Whether you're in the market for a brand new, fully custom saddle or you're looking for something more economical, you have choices.  And lots of them!  This page is designed to help you find the perfect saddle.

Before coming into the store, it's often helpful  to ask yourself the following questions so that we can help you determine which saddles are worth riding in and which are a waste of your time:

• Why do I need a new saddle? 
  • Being able to accurately describe the situation you're in makes it easier for us to help you select saddles to try.
    • Has your horse's behavior changed recently?  If so, have you ruled out everything it might be (lameness issues, teeth needing to be floated, etc)?
    • Does your horse appear to have developed sensitivity to girthing? Does he attack the cross ties when you approach him with a saddle?  Is his back suddenly sore?  If so, where?
    • Does it feel like you're not balanced in the saddle?  How are you imbalanced, and why?
• What kind of saddle do I need?
  • Determining the seat size, flap length/forwardness, tree width, and panel shape you and your horse require before coming into the store expedites the saddle search immeasurably. You'll be able to rule out all the saddles that won't work quickly.
  • On average, a horse with a defined wither will require more of a medium to medium-wide tree, while a horse without much of a wither will need a wider tree.  Keep in mind, however, that every tree is different, so don't allow yourself to become pigeon-holed to one particular size tree - you ultimately won't know until you try it out on the horse.
• What is my price range?
  • If money's an issue, it is always better to go with a high quality used saddle than to buy a cheaply crafted new saddle.  You might be surprised to find that some of our new custom saddles are affordable, offering you and your horse a wonderful fit without breaking the bank.
• What saddles are available?
  • Browse through our website.  All of our saddles, both new and used, are listed there.  If you have a few picked out before you come in the store, you can call ahead to make sure they're available for trial.  Presenting us with a list of saddles that you're interested in further speeds up the process so that you'll be well on your way to riding in a saddle that works for you. 
• Do I have a wither and back tracing to bring with me into the store?
  • Having these tracings on hand is a great idea, as we can actually take your templates and hold them up into the gullet of the saddle to get an idea of tree width and even the shape of the panels that might be best for your horse.   You can either borrow a flexible curve from us or buy one from the local craft store.  You can download a pdf file that explains how to take the templates on the right side of this page.

When you come into the store, make sure you let us know a bit about your horse's history.  Has he had any lameness issues?  Is he a young horse, or a horse that has been out of work for a while?  The more we know about your horse the easier it will be to assess the kind of saddle that will benefit you the most. 

Taking a moment to fill out the Saddle Checklist will help immeasurably - we can keep that and the wither and back tracings on file in the store as we help you find the right saddle.  Click on the button below to print up the checklist:

Once you've taken some saddles home to ride in, make sure you make detailed notes about each saddle, doing your best to articulate what you did or did not like about it, both in fitting you and your horse. This will help you keep track of the saddles you tried, and will help us be able to narrow down the search by knowing what works for you and what doesn't.

Ride in the saddles you think might work a few times - sometimes the first or second ride we have in a saddle are great, but find that the saddle doesn't work in subsequent rides. Before you make a financial commitment, make sure both you and your horse are completely satisfied.

If in doubt, TAKE PICTURES.  Emailing Dawn with pictures or bringing pictures into the store can be helpful in determining if a saddle hits the mark or not.  Make sure you take pictures of the horse standing squarely, with the saddle girthed up without a pad, from both the right and the left.  Also take shots of the back of the panels - get a good view of how the panels lay against the horse's back.  And finally, photographs of the front of the saddle as it rests against the horse's shoulder - both the right and left sides.  Bringing in conformation shots of the horse (without a saddle, standing squarely) is also helpful.  Click on the button below for examples of the types of pictures that are most useful:

Remember that we're here to help you and your horse find the right saddle!

Make sure you have the flexible curve bent in half before you begin.

Take your first tracing at the wither, approximately 2"-3" beyond the horse's scapula (shoulder blade).

Your next tracing should be at the horse's 18th Thoracic Vertebrae, corresponding to the horse's last rib.

Finally, take a template of the horse's spine, going from the wither to the 18th Thoracic Vertebrae.

DAWN'S IN-STORE HOURS

Monday 10 - 6

Wednesday 10 - 6

Thursday 10 - 6

Friday - Available for Appointment Only

Sunday 11 - 5