Custom Saddle Pricing

If you’ve ever pined for a quality custom saddle made just for you, to your exact specifications, you’ve probably discovered that they don’t come cheap.

Quality custom saddles that use quality materials (i.e. wood tree, premium leather, stainless steel or brass hardware) and quality craftsmanship techniques with no shortcuts, and are created by an experienced and skilled saddlemaker will generally run from $2500 to $3500 for a base model. Prices of saddles from the top flight makers (Rick Bean, Cary Swarz, Dale Harwood, John Willemsma, Chas Weldon, to name a few) will be higher.

That’s a lot of money, but you might be surprised to discover that with the materials cost and construction time figured in, most saddlemakers make a very average living.

Materials will typically cost a maker around $1000 or more per saddle. There are additional shop overhead costs (rent, power, etc.). That will leave less than $1500-$2500 as the saddlemaker’s share. A well-crafted saddle will generally take 40 to 50 hours to complete, enabling a saddlemaker to make four to five saddles a month, if the orders are there. The best makers have waiting lists, with some (such as Dale Harwood) extending as much as ten years. But many working makers don’t have a full schedule.

So, while $2500 to $3500 is definitely a lot of money, a quality custom saddle is a very good value. You’re getting a lot for your money – a saddle built with the best materials and craftmanship and tailored to your specific preferences.

But we can’t all afford to plunk down that kind of money for a saddle. And, that’s why we talk often about looking to the used market to find one of these quality saddles at a much lower price. Now, when you buy a used custom saddle you won’t have the opportunity to have it built to your specifications, but you will be able to buy a top quality saddle for far below top quality price.

Look for used saddles from top makers such as Jeremiah Watt, George Holt, Robert Chavez, Cary Scwarz, Rick Bean, Steve Mecum, Keith Valley, John Willemsma, Chuck Stormes … to name some of the marquee makers.

Cheap Saddles Aren’t Cheap

The tough economic times we’re experiencing has all of us looking for ways to cut back and be more frugal. When shopping for saddles it can seem that the best buy is a new, cheaper saddle. But that’s a decision that can end up being a costly mistake.

Cheap saddles are cheap for a reason. They have lower quality materials and craftsmanship, and, as a result they won’t last long and they’ll cause problems for you and your horse. A low quality saddle is no bargain.

But how do you afford a higher quality saddle? Buy used! High quality saddles last a long, long time if well cared for. And there are many, many of them for sale.

If you’re lucky to have a good western tack shop in your area, you’ll probably find a selection of used saddles for sale. But the best selection can be found on ebay. There are many great sellers listing used saddles for sale who have high ratings and provide extensive photos and descriptions of their saddles. There’s a wide range of types, brands, sizes, and prices for sale.

The Western Saddle Guide’s online Tack Shop takes all of the saddles for sale on ebay and organizes them in a horse knowledgeable way (ever tried shopping on ebay? they don’t know a draft saddle from a reining saddle). You can browse used saddles for sale by each of these categories:

• Western saddles by saddle type
• Western saddles by saddle brand
• Western saddles by seat size

Now, more than ever, it’s important to make sure you get a lot for your money. With western saddles, the way to do that is to buy used.

Used Saddle Pick of the Week: 15″ Circle Y Trail Saddle

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.

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Last week’s "Pick," the 16" Circle Y Arabian Saddle, sold for $501.50, a fair price for this rarer saddle. If you have an Arab or a horse with Arab conformation, this would have been a great buy.

This week we have another Circle Y saddle to share with you. You’ll notice that the Circle Y’s that are chosen as a "Pick of the Week" are all older models. Circle Y used to make a really fine saddle, but their newer saddles aren’t up to that quality. They’re now just middle of the road production saddles.

This week’s saddle is a Circle Y Trail Saddle with a 15" seat, semi quarter horse bars, twisted stirrups, 3 way rigging, and rough out seat. It’s seen some miles and nicely broke in, but still in very good condition. These are my favorite type of used saddle buys. A one owner saddle that has some miles on it, but has been cared for exceptionally well. Lots of great miles left in this saddle.

The Circle Y’s of this area are fine riding saddles. This one is priced at $500, which is a good value.

We present The Saddle Blog’s "Used Saddle Pick of the Week":

15" Circle Y Trail Saddle

 

 

Used Saddle Pick of the Week: 16″ Circle Y Arabian Saddle

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.

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Well, the buyer of last week’s "Used Saddle Pick of the Week" got a very juicy bargain. The Mint Condition 15" Hereford Tex Tan saddle sold for only $456! That’s a great buy and the saddle will be a great ride.

This week, we’re looking at an older Circle Y that has seen some use, but is still a great saddle. Don’t tell the folks at Circle Y I said this, but the older Circly Y’s are much better quality than the newer Circle Y’s. You can pick up some great saddles by looking for Circle Y’s from ten or more years ago.

This week’s saddle is a 16" Arabian saddle with some style. The saddle is fully silver-laced, which you don’t see much these days. The finish is a handsome dark oil and the leather is in good condition, but there are some worn areas such as a tear on the horn. (The seller is very upfront on the condition of the saddle, so definitely read through their description.)

The "Buy it Now" price is $589 with the starting bid at only $299. If you have an Arab or a horse with Arab-type conformation (wide, short, flat back, and withers with a flat pitch), this is a saddle you’ll want to check out.

We present The Saddle Blog’s "Used Saddle Pick of the Week":

Used 16" Circle Y Arabian Saddle