Hello, My Name is Jerry Payne. I have been part of the saddle building industry since the 1980's and my wife's family has been a part of it for 20 years more. Being part of the industry that long has given me an insight on questions that each buyer may have about saddles and saddle fit. It has become very clear to me in the past 8 years that there is so much misinformation about saddles, saddle trees, leather, and the building process involved  that it can have the most wary buyer wondering if anyone knows whats going on. I have written two other guides about buying saddles but I felt like those only touched the surface of the questions that needed to be addressed. In this guide I will seek to break down the complete saddle, talk about the materials used, warranties, how to care for a saddle, saddle fit (to both horse and rider), and many other facets that will try to make you the most informed buyer you can be. I don't know how long this guide will be when I am finished but I know that I hear hundreds of the same questions each week and I am going to try to answer the major points and do so in a "no bones" easy to understand way. So let's get started!
The Saddle Tree: The Skeleton of the saddle
We will start with the saddle tree. It is the most misunderstood part of the saddle yet the most important to the fit of the horse and rider. The tree acts as the "bones" of the saddle. It is where all the leather will attach during the build. A western saddle tree is made up of four major parts: 1.bars 2.pommel 3. cantle 4. horn.  The saddle tree bars come in pairs. They are the two parts of the tree that lays against the horses back and supports all the weight of the saddle and rider. The pommel, also called swells or front, is attached to the front top side of both bars and is the part of the saddle on which the horn sits. The cantle, also called the back, is attached near the rear of the bars and is the part that your rump sits against. The horn of the saddle is attached to the pommel, usually with screws or brads, and is the part that sticks up in front.
Understanding how a tree is made and what type of material that it is made from will help you decide which saddle is right for your needs. Quality saddle trees are made from two base materials, either wood or a polymer material (plastic or like substance). I bet I have heard a thousand times, "Is this tree made of fiberglass?". In quality made saddles there is no such thing as a fiberglass tree. I am not saying that cheap imported saddles may not have fiberglass trees, I am saying our saddles and quality ones won't. I had a customer actually bring me a saddle that was purchased on Ebay for 150.00 to show me the tree which was made from CARDBOARD.  I couldn't believe it. Remember in most instances you get what you pay for, but more on that later.  Wooden trees are put together in four pieces, not counting the horn. Wooden trees are heavier than polymer and of course more easier to get water damaged. Years and years ago wooden trees were the only material used. At that time the only method to seal the wood from water damage was to wrap and sew the tree in rawhide. Rawhide is basically bleached thin leather. Trees today can be sealed by rawhide, fiberglass and resin, or a polymer material. Wooden trees have to have this or they will rot. Polymer solid trees do not need a sealer. Ok, now to one of the big questions: Which method is better?  All quality trees come with a replacement warranty. 5 years is an industry standard. Todays tree technology on quality trees is so good that there is no much difference from one type to the next. Many people swear by rawhide wrapped only trees but this is just because that is the way they did it back in the good ole days. Rawhide makes for a strong saddle but no much stronger than fiberglass. It's drawback is that it makes the saddle cost much more and if a tree has to be special ordered it takes 3 times as long to build the tree. In my opinion, not the best choice for a product that has no better track record than other materials and has the same warranty. A fiberglass wrapped tree cost less, is just as water proof, generally is within a few pounds of bursting strength of the rawhide, and remember is covered by the same 5 year warranty. Polymer trees, or plastic, are squirted into a mold and formed in one peice. This makes the tree stronger in that it doesn't have the 4 stress points that the wooden tree inherently must have. Also the polymer tree is totally water resistant and should would last millions of years just laying around. Two of the  largest tree makers in the United States are Ralide Corporation and Steele Saddle Tree Co. Ralide, misunderstood by some to mean rawhide, is a maker of plastic molded products and saddle trees. Steele Tree Co. builds wooden based trees. More information on both companies can be found online at their websites.
