Kate's Saddle Supply
Marshal Poley Synthetic W/O Horn (Aussie)
Trail Saddles
Manufacturer: Kate's Saddle Supply
Model: Marshal Poley Synthetic W/O Horn (Aussie)
Category: Trail Saddles
Purchase: I purchased this saddle from Kates.net for about $300 dollars (it was on clearance to be discontinued.) It was a Christmas present from my husband, though I was the one who picked out and purchased it. I was looking for an inexpensive, easy to clean trail saddle to replace a saddle that no longer fit my mare.
Likes: It was easy to clean. It was the first saddle I didn't have to spend hours oiling and worrying about getting it wet. The "ears" --typical of an Aussie stock saddle-- made my seat feel secure on up and down hill.
Dislikes: The tree was not balanced at all. I noticed quickly that my horse became agitated, and refused to round out and relax like she did when I rode bareback for all those months I spent saddle-less.
She acted out when being tacked- something she never did before- trying to move out from under the saddle when I lifted to her back, even pinning her ears at me when I tightened the girth! She never even did that with the barrel saddle that had pinched her shoulders for about a year before a friend pointed out (to an ignorant me :))how a saddle should fit.
Quality: The material seemed cheap. (I could be biased, however, because I had always ridden in well constructed leather saddles.)The skirting was the only thing that seemed sturdy. In fact, It was so stiff that it wanted to rest on the horse's spine and left sweat marks there. The tree must be straight as an arrow: My horse has a nice, straight top-line and I could feel easily in the middle where the panels were not contacting, though this may just be a problem for me.
Summary: Luckily, this particular saddle is discontinued, so a purchasing decision is not something I can really influence, but my message is this: Beware, you generally get what you pay for!
Rating: 2
Author: Dissappointed Buyer
Date: 2010-06-15
Usefulness Rating: 3.13636 out of 5.
22 reader(s) voted.
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