Part One: For the Ride
Have you ever struggled shopping for a saddle? Have you fallen for a brand you can’t find anywhere near you? Had to buy online to find the saddle you want and then it didn’t fit? Or hired a fitter that would only work with one or two brands and ordered a custom saddle, only to find after weeks or months of waiting it doesn’t ride the way you wanted? Do you wish there was a better way?
What if there was one shop with hundreds of saddles to choose from, in all sizes, styles and the top brands? Amazing, but maybe a little overwhelming?
Good Apple Equine Consignment is owned by equestrians who know the value of getting just the right saddle. They’ve stocked Good Apple with all the best pre-owned saddles the Ocala area offers and organized everything to make saddle shopping easy for you and your horse. Here, we’re going to talk about finding the right saddle for you.
Every saddle in Good Apple is organized by discipline and has three tags: the color-coded seat size tag, the brand logo, and the saddle specifications tag. Find your riding discipline, then use the tags to help narrow your selections.
- A colored tag on the front of each saddle helps you find your seat size at a glance. Using the chart below (posted in store) you can tell all the saddles in the photo above have 17.5 or 18-inch seats.
- Find your favorite brands, or something new, just as easily. Saddles have a brand logo tag prominently displayed at the front of the saddle
- Each saddle has been measured and assessed by Good Apple Equine staff before going into the show room. When you see a saddle you like, find details such as the model, tree width, exact seat and flap size, price and when the saddle arrived at the store on the saddle specifications tag.
If you still have questions, Good Apple’s knowledgeable staff will be happy to help. They’ve made thousands of saddle matches over the years, and have the skill to point you in the right direction. Once you have a few promising saddles, you’ll want to get a feel for them.
Meet Rowdy, the Good Apple Equine ‘test horse’. Unlike his name, Rowdy is good-natured and doesn’t mind how many times you hop on and test a saddle. You might need a little extra padding for wide tree saddles, but it’s available nearby.
Mount up and use the mirror to double check your shoulder-hip-heel alignment. See for yourself how much room you have in the seat and on the flaps, and get a feel for the saddle’s twist and how the seat supports you.
Rowdy will help you narrow down the saddles you like the best. Next, you’ll want to feel it in motion.
In Part II we’ll cover details on finding a Good Apple Equine saddle to fit your horse (he can come shopping too!), and talk more about how to use the hassle-free five day saddle trial to make sure you found the right saddle, but if you just can’t wait to learn more, click here.