The Horsepower Homestead

I obtained this saddle from a Flea Market for $45. It came without stirrup leathers, and it was quite dry. But after some oil and TLC, this saddle looked quite nice. I purchased this saddle for riding saddle seat. I was quite involved in Saddlebred shows at the time. It got a few good years of use and now sits in the guest bedroom on a saddle rack until I find my way back to saddle seat later in life. This saddle is quite old and still maintains its use. There's not much to it, but it's a flat saddle, so that's kind of the point. My mom calls it the pancake saddle, since it's so flat. Used Borelli saddles can be found rather cheap. Borelli makes AP and jumper saddles as well. All of them tend to range from $100 to $350 when purchased used. I've never come across any new Borelli saddles, so I suspect that they aren't made anymore. Not really sure about that though. They are an Argentinian brand, and the leather is medium quality. It isn't particularly s...

I purchased my Collegiate Hunt Seat saddle through a Craigslist ad. I paid $120 dollars for it. I then paid $70 to have the Billet straps replaced, as they were very well worn. I had an extra set of stirrups and leathers on hand. The knee rolls are a little worn, but I will likely replace those down the road as well. Collegiate saddles, in my opinion, are a step up from the synthetic and other "cheaper" saddles. But they are not quite as popular as the higher end brands like Stubben and Pessoa. Overall, I quite like this saddle. It is comfortable, and the leather is already supple. It had been stored inside for most of it's life and was in great condition. It's a large seat size, 19 inches. I prefer a larger seat size than most. It has foam panels which still have a good amount of give to them despite their age. The new Collegiate Hunt Seat saddles range from $1000 to $1400. A quick online search shows used Collegiate saddles available ranging from $200 to...