A show saddle is as much art as equipment. The craftsmanship in a high-end show saddle — hand-tooled leather, sterling silver conchos, hand-carved floral patterns — represents hundreds of hours of work. Buying used can give you access to extraordinary craftsmanship at a significant discount.
What Makes a Show Saddle?
Show saddles prioritize appearance and refinement within the conventions of the class being shown. Key characteristics include:
- Elaborate leather tooling: Ranging from simple basket stamping to intricate floral patterns and pictorial carving. The complexity and quality of the tooling is a major factor in price.
- Silver hardware: Show saddles typically feature silver or silver-plated conchos, horn cap, and sometimes stirrups. Some high-end saddles use sterling silver throughout.
- High-quality leather: Show saddles are typically made from the finest grades of skirting leather, selected for consistent color and grain.
- Discipline-appropriate design: Western pleasure saddles have a specific seat and bar angle suited to the collected, slow gaits of pleasure horses; equitation saddles are designed to put the rider in a specific position; ranch horse saddles are more functional but still presentation-quality.
Condition Is Everything
A show saddle with condition issues is much harder to overlook than a work saddle with the same problems — because appearance is literally the point. When evaluating a used show saddle, inspect:
- Silver condition: Surface tarnish is normal and cleanable. Deep scratches, cracks in silver overlays, or missing conchos reduce both appearance and value significantyl.
- Tooling uniformity: Sun fading is common on used show saddles and can be difficult to reverse. Look at the saddle in bright light. Areas that were stored in sunlight may be noticeably lighter than sheltered areas.
- Seat leather: The seat of a show saddle should be pristine or near-pristine. Heavy wear on the seat is a serious cosmetic issue that's expensive to restore.
- Leather dye: Some show saddles are dyed to a specific color. Check that the dye is even and hasn't faded or worn through in high-contact areas.
Top Brands
Circle Y
Circle Y's show saddle line is extensive and consistently popular. Their higher-end show models feature genuine quality leather and hardware. Widely available used at a range of price points.
Billy Cook
Billy Cook show saddles are well made and have a strong following in the show pen. The quality of the tooling on mid-range Billy Cook saddles is genuinely impressive for the price.
Custom Saddlemakers
The most prestigious show saddles come from individual saddlemakers — names like Dale Chavez, Bob's Custom Saddles, and others. A saddle from a recognized custom maker can be a significant investmnt even on the used show saddle market, but it also represents the pinnacle of western saddle craft.
Price Ranges
- Entry-level show (Circle Y, Billy Cook production): $400 – $900
- Quality production show: $900 – $2,500
- High-end / custom: $2,500 – $15,000+