Congratulations! You’re stepping out of the practice ring and into the show ring. What better way to do so than catch a Western show saddle sale.
There’s a lot of changes in how you’ll need to present yourself and your horse, including your riding clothes, the sheen of your horse’s coat, and the tack you’ll use.
It’s safe to say that your all-purpose saddle is not going to cut it in the show ring.
It’s time to look for a Western show saddle sale. Western show saddles are like a ball gown or a bow tie at a black-tie event: you’ll stand out for all the wrong reasons if you don’t have the right rig in the ring.
Never fear!
We are here with our recommendations for the best Western show saddles.
Why you need a show saddle:
Quality counts in the show ring. When looking through the Western show saddle sale, there are some qualities you should be aware of.
Show saddles are made to make the rider and horse stand out and look great in the competition ring. On the practical side, show saddles have an equitation-style seat.
Equitation is the word that describes the rider’s positioning in the saddle. In the ring, the rider is judged on how they are positioned in the saddle while executing the required movements with their horse.
The equitation-style seat helps the rider maintain as close to perfect positioning that they can.
Meanwhile, the show saddle’s close contact skirts allow for enhanced leg cues to ensure the best communication and execution of the required movements in the ring.
Despite being designed for use in the show ring, these saddles have their limitations: you cannot rope out of a western show saddle due to the low pommel and horn.
That said, the lower horn and pommel allow for easier rein movement.
Then there is the aesthetic of show saddles. Not only are they designed for great communication and positioning, but show saddles are designed to draw the eye of judges.
Simply put, western show saddles are made to be flashy and stand out. Western show saddles typically have lots of silver and detailed tooling.
Each saddle is a work of art. A Western show saddle sale will have saddles of all types, so it’s up to you to weed through to find the best options for you.
Western Show Saddle Sale Tips
What to look for in a show saddle:
Start with your budget. Western show saddles have a huge range of prices, and you’ll want to stay within your budget.
Just like other fashion items, show saddle styles can go in and out of style.
This will be something to look at closely if you are looking at used saddles, but won’t be as much of a danger to those buying a new western show saddle.
It may be obvious, but when searching a Western show saddle sale, you’ll want to find a saddle that fits both you and your horse. For more information on fitting yourself and your horse to a saddle, check out our article here.
Our Recommendations:
About Circle Y
Started in 1960, Circle Y has become one of the most recognizable brands of Western Saddles.
The founder Leland Tucker built the company to produce the highest quality western saddles possible.
The saddles are still handmade in Yoakum, Texas by a team of expert craftsmen with decades of knowledge and new technology.
Circle Y is the world’s leader in product design, innovation, and quality. That’s why our recommendations for Western show saddle sale are from this brand.
Circle Y Diamond Show Saddle
List Price: $4,821.85
Horse Saddle Shop Price: $4,499.00
If you see this saddle in a Western show saddle sale, we think you should look into it.
This gorgeous saddle features a butterfly cutout skirt for close contact with your horse and easy, near-invisible cues. The seat is suede to keep you locked in a balanced equitation position.
The seat comes in 14.5”, 16”, and 17”. The tooling features Full Sparkling Diamond with Geo Diamond Sterling Silver Plating accents.
This saddle can also be customized by the expert Horse Saddle Shop team. The saddle comes in Black, Chocolate, and Light Oil.
The tree comes in both Precision Equitation Style DURAhide coated tree in Equitation Regular and Equitation Wide so you’re sure to find the right fit for your horse.
Western Show Saddle Sale #2
Circle Y Cameo Show Saddle
List Price: $5,022.05
Horse Saddle Shop Price: $4,699.00
This beautiful saddle is a total showstopper!
The tooling features Full Floral with Cameo Sterling Silver Plated accents. This saddle can also be customized by the expert Horse Saddle Shop team.
The saddle comes in Black, Chocolate, and Light Oil. The tree comes in both Precision Equitation Style DURAhide coated tree in Equitation Regular and Equitation Wide.
Similar to the Circle Y Diamond Show Saddle, this saddle also features a butterfly cutout skirt for close contact with your horse and has a suede seat to keep your positioning secure.
This saddle also comes in seat sizes 14.5”, 16”, and 17”. With features like that, we think this saddle should definitely be on the Western show saddle sale list.
Western Show Saddle Sale #3
Circle Y Vintage Diamond Show Saddle
List Price: $5,498.90
Horse Saddle Shop Price: $4,999.00
The last recommendation for you to look for in a Western show saddle sale is the Vintage Diamond Show Saddle.
The saddle features Hand Tooled Full Cameo Floral with Geo Diamond Sterling Silver Plated accents. This saddle can also be customized by the expert Horse Saddle Shop team.
The saddle comes in Vintage, Chocolate, and Light Oil. The vintage look gives the tooling a two-toned look that is quite striking!
The tree comes in both Precision Equitation Style DURAhide coated tree in Equitation Regular and Equitation Wide. This saddle also comes in seat sizes 14.5”, 16”, and 17”.
It comes with a ⅞ in -skirt J-rig for closer contact through the fenders.
Western Show Saddle Sale Tip
Caring for the silver:
It’s a fact: silver tarnishes. You’ll need to maintain the silver on any saddle you find in a Western show saddle sale.
This can get tricky because the silver polish can accidentally get on the leather of the saddle and ruin the color. But with some care, you can avoid that disaster.
Apply the silver polish cream to a finger, soft cloth or foam first, and not directly to the silver.
Then apply it to the silver carefully, let it dry and buff it off once dry. As a final touch, give the silver a light application of Windex for extra shine. In between uses, store the saddle in a bag to protect it from the elements.
Invest in a saddle cover that goes all the way around the saddle rather than just going on top of the saddle.
Conclusion:
With Circle Y’s stellar reputation, we are sure that any of these three saddles will be a good Western show saddle choice for your showing career should you find them in a Western show saddle sale.
Stellar craftsmanship, on-trend style, and a good fit with most horses and riders make these a good choice for competitors who don’t need too much customization.
Was this post helpful? Looking for more fancy saddles at a great discount? Check out my post on Julie Goodnight Saddle Sale.
These saddles are beautiful. I had not paid much attention to the saddle in itself when watching my mother-in-law do her barrel racing. She is very good and very serious about her horses and her racing. I only know that when my son did competitive gymnastics, everything mattered down to the hair cut believe it or not. So my question is this: In an event like barrel racing, does a show saddle help with the score or is it simply down to the time?
Hi Leahrae. Thanks for your question. No. The way a saddle looks has nothing to do with the score in barrel racing. What matters in barrel racing are a number of factors – like how light the saddle is and how secure the rider is in the seat, how fast the horse can do sharp turns when running in a cloverleaf pattern around the barrels.
A show saddle is for show in the ring. The more ornate, or the more bling a show saddle has, as well as how well the horse responds to its cues from the rider, the better it affects the rider’s score. Hope that helps.
Hey,
Loving this review and article. There are some great discounts on some brilliant saddles. My niece would absolutely love one of these saddles. I have shared so many of your articles with her parents and I haven’t heard yet if they have bought her one of the saddles that you have reviewed. If they haven’t, then they should definitely take advantage of the discounts you are describing here because these are some great saddles.
I will share this article with my niece and her parents and I will let you know if they do eventually use these discounts to get my lovely niece as new saddle.
Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work.
All the best,
Tom
Hi there! Thanks so much for reading and posting your comment. I’m so happy your niece is into horseback riding. Please continue to share this information with her.