Another type of  tree that has been on the market in the last 15 years is a flexible tree. Trees that are flexible are made from a polymer compound that has a bit of rubber it the mix so that the saddle will have some give to it instead of being very rigid. Some flex trees are all polymer and some have wooden pommels and cantles where only the bars are flex material. Now the biggest misunderstanding about flex trees is that they are not cure alls for hard fit problems. A flex tree doesn't mold to the horses back like a melted piece of cheese, it only bends a bit to make fitting the horse in some areas better.  The flex tree bends mostly from front to back (from the head to the tail of the horse) and gives only a very little bit from shoulder to shoulder. This makes fitting the horse with the right saddle type just as critical in flex tree technology as well. Flex trees can be good in situations where you ride multiple horses that have almost the same back conformation. Now that we have heard about how the tree is made and what materials it is made from lets look at the most important part of buying a saddle.
Saddle Trees: Choosing the correct Bar type for your horse
The number one most misunderstood part of buying a saddle is how do I know or determine if the saddle I am looking at will fit my horse? If you pay attention to any part of this guide this will be the most important part. Here are the things you must know to make an informed saddle buy:
1. ALL horses are different. Just like humans we are all shaped a bit different so expecting one saddle to fit several horses is like buying one pair of jeans for everyone in the family to wear. If you only have enough money to buy one saddle you better fit the largest widest horse first.
2. There is NO industry standard on gullet/bar sizes on western saddles. For you who think you know what type of bar your horse uses, throw that out the window unless you are buying the same saddle from the same maker. Even then the saddle will most likely fit different. I will discuss bar/gullet and what that means right after these important points but most people who know a bit about a saddle need to hear this. This is the most important thing to know about saddle fit. All companies build on their own molds with their own ideas about bar angle and what to call that angle. So 50 semi-quarter bar saddles could all fit a horse 50 different ways.
3. Horses never stay the same size. You know when you eat at that buffet you have to loosen your pants, horses are the same way. People ask all the time about waiting till a horse is a certain age to buy a saddle so that he is fully grown. That might be a good idea is some instances but I want to point out that horses change all the time with fat/muscle according to their diet and exercise. Padding or shimming under a saddle is something that must be done to correct fit at different times. If you buy a new saddle every time the horse changes you will have hundreds of saddles. Most tree makers say that if 80% of the bars are sitting on the horses back you have a good fitting saddle. You should work with a vet or trainer that is good to help with fitting problems. Some problems may be horse related and not saddle fit problems.
4. Make sure if you are using a trainer than they are top notch. I just had to add this here because it is a pet peeve of mine. I hear from novice saddle buyers all the time that say their "trainer" says they should only buy this saddle or that their saddle isn't fitting properly. I know you need to believe in the person that you are paying but if they are trying to sell you on a product that they make money on you should ask if that is right. Also we can tell pretty quickly that these trainers may have ridden horses but know very little more than the novices on saddle build and fit.
5. Seventy-five percent of ALL western saddles made are built on quarter bar style trees. Why is this important you may say? A quarter bar style tree is the most used tree for two reasons. The trees/molds are the cheapest to buy because they are the most mass produced and they are the most produced because they will fit the greatest variety of breeds. Now that being said lets look at that further. If you have a quarter horse type breed, round with hardly any withers with a nice flater back you will have tons of saddles to select from. Everytime you walk into a saddle shop or store almost every saddle on the racks will fit your horse fairly well. But lately many other breeds have become very popular and even the quarter horse breeds are being trained and kept so well that the shape of the horse is out growing the old standard quarter horse bar trees.
6. If you have a gaited horse, arab, draft, morgan, paso, or one of the hundreds of other breeds that are not shaped like quarter horses be prepared to look harder for a saddle and pay more. It is just a basic law of supply and demand.  75% of saddles made don't fit these breeds well. Saddle makers want to build saddles that sell so unless they specialize in certain breeds or custom build  they will only build quarter bar sizes. And most likely your horse will need special attention in fit that a quarter bar won't give so trying to buy off the shelf cheaper saddles will only bring you one non-fitting headache after the other. And as a side note if you have a large quarter horse you may need a special tree as well. We make about 20 saddles a year for wide quarter horses that have to use our draft horse bars.
Understanding Bar types and gullet size. The gullet of the saddle is a misunderstood part of the saddle as well.  The gullet is the part of the saddle where the pommel attaches to the bars of the tree on each side. The measurement usually talked about when discussing the gullet is the width from side to side. Gullet height is the measurement to the underside of the pommel with the bare tree sitting on the floor. This can be important with high withered horses. Many people only fit a horse using gullet width but the most important part of fitting the horse is the bar angle (type).  The bar type is the angle at which the bars lay on the horses back or if they may flare out in the front to make room for the shoulders. Most economy priced saddles (like 300.00-600.00) are built on polymer or ralide trees. Almost all of these trees are quarter bar based. But saddles built on wooden trees have a never ending amount of angles and sizes that can be used because the bars can be interchanged unlike with a molded tree.
