Friday, March 6, 2009

Friday Fave - Trooper Saddles by Haggis Saddlery

I really like the Trooper style saddles. I have ridden one once and even on the 18 plus hand Percheron I was riding, it was super comfortable. The suspended seat acted like a shock absorber for the (as you can imagine) huge trot of that horse. I started looking for one (and still am) and was baffled by the high prices I was seeing. I also came across many "cheapie" versions on eBay, of which I am VERY wary. Somehow I stumbled over a custom saddle shop with the unlikely name of Haggis Custom Trooper Saddles. Each one is hand fitted to you and your horse, and the price is about the same as an off-the-rack Tucker Montreal Royal Trooper. Should I ever manage to save enough money to buy one, I will certainly be getting a custom from Haggis. Their site is very easy to navigate and has lots of information on the history and construction of this style of saddle. The sales pages are very straightforward and simple to understand. I have added a pic for you to see, trooper saddles are not really fancy, they are meant for long hours of riding and hard use.




So, if you are a dedicated trail or endurance rider and are looking for a comfortable saddle for both you and your horse, test ride a trooper style. I bet you will like it!
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 6, 2009 at 11:24 AM

    I have ridden in a trooper saddle before and they are WONDERFUL. They are sometimes modeled after plantation saddles, which I love riding on my Tennessee Walking Horses. Thanks for the tip--I will add them to my bookmark list for tack!

    For the Tennessee Walking Horse
    When the Painted Horse Comes
    The Murder of the English Language

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  2. AnonymousMarch 6, 2009 at 11:29 AM

    OMG, I just went to your website, and I "found" you like a month ago when searching for someone to do a model of my foal when it's born. I LOVE your Swift Wind model! You are my person of choice now to do some custom work for me! :)

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  3. scaequestrianMarch 6, 2009 at 11:44 AM

    Cool, thanks!

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  4. LadyprMarch 7, 2009 at 4:43 AM

    I have one of the cheap Trooper Style saddles from EBAy. I think with shipping and all it ran around $125. It isn't bad after a lot of saddle oil. The tree isn't crooked. It sits balanced. And it fits my fat Morgan. Thosewer my main requirments. But for the price, if it didn't fit, I would have used it as a wall hanging. It's pretty, black with antigued brass studs. I've used it in a couple parades.

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  5. SamanthaMarch 8, 2009 at 8:25 AM

    I don't know about this one. It's great if something like this is comfortable and works for other people, but I like a close contact feel with my horse whether I'm English or Western and that seems like a an awful lot between the horse and rider.

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  6. www.allthingsendurance.comMay 20, 2014 at 2:32 PM

    Just finished a 50 mile endurance ride on my 18 year old thoroughbred with a Haggis Trooper - love it!

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