How Much Should I Pay For a Saddle?

I get asked this question a lot. Usually the person doing the asking is looking for confirmation that they don't have to pay a lot of money to get a decent western saddle. These folks don't usually like my answer.

How much should you pay for a decent saddle? I'm going to give you my opinion on what the price minimums are for decent quality new and used western saddles.

For a new leather saddle, I would not buy anything costing less than $600 at an absolute minimum, with $750 a better minimum target. New synthetic saddles will cost less than leather, but to get a quality synthetic saddle you should buy the top of the line, which will run a minimum of $400. In the last ten years there's been a flood of new, low-priced, shiny saddles on the market. Because they can look awfully "pretty" to the uninitiated, a lot of folks have made the mistake of buying one of these $299 wonders. At these prices there's no way the materials and the construction methods can be of any quality. The result is a saddle that doesn't last and, more concerning, can cause significant problems for the horse.

For the used market, the minimum price to buy a decent quality saddle can be a bit tougher to nail down. Since pricing is set by individual sellers, you'll find a lot more variation. In general, I would recommend that you stay away from any used saddle priced less than $300 for leather and $200 for synthetic. Most saddles for sale for less will either be of low quality or on their last legs.

When shopping in the used market, brand is probably your best indicator of quality. Sometimes you can find wonderful handmade saddles made by unknown saddle makers, but you have to have a good bit of tack knowledge to assess the value. Sticking to known brands with established reputations will improve your chances of getting a solid saddle. Sometimes the best buys are the older saddles of well known brands. Brands like Circle Y, Tex Tan, Big Horn, and Simco produced better saddles ten and twenty years ago than they do today. I'd grab a used (well cared for) model from that period from any of these brands before I'd buy one of their new saddles.

So, if your budget is less than $500 (or even &750), I'd head to the used market to find a decent saddle. And if your budget is less than $300, I'd keep saving. To buy a saddle for less than $300 isn't a bargain.

A great source for the widest selection of used saddles is eBay. We've created a customized eBay western tack shop organized by horse people, for horse people. In addition to saddles, you'll find an extensive tack selection. Check it out: Western Tack Shop.