Quarter horse bar...What does that mean?  Years ago you had two basic bar types, a quarter bar tree and a semi quarter bar tree. The basic principles of that still apply but one size has been added and we need to further clarify what these words mean.
 A quarter bar tree is the standard tree. Normally on a ralide type poly tree the gullet width will be 6 3/4" at the tree and the bar angle is flatter for rounder type quarter horses. But a saddle can have any size gullet and still have quarter bars. So as you will see just measuring the width of the gullet will not tell you if the bars are sticking into your horse or not even touching on the ends.
A semi-quarter bar tree generally is made to fit horses that are a bit skinnery or that may have a bit more withers. Semi quarter bars are angled more than the flatter quarter. In some instances semi bars can fit some breeds like Arabians better than quarter but as I said to start with all horses need to be checked.
The newest quarter size came from the growing need of growing horses. Horses became larger, wider, with more muscled shoulders so regular quarter bars wouldn't work. Then came the Full Quarter bar. Generally the Full quarter and the quarter are shaped exactly the same on the rear 2/3's of the bar where the saddle sits on the horses back. The big difference is the the front of the bars will flare out to about 7" to make for for the wider horse.
So two things to remember: 1. Full Quarter and Quarter bar are not the same thing. 75% of saddles are quarter bar only. 2. If your horse needs a Full quarter bar it will cost more to buy a barrel or pleasure saddle to fit the horse.  Once again it is a supply and demand thing. One exception is Roping or larger saddles. They almost always have a Full Quarter bar tree that will fit larger horses.
The best way to get the correct fit for your horse is to work with the saddle builder directly. If you are online and distant to the saddle maker, sending a withers trace of the horse to the maker will be beneficial in  fitting your horse and even letting you know what your choices and  price ranges will have to be. There is information online about doing a withers trace or you can contact the maker. I have only talked about the major tree types. Others are Gaited bars, draft bars, mule bars, and Arabian bars. All of these are generalizations and each horse must be fit properly. But if you have one of these types of horses keep in mind that you will most likely need a saddle that isn't available just anywhere and it may cost you twice as much as other saddles.
Now lets talk about fitting the Rider to the Saddle. Finding out what size seat you need or what type of saddle you might use is not as complex but most people try to make it complex. Over the years I have heard every method of telling what size saddle you should buy imaginable. Some will say you need a fist in between you and the pommel, or your knees shouldn't come out past the skirt on front. All of this is good information but the most important this is how do you feel about the saddle size you are sitting in. There are a variety of seat sizes on saddles and your saddle maker should be able to help you determine a size that should work well. I take several things into account when sizing. Your height, weight, type of riding you will be doing, and your level of riding skill. Sitting on several saddle models will key you in on what seat size feels best to you. Then make sure to ask also what the cantle height is on the saddle because that can make the seat feel larger or smaller. Economy saddles (ralide type trees) only come in full inch sizes so you can't usually get a 15.5" for instance in a 400.00 saddle. At least not if the seller is measuring right. A correct seat measurement on a saddle can be done by putting the end of a tape measure against the back of the pommel about an inch down under the horn and then stretching the tape back past the cantle. Read the tape measure at the point where the leather binding is sewn on the top of the cantle. NOT where the padded seat is. Measuring where the padded seat back starts will give you the actual measurement but not the correct tree size because the padding can vary and you want to know how far it is between the wooden pommel and cantle. The biggest thing is if you feel good in a 17" saddle then you should ride a 17".
The Materials used in building a saddle. It is very important for you to understand about the materials used in building a saddle and how that can affect the price and quality of the saddle in its finished stage. I am going to speak almost wholely about leather saddles so let's just start there.
