The "Used Saddle Pick of the Week" Every week we scour the Internet searching for a particularly juicy bargain on a high quality used western saddle and feature it here on the WSG Saddle Blog. The saddles featured are listed for sale on ebay as of the date of the post.

The Western Saddle Guide is not the seller of the saddles featured and does not make any representations about them. We encourage all potential buyers to do their own due diligence on the seller and the saddle before purchasing.

---

This week's pick is a high quality custom saddle for those folks looking to step up into the custom category.

Rafter W Saddlery, based in Rigby, Idaho (just down the road a bit from us here in southwest Montana), builds fine, handcrafted saddles in the buckaroo tradition. The base price on their saddles is around $2600 and they're worth every penny.

This week's pick is a very handsome 16" Wade Tree saddle from Rafter W. This saddle is quality from top to bottom and includes a matching breast collar. It has a rawhide-wrapped wood tree, in-skirt plate rigging, monel stirrups, brass hardware, tooling with a snake border and corner flowers, bucking rolls, and a 30" mohair cinch. There's no mention of gullet width - Wade trees are usually described in terms of degree of the bar angle (90,93,96), so ask the seller before buying.

This is a very nice saddle and won't come cheap. The current bidding, as of this writing, is only at $103.50, but the seller has a reserve and won't be letting it go cheap. His "Buy It Now" price is $2650 which probably is an indication of his reserve. That's probably at the high end of the market value for this well-cared for used custom saddle, so I'd be bidding south of that number.

We present the Saddle Blog's Used Saddle of the Week:

16" Rafter W Wade Tree Saddle

Check out other Rafter W Saddles for sale in our tack shop.

Traditionally, horses have been handled from the near (left) side. Today, you'll see most folks leading, saddling, and mounting their horses from the near side. Why?

This tradition dates back to the earliest mounted warriors wearing long swords into battle. With the sword most often worn on the left side by right-handed riders, mounting from the left side was the only practical approach. Thousands of years later, the tradition persists.

As a result, most horses today are extremely "left-sided." They may become confused or afraid when handled from the off (right) side. But, with the proper training, both horse and rider can (and should) become quite ambidextrous. It is really a mistake to think that horses should always be handled and saddled from the left side.

The "Used Saddle Pick of the Week" Every week we scour the Internet searching for a particularly juicy bargain on a high quality used western saddle and feature it here on the WSG Saddle Blog. The saddles featured are listed for sale on ebay as of the date of the post.

The Western Saddle Guide is not the seller of the saddles featured and does not make any representations about them. We encourage all potential buyers to do their own due diligence on the seller and the saddle before purchasing.

---

Martin Saddlery makes a real nice saddle. They've gotten a bit fancy of late with slick marketing, but they still make a fine saddle and are a favorite in the competitive arena. Picking up a used Martin is a good buy.

This week's pick is one of those good buys. It's a 14.5" roping saddle that has very few miles on it. So few, it looks almost new.

The seller lists all the decorative features (floral and basket tooling, padded seat, roughout jockey and fenders), but hasn't indicated the gullet width or bar type, so you'll want to check with them on that before you bid.

There's some action on this saddle with 4 bids and and a current bid of $405, but there's still an opportunity to pick up a good buy!

We present the Saddle Blog's Used Saddle of the Week:

14.5" Martin Roping Saddle

Check out other Martin Saddles for sale in our tack shop.

The "Used Saddle Pick of the Week" Every week we scour the Internet searching for a particularly juicy bargain on a high quality used western saddle and feature it here on the WSG Saddle Blog. The saddles featured are listed for sale on ebay as of the date of the post.

The Western Saddle Guide is not the seller of the saddles featured and does not make any representations about them. We encourage all potential buyers to do their own due diligence on the seller and the saddle before purchasing.

---

Double J is a very nice quality production saddle brand out of Yoakum, Texas. Their saddles start at around $1500 new. Shopping for a used one can be a great way to get a quality saddle at a very affordable price.

This week's Pick is a well-used, but well cared for Double J roping saddle. It has a 15" suede seat, 7 inch gullet, oak and acorn tooling, and 3" roper stirrups. The saddle has two of Double J's Hi Tech features - adjustable fenders and a suede skirt liner. Click through on the link below to see photos of the these features.

This is a chance to have a really well made saddle at a fraction of it's cost new. As of this writing, the current bid is only $152.50!

We present the Saddle Blog's Used Saddle of the Week:

15" Double J Roping Saddle

Check out other Double J saddles for sale in our tack shop.