We almost never ride western, preferring polo, foxhunting or show jumping (English) saddles for various disciplines and for cross country terrain. However, there are times when a western saddle is more suitable or secure for training young horses. And certainly, if you going to rope, rein, cut or do ranch work, you can't do that in an English saddle. But let's face it, Western saddles are not generally very comfortable for more than just short rides, but with the help of our friends, we discovered that not all western saddles are alike, in fact there are more options than you can shake a stick at, which makes western saddles confusing to many if not all English riders or other newcomers to the Western seat. Here are the differences. This is the story of our search for the perfect western saddles for our purposes, which are probably radically different than most Western riders, but we are mostly looking for a saddle that rides English but looks Western. Martin Saddlery definitely makes some of the best western saddles and South Texas Tack is one of the best places to get them. First, you have to decide what type of saddle, as described by saddleupcolorado.net the abbreviated list is as follows: 1. All Around Saddles All-around saddles live up to their name. They are one of the most versatile saddles out there and can be used in just about every discipline. They are designed for anything! You can use an all-around saddle for ranching, roping, barrel racing, trail riding, and more. These saddles have a strong and stout horn so you are able to rope out of them or even drag cows with it. It is also equipped