| Show saddles are made to look great in the ring but | | | | rider. Properly fitting a saddle takes skill, and many |
| they're not necessarily designed to stand up to a lot of | | | | riders have saddle fitting specialists help out with this |
| hard work. The styles change with fashions, and are | | | | process. If a saddle is not well fitted to the horse, the |
| also a matter of personal taste. Show saddles often | | | | horse can experience discomfort and even pain. |
| have very elaborate tooled leather, and silver accents | | | | Horses with an ill-fitting saddle will show their |
| that are custom engraved. There are show pads to | | | | displeasure by shaking their head, balking, rearing their |
| go with show saddles, and they also feature trim in | | | | head, pinning their ears and resisting transitions. |
| silver and other accouterments, including rhinestones | | | | Like any other saddle, a show worthy saddle should |
| and leather. | | | | clear the horse's withers and allow free shoulder |
| Dale Chavez Saddles hold their value well, so those | | | | movement. The saddle should be the right length and |
| who are new to shows and who don't have the | | | | shape for the horse's back, and it should be balanced |
| budget for a new Dale Chavez show saddle can | | | | for comfortable weight distribution. If a rider is investing |
| often find a used saddle that has been kept in | | | | in a show saddle - which can cost several thousand |
| excellent condition. | | | | dollars - then it is certainly worth the little extra to have |
| With a Dale Chavez show saddle, as with any saddle, | | | | that show saddle professionally evaluated for fit. |
| it is imperative that the saddle fit the horse and fit the | | | | |