Martin Saddles

[rhonda henry]

What are some views on these saddles? Of the three styles, who likes what?? Thanks.

[Marissa]

Hey Rhonda,
I have both the axis regular tree and a Crown C. Come down and try them out if ya want to. I love them

[wheels2]

I have the regular sherry cervi with the axis tree. I absolutely love riding in it, its so free and comfortable. I have to say that when i first got it i was diappointed as it tipped forward on all my horses, i then talked to the martin booth in Vegas and they told me to shim the front with sheepskin (sherry cervi does this also) my saddle is a 6.5 wide gullet with a std tree and it seems alot wider with the flared bars. My other dislike of the saddle is that its very heavy but this is because the leather is thick and the saddle is built to last and is high quality.

[sleeper]

Initially didn't like my crown c but when I changed horses I started to love it. The horse I hated it on had a really really hard stop, although under himself, wasn't free in his shoulders, so it would really send me forward. The horse I loved it on really got deep in the ground and was very free in her shoulders so it was much more enjoyable to ride in on her. it is a flatter seat, more like a cutter which took some getting use to. I thought it was a nice compliment to my Martha Josey.

[jb]

Yeah they are a flatter seated saddle which took some getting used to after my Marlene. But once I did I LOVE mine, prefer it over the Marlene now. I have the regular Martin with the adjustable rigging. When I bought it I was able to sit in all the models, and I preferred this one over Sherry's saddles, seemed narrower and myabe not as flat, but that is just my opinion. The adjustable rigging allows them to fit a large variety of horses. They are hearvier than some of the other barrel saddles out there, but they are an extremely well built saddle. I too prefer my Martin on my mare though who is a smoother horse than my gelding, he is "rammy/jammy" and I find that I get tossed a little more in the Martin than in my Marlene, but I think the difference is in the flatter seat with the Martin. The Crown C is supposed to be better for the aggressive horses as Sherry designed it for her hard running and turning horses like Stingray, but I personally have not tried it on a horse to see the difference.
Happy Saddle Shopping!

[classy]

I have two of the regular martin barrel racer and absolutely love them. I haven't found a horse they don't fit. My sister just ordered a martin crown c. These