Custom Made Saddles for Endurance, Trail, Show Sharon Saare has been making saddles since 1972.  For more history on Sharon and her credentials, click here.   She has a wealth of knowledge and experience, not only in endurance, but also in all aspects of horse competition.  Sharon manufacturers saddles of excellent quality and workmanship.  Saddles are made to order and the rider's size is taken into account, but it is the horse that is our primary concern.   Most often, one of Sharon's representatives will perform the fitting for the horse.   Over the years, Sharon has continued to improve her product and to offer even more sizes of trees to accommodate the huge variety of backs now seen.  There are nine different size trees available!  (Compare that to the usual 2 or maybe 3 sizes that most companies offer.)    We do not guess at the size, nor do we decide upon a size based on a drawing.  Sizers (which are molds of actual trees) are placed on the horse's bare back.  In this way, we can actually see what size does and does not fit the horse.  Since the majority of horses seem to have 1 shoulder larger than the other, we can also determine if a shim is recommended for the pad.  (Not usually the case.)  The horse owner can also see what fits and why and understand that the guess work has been taken out of fitting their horse.  Rarely, a horse is encountered upon which a good fit cannot be obtained.  (Excessive sway back, for instance.)   When that happens, the fitter will tell you that is the case and allow you to see the problem.  Sharon does not want to make a saddle for anyone whose horse cannot be adequately fitted.  If I am doing the fitting, I will also tell you what other options you might be able to pursue for that particular horse.  The saddle is ordered once the fitting has been completed.  You have lots of options such as tooling, with or without a horn, 2 different length stirrup fenders, 2 different width stirrup fenders, 4 different options for rigging type and position, silver, etc.  All endurance saddles (3 basic styles) come with lots of D-rings, footman loops and snaps as well as 6 sets of tie straps.  Seats have padding, but you can order extra padding.  Cheyenne roll,  brown/russet leather, all wool fleece lining are other standard items.   Once the order is placed and a down payment has been made, it will take between 8 & 12 weeks to receive your saddle.  (Sometimes longer, but not usually.) A couple other useful options include:  A tree with an extra high fork (pommel area) to accommodate those horses whose withers are more prominent (such as a lot of Thoroughbreds and some Arabs).  A "G" or a "half-G" seat.  This is a seat that has been modified so that the front of the seat is elevated somewhat.  This places the rider further back in the saddle and is helpful for riders of gaited horses who ordinarily would be sitting further back.   It is also useful for riders of horses that have a "downhill" build.  (Withers are lower than the rump.)  Often, riders of such horses feel as if they are leaning forward.  The "G" seat in effect levels out the saddle seat so that they are placed in a more correct position.  Both of these options can be very helpful for both the horse and rider when indicated. (The high fork adds $80 to the cost and the G seat adds $75 to the cost.)    The saddles above are 2 examples of the "Endurance Lite" model.  On the left, the saddle has border floral tooling, drop rigging,  pencil roll cantle and brass hardware.  The Endurance Lite on the right has no tooling, in-skirt rigging (hard to see), Cheyenne cantle roll, and extra padding in the seat, standard hardware.  Same basic saddle, totally different look.  Standard are all the strings you see, all of the D-Rings, Footman loops (front of pommel), double rigging.  Stirrups are included to match the saddle as well as double latigo straps and a mohair cinch. For more pictures of saddles and different types, including roping saddles, trail saddles, show saddles, etc., go to Sharon's website by clicking here.   Sharon has kept her prices in a very affordable range without lessening the quality of her product.   With shipping and a few basic options, price runs a little over $2,000, which is much less than a lot of competitors who offer far less for far more.  Of course, yours may cost more if you add a lot of options.  You may call or email me for more information and I can give you some idea of the prices.  Please note, I am Sharon's rep. for Oklahoma.   I normally do fittings in Oklahoma.  However, on request I may occasionally do fittings in other states.     Email me at SAM@trailsopen.com    If you would like to talk to me, leave me your phone number and tell me the best time of day to call you.  For a rough estimate on the cost of a new Saare saddle:  Base price on endurance saddle is $1990.  Base price on Team Penning, Cutter, Roping and Show Saddles is $2600.  Options, of course, add to the prices.  (Prices in effect September 2011 and subject to change.)  Some of the more common options include tooling (starts at $175), silver (starting at $180), rigging other than the standard in skirt ($45-$65).  These are just some of the most common options.  Shipping runs around $50 (UPS) at this time.  How is a fitting done?  The fitter meets with you and brings a set of 'sizers' to try on the horse.  The sizers are fiberglass replicas of the saddle trees Sharon offers (9 different ones).  Allow about 45 minutes for the fitting session.  It will take 2-4 months to get your new saddle.  (3 months is average, but sometimes sooner.)  Altered trees take longer.  I do not have new Sharon Saare saddles available since there are so many different sizes and options.  I also do not offer used Sharon Saare saddles.   Cost of the fitting:  $75 for the fitting.  Before I can have the sizers shipped to me, you will need to mail a deposit  to Sharon Saare.  That is the down payment on your new saddle.  The balance will be due before the new saddle is shipped to you.  (Sharon does not accept credit cards.)   If I am unable to obtain a satisfactory fit for your horse (uncommon for this to happen, but it can), then your deposit will be refunded.  If the order is completed, I will refund your fitting fee, so essentially the fitting will be free for those who place an order.  I can do the fitting at my house (preferred) or will meet you at one of the local trail heads if you would like to ride that day.  I will go to your home, but the minimum charge for the trip fee is $100, plus mileage for anything over 50 miles round trip.  It just works better for me to do the fitting here.    If you would like to schedule a fitting or just have more questions, please send me an email.