Leather: Leather is graded two ways. By its thickness and the amount of marks or brands on the leather that is sold. The thickness or weight of leather is graded in ounces from 1 oz-16oz with the higher number being thicker. Leather is also graded #1 almost blemish free (supposedly) #2 may have one brand or other marks #3 many marks may be evident on the side. TR grade is where you get all 3 types on one pallet. In most instances saddle price is a great indication of what quality of leather is used. Here is a brief indication of what you might expect for your money. Keep in mind these are generally the lowest prices on specific adult saddles that you will pay:
Up to 300.00-Might not even be real cowhide. Could be fake leather or some stinky tanned water buffalo. 99% of these saddles are imported and dangerous AND all over the place. Keep this is mind NO American saddle maker can purchase the supplies and build the saddle and sell it for this price so you have to know what you are getting.
300-500.00 range- Generally this range is know as economy saddles. You will get a #3 grade leather mostly in this price range if you are buying from a good American made builder. This saddles leather will have blemishes and or will not color real evenly sometimes because of the tanning processes.
500.00 and up- Once again I am speaking of American built saddles. You can expect a better grade of leather in this range but again the lower the price the more the flaws will be evident. This is caused by two things. The more the saddle costs generally the more time we can spend picking over the leather and making sure those places aren't used.
I can say in our case as saddle builders I would like to relay the importance of stating what you want the leather to feel like and how clean you expect the saddle to be. For instance there is no difference in the leather used on one of our saddles for 800.00 and a saddle that might cost 2000.00. Other than decoration on the saddle you would be paying for a softer saddle leather that comes from oiling and breaking in.
Many people say they want a saddle that the leather feels soft on right out of the box. There are two ways that a builder can do this. Some builders use a really thin piece of leather backed with an oiled latigo and sewn together. This makes for a saddle that is quite soft and supple but one that is not as sturdy as a single ply leather. The second way is to use a single ply leather and to break it in before and during the build with water and or oil. We choose the second way because we like to build a saddle that will last a lifetime and have the thickest leather possible. If you want to save money our based priced custom saddles come only oiled twice. You can take them and oil them many more times to make the saddle as soft as you wish.
So what to take from this part of the guide is that on American made saddles most of the leather is cowhide and a good thickness. Many people complain of a stiff leather on economy saddles but what you need to understand is that when you buy a cheaper saddle you are just not paying for the time and labor that is takes to oil the saddle and make it more supple like you wish. It is most likely not cheap leather because a cow is a cow but it is the fact that you aren't paying for the builder to work and oil the saddle to break it in to the point that you want it. It is very simple talk with the builder beforehand and explain what you want and then decide if you would like to do that part yourself.
Other important saddle building steps and parts and things to look for.
Saddles are held together using rivets, nails, staples, glue and stitching. A good saddle maker includes all of these types of things in each saddle at the appropriate place. Buying cheaper made imported saddles can be dangerous because they don't always use the same fasteners in the correct places. One lady wrote me to say she sat on the seat of her 100.00 new Mexican saddle only to have a nail run into her rump..ouch! Wooden and Poly trees that carry a warranty are a must. Buy from a reliable dealer or you will have no warranty. Spend less than 300 on your adult saddle at most places and no matter what the seller says you can kiss a warranty goodbye. Also if you see a rawhide wrapped wooden tree on a saddle for less than 500.00 ..run. Blevins type buckles are nice to have to adjust stirrups. The saddle should have a set of tie strap and billet on the front.  Be careful of package deals on saddles where you get lots of tack with the saddle for a very low price. It's that way for a reason. Just keep in mind that a saddle is an important piece of safety equipment to use on a large animal. Spend wisely and get quality.
If people say you have expensive taste or you think you might be picky don't buy the cheapest saddle you can. Talk with the seller about your desires. I know as a seller that mostly works with internet and phone orders it is very important for me to know what quality of saddle you expect. Then I can point you to the correct price range saddle. Keep in mind that people see quality for the price in very different ways. I may sell a 400.00 saddle to a person that is thrilled with it and with the quality. Then they may tell their friend about the saddle and the friend orders the same saddle and thinks it is flawed and cheaply made. I would say if you have had saddles in the past don't spend less than 2/3 of what you are used to paying. I know we have the least expensive American made saddles in any price range but you can't expect a 2000.00 saddle for 300.00.
The most important thing to remember about saddles:  All saddles are handmade. There is no such thing as a perfect saddle! On a true handcut custom saddle there will be differences in symmetry from side to side, stitching, tooling, dying. Any of these things can vary on any saddle. It just makes it one of a kind and not like a synthetic squirted out product.
