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What is the Best Saddle for Tennessee Walker Horse? All You Need to Know

Tenessee Walker Horse Saddle

The Tennessee Walker Horse, like the horse itself, is a unique breed. The saddles featured here are designed for smooth gaited horse breeds that have a four-beat stride instead of a two-beat stride.

For the Tennessee Walking Horse, Spotted Saddle Horse, Missouri Fox Trotters, Paso Finos, Peruvian Pasos, Rocky Mountain Horses, and other gaited breeds, these saddles are the best available. Circle Y, Crates, Tucker, Big Horn, Tex Tan, and Dakota are among the best gaited horse saddle manufacturers.

These saddle builders are the best in the world because they understand horse breeds. Only approved dealers are allowed to sell their saddles.

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Gaited Horse Saddlers

ProductImageRatingPrice
Circle Y El Campo Cordura Gaited Trail Saddle 6970 w/Free PadCircle Y El Campo Cordura Gaited Trail Saddle 6970 w/Free Pad★★★★★CHECK PRICE
14″ to 17″ Circle Y Alabama Flex2 Trail Gaiter Saddle 158114" to 17" Circle Y Alabama Flex2 Trail Gaiter Saddle 1581★★★★★CHECK PRICE
14″ to 17″ Julie Goodnight Blue Ridge Flex2 Trail Saddle 175114" to 17" Julie Goodnight Blue Ridge Flex2 Trail Saddle 1751★★★★★CHECK PRICE
15″ – 17″ Dakota Gaited Equi-Fit Trail Saddle 21115" - 17" Dakota Gaited Equi-Fit Trail Saddle 211★★★★★CHECK PRICE

Tennessee Walker and gaited horses’ backs and shoulders execute with greater movement and motion than a two-beat horse since each footstep is independent of the others. Your horse’s mobility will be limited and he will be unhappy if the saddle is not properly fitted. What’s the end result? To “get away from” pain, the horse alters or decreases his stride.

Well gaited horse saddles prevent this from occurring and even improve the natural movement of your horse. They’re designed to provide the horse the freedom of movement and comfort he requires while still supporting the rider’s balance and seat.

The trees in the gullet haven’t only grown wider. The bars and twist must be oriented in a certain way. Each gaited saddle should be built to allow for total natural mobility, never pinching the withers or obstructing the natural nod.

Shorter, rounded skirts assure no gait hindrance, and different rigging choices allow for unrestricted shoulder mobility.

Riders’ Advice on TWH Saddles for Gaited Horses

Gaited Horse

All you have to do now is figure out what works best for you. There are a lot of “gaited” saddles available, but I’m not sure you need one. I believe the most significant difference between them is that they have greater flare to the bar for shoulder movement? A lot of people like Tuckers. I had one, but my gelding outgrew it as he got older. The best thing you can do is take measurements and build templates of your horse’s back, then go shopping with them or go someplace where you can try them on. I ride both of my twh in treeless saddles currently, but if I found one I loved, I’d go back to treed saddles.

Norm McAllen, A Professional Rider

Gaited horses, according to McAllen, do not need a “specific” saddle. The only important criteria are that the saddle suits the horse, the rider, and the discipline!

Three Things to Consider When Picking a Saddle for a Tennessee Walker Horse

1. You participate in a certain discipline

In reverse order, if you participate in a certain discipline, you must adhere to the discipline’s regulations. My buddy rides a Marchador and rides in Stubben saddles (I’m not sure which types she rides in, but she doesn’t use the Icelandic, which is their “gaited horse” saddle). My Endurance buddies ride in a variety of saddles, including Western and Australian saddles as well as military saddles. If you want to do things like dally rope or rodeo, you’ll need a saddle with horns, which signifies Western. The National Cavalry Competition is where we compete. My wife owns a Siegfried VSD DL and I ride a Stubben Scout. A rider on a Walker with a recreated Confederate Jennifer saddle or an 1859 McClellan won the national championship a couple years ago. As a result, the first criterion is disciplinary regulations.

2. It must be suitable for humans

Second, it must be suitable for humans. This is virtually never brought up in saddle fit debates, which is a major flaw. No matter how well the saddle suits the back, if the rider is uncomfortable and out of balance, the horse will sense it and be turned off. The rider must also be able to sit on the saddle with their butt in it!!! If their seat isn’t up to par, the saddle won’t be able to accomplish its job. This is the second most crucial factor to consider.

3. How the saddle functions on the horse

Suitable best Tennessee Walker horse saddle

The next point to consider is how the saddle functions on the horse. Yes, I know, I’ve put these things in the inverse order of how they’re generally handled. Could the standard method be to blame for the high number of individuals who complain about saddle fitting issues? Yes, in my opinion. A saddle does not “fit” a horse in the same way that a pair of shoes does. They cater to the back, which is a constantly changing and dynamic area. If a saddle fits properly when the horse is still, it will not suit the horse in motion since the horse’s form changes while it moves.

Saddlers do their part to assist with this. Padding is used to “fill in the gaps” once the tree is created to a basic size and form. A decent quality blanket or pad, appropriate with the tree and padding, is utilized to create a “dynamic” environment that allows the back to function properly. It’s worth noting that the tree must be “near enough” for the padding to work. A tree that is too huge, too little, has too much or too little twist, and so on cannot be changed simply by changing the padding. The tree serves as the base upon which we construct our structures; a defective foundation will result in a faulty structure.

A skilled saddle fitter is aware of all of this and considers it when making suggestions. A skilled saddle manufacturer will do the same.

The salespeople peddling “gaited horse saddles” are attempting to persuade you to buy something. They have a vested financial stake in the outcome of the procedure. This does not imply that they will be deceitful. It does imply that what they sell fills their “rice bowl.” The same might be said for a saddle fitter who only sells one or two brands of saddles. Just something to think about!

What is the Price Range for a Great TW Horse Saddle?

A high-quality saddle that is well-made and constructed is not inexpensive. For a decent quality saddle, the cost of leather, tree, hardware, and other components will be in the $1,000-$2,500 range. You’ll need the saddler’s help for that. In terms of materials, synthetics will be less expensive. Synthetics might be a nice option if the design and craftsmanship are superb. However, few, in my opinion, satisfy those requirements.

Saddle fitting and selection is not a “dark art,” but it does take a trained eye. It is not necessary to have a certain sort of gaited horse.