area. This decreases rubbing, pressure, and sore spots. It also lets hot air out and cool air in.

Softee Full-Grain Leather for that Broken-in Feeling

And if you hate breaking in a new saddle, this one has a nice surprise. The Softee full-grain leather already has a broken-in feel. Right out of the box, the seat jockeys and fenders are comfortable and ready to go.

Neo-Shock Skirt: Absorbs Shocks on Rough Terrain

Additionally, the Neo-Shock skirt absorbs the shocks that come from riding over rough and uneven terrain through neoprene filler. It’s designed to muffle vibrations for a ride you and your horse will appreciate. It even conforms to your horse’s conformation.

3-Way Adjustable Rigging

The Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle also has 3-way adjustable in-skirt rigging which gives you several options for rigging. This lets you get the best fit for your horse.

Lots of Saddle for the Cost – Let’s Look at the Savings

Specifications

Color: Chocolate or Vintage
Tree: Flex2 Trail 5 Regular and Wide
Hardware: Brass Sunflower
Tooling: 1/2 Sunflower with border hand tooled
Rigging: 7/8 In-Skirt C
Swell Width: 12″
Cantle Height: 5″
Horn Size: 3-1/4″ Neck, 1-7/8″ Cap
Skirt: 11″ D x 24″ L
Weight: 23 lbs

Our Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle only weighs 23 pounds.

The less weight a horse has to carry, the better he’ll handle a long ride. You’ll be happy too when the ride is over because you won’t have a sore back, knees, or backside. No one likes ending the day doing something they love with aches and pains.

Luckily for you, with this saddle, you don’t have to.

Now, you can ride all day over the toughest trails, up and down hills, and everywhere else, and still have a great ride! The Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle makes every trail ride a memorable adventure.

If you love trail riding and want a great saddle for you and your trail buddy, it’s hard to go wrong with this saddle. And if you’re looking for a new saddle that’s comfortable and great looking, the Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle just might be the saddle for you.

My Final Thoughts on the
Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle

You can ride long hours over tough trails and come out unscathed. Our Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle makes it possible. This is a great option for anyone who loves riding the trails from dust to dawn, or just a couple of hours at a time. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with this saddle.

Did you find my review helpful? I’ve written reviews on other trail saddles on this site. Check out my review on the Circle Y Omaha Flex2 Trail Saddle.

Comments

8 responses to “Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail Saddle Review for Trail Riders”

Leahrae

I’m all for no more sore butt. I do ride and I always borrow a saddle, and my mother-in-law is quite petite which means that the saddle does not fit me super good and I do always end up with a sore butt. I just thought that when you ride horses, that is what you get. I like the idea of an impact foam seating 😀 But I also like the look with the Sunflower border. Looks like a great saddle for me!

Reply
1. Shalisha Alston
  
  Hi Leahrae. I appreciate your comment. Seat size is important. So when you borrow someone else’s saddle, make sure that person is approximately your size. Also, the saddle technology plays a major role in whether you end up with a sore butt. The Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail saddle is made with the kind of technology that makes for a comfortable ride for one’s buns. Thanks for stopping by.
  
  Reply
Madyibilg

Thank you for this review of this beautiful saddle. I’m not much of a horse rider myself, but I’ve learnt a thing or two from scanning this review.

Reply
1. Shalisha Alston
  
  Thanks for your comment Madyibilg.
  
  Reply
Anna

I used to go riding a lot when I was much younger. I was always told, and believed, it just hurts, until you get used to it. I guess I never did enough riding, because it never really stopped hurting. It got to be less, but never went away. Once I switched from Western to Eastern it was less painful for me. Still hurt, but nowhere near as much.

But you’re saying the pain is the result of the wrong saddle?

I always assumed the saddle only had to fit the horse. But it needs to fit the rider too?

That makes a lot of sense, actually. I remember how bow-legged I would feel, afterwards, like John Wayne or something. It makes me kind of angry now, to think about it. LIke I was lied to. And what about the poor horse?

The Circle Y Sunflower saddle looks and sounds amazing. It has a slimmer, less bulky look than most Western saddles. It seems almost more along the lines of an Eastern type. Is that part of what makes it more comfortable?

I always wondered how it was for the horse, but nobody ever took my inquiries seriously. I’m glad to see there is a saddle company that does care about this.

Do they have a unique way of measuring that enables you to order one online? Or is it more the adjustability that makes it work for both parties?

This is very interesting to me.

Thanks for posting.

Anna

Reply
1. Shalisha Alston
  
  Hi Anna. Thanks for your comment and your questions.
  
  Riding a horse doesn’t have to hurt. The Circle Y Sunflower Flex2 Trail saddle is a Western saddle. What makes the Circle Y Sunflower saddle comfortable is the technology they use in making the saddle. The technology specifically takes into consideration the horse’s comfort as well as the rider’s comfort.
  
  If the saddle only fits the rider’s needs, the horse suffers. If the saddle only fits the horse’s needs, the rider suffers. So when buying a saddle, look for these 5 features: Impact Foam, Softee, Flex2 Tunnel Skirt, 3-way rigging, and Neo Shock Skirt. Below is an explanation for each. If you look for these features when buying a saddle, you can rest assured that both you and your horse will ride in comfort.
  
  Tired of a sore butt after a days riding? The impact foam seat offers you unmatched comfort in the saddle. Engineered to offer maximum cushion without wearing down quickly, this seat is everything you’ve been looking for to get you through the trail.
  
  Annoyed with the break-in period of your new saddle? No more! Softee Leather is revolutionary. Real full-grain leather with a broken in feel. Softee seat jockeys and fenders are ready to ride right out of the box.
  
  The Flex2 Tunnel Skirt creates a channel in the spine area which will decrease rubbing, sore spots and any kind of pressure along the spine. The tunnel allows for hot air to escape while cool air flows in.
  
  3-Way adjustable in-skirt rigging with several rigging options and positions to best suit fitting all of the different horse conformations.
  
  The Neo-Shock skirt absorbs shock from rough terrain and uneven surfaces through the neoprene filler. This filler is designed to muffle any vibration for a smoother ride for both you and your horse. This skirt also conforms to the conformation of your horse.
  
  Reply
G.Mack

I grew up riding horses and trying out different saddles. I never paid attention to the brand of saddle, only the comfort. This saddle looks like it would very comfortable with that suede top. I wonder how long the suede will last with everyday riding. I only say this because the seat of the saddle ends up moist after a few hours of riding in the sun. I am going to need to give this one a try and find out!

Have you ever heard any complaints about the suede saddle tops loosing their softness?

Thank you for this post!

Reply
1. Shalisha Alston
  
  Hi there! Thanks for stopping by. You’ve asked a great question. Circle Y creates high-quality saddles using fine materials. Usually, saddles made with inferior quality materials tend to fall apart or fade quickly. As this saddle is high-end, I’d say you won’t have to worry about wear and tear for a very long time. However, I will say this – the suede doesn’t wear off so much as wear down and flatten out because of dirt and oil it collects. If it is kept clean, it should stay in good condition for several years. Before you purchase it, make sure you understand how to clean your saddle and what products you should use. Our manufacturer recommends using a stiff wire brush to keep it clean (dry – don’t use water or oils).
  
  Reply