Choosing a color for your saddle: The most popular color overall is a natural leather. Natural leather can be changed where a dyed leather cannot be. Just like humans all cows are a different shade on their skin. So every saddle will be a different color. Also every natural color tan leather saddle WILL tan under any light. The sun especially but even indoor lighting. Oiling a saddle will also darken the saddle.  Many type of dyes are also used on saddles. When you use a dye on the saddle the dye does not cover over the original leather color but it only enhances it. So each saddle or even piece of leather will be different. This is why you can't get a perfect match on tack when you buy the saddle and then the tack seperate because it came from two cows who were two different colors. Even if the same dye was used it will produce different shades. Also for this reason if you are looking in a magazine or internet page at a saddle and trying to decide which saddle is the perfect color for your horse you need to discuss it with the seller/builder. If that is a file photo and now the exact saddle it most likely will not be the exact color but a bit ligther or darker.  Picking out saddles and tack is not as easy as clothing products. Synthetic products can be reproduced in the same colors over and over but saddles cannot.
Cleaning and caring for your saddle. Cleaning really depends on how much you ride. You should keep a soft bristle brush and stiff brush nearby after every ride. Just dust the leather off with the soft one and if you have a suede seat brush the seat with the harder one. Rough out, which is the back side of the leather or sanded part can be touched up with a piece of sandpaper. About once a month you need to clean the saddle overall with a good quality cleaner. Name brands work best. Then we use neatsfoot oil to make the leather more supple. If you get a new saddle you may want to treat it right away to break it in but you need to speak with the builder or seller before to see if a finish has been applied to the saddle to protect it. If so the oil may not soak in evenly in all places. If you build a custom and want to oil it right away for quicker break in ask for no finish.
Getting the best price on the right saddle.  Saddle making and the way saddles are sold are not different than many products. There is a chain of sells before it gets to the end user normally. The following illustrates who handles the saddle and how that affects what you pay.
The saddle maker: Buys all the raw materials and actually builds the saddles for different markets. Our company Riders Choice is one of the only saddle makers that sells directly to the public at wholesale prices. Saddle price: 320.00
The distributor: Buys the saddles directly from the maker for instance 50 at a time for 300.00 each. Sometimes the distributor will also be the saddle builder but this has become very uncommon. Most distributors have even gone to buying imported saddles for their economy models. The distributor then includes in his price his overhead, printed materials like catalogs, advertisement to pump the name and then a regional salesman makes 10% on each saddle sold to a wholesaler or store. Distributors wholesale price: 420.00
The wholesaler: This is a person who may buy from the distributor to take the saddles to large auctions, stores or wherever they may sell the saddles. Generally the wholesaler will pay a bit less than the distributors price to get a quanity deal but then drives the saddles to each store to save the store owner shipping charges.Wholesaler price: 450.00
The end buyer/user:  Most distributors who place a branded name on a product give the store owner a guide to sell by. They can basically charge however much they can get out of the saddle but can't sell it for less than the distributor tells them or they will void the contract. Generally economy saddles are marked up 100-200.00 each to cover the store owners overhead and saddle price. Of course they will mark it high usually because they know most saddle buyers are going to dicker on the price. End price: 650.00
Now to recap the important points of the guide.
1. If at all possible talk with the builder of the saddle and find out their recommendations.
2. Discuss with the builder/seller your expectations on price and quality
3. If you have a hard to fit horse or breed other than quarter horse type be prepared to pay more for a saddle.
4. Sending a withers trace to the seller will  help them decide if the saddle might be the right choice.
5. Leather is a living product. Colors can vary. Oil or conditioner must be used to keep it alive.
6. In a perfect world each horse would have it's on saddle.  Be prepard to shim and pad if you are using one on many horses.
7. If you pay less than 289.00 for an adult sized saddle you are getting a cheaply made dangerous product.
8. Leather that is stiffer is not always cheaper leather it is just leather that is not completely oiled and broken in.
9. If you try 3-10 saddles on your horse and nothing fits..talk to a saddle builder. You won't find what you need in a store.
10. If you like to pay for advertising, overhead, middlemen, and a name, buy in a store or catalog. If you want an equal quality saddle for a great percentage off buy from a maker like Riders Choice.