Ah, the sting of the whip, the smell of the leather.

Get you mind out of the gutter, I am talking about a new saddle.
My wife has purchased a new saddle. A Gaits of Gold four beat saddle, what ever that is.
It is a center-fire rigged saddle with a semi flexible tree and a unique design for the gaited horse.

It seems to fit her Tennessee Walker better than her old Simco or Tex-Tan. I remember when a store bought saddle cost $300 and was built with a quality rawhide covered tree and covered in Herman Oak leather. That was a when a new truck cost under 10,000 dollars, so I was a bit surprised by the price tag on her new saddle. Most of the 'off the rack' saddles you find today are junk, no kidding, junk. I would not put one of those 400 dollar, India leather over a Fiberglas tree, horse cripplers on any horses I own. Most are built in Mexico and are air-stapled and screwed together. You would be better off to ride bareback than to ruin you horses back with a cheap saddle. It's a shame, I see many unsuspecting people buy a saddle that looks just like the 1,000 saddle for half the price. Big mistake.

My last custom built Wade saddle cost about $1,500, and I would not part with it for three times what I paid for it. It is built on a Wade 17 inch slick fork bullhide tree, 7/8 rigged with a Montana flat plate. It has a 4 inch straight up cantle and a 3 1/2 inch semi-post horn. Round skirt and roughout bucking rolls. Full basket stamp, and I had to put a few German silver conchos on it. It is, for me, the perfect saddle. It was build by a friend of mine ten years ago, and looks better today then it did when he delivered it.

A good saddle that fits your horse is an investment that will pay dividends for many years.
Now she has to break it in, but that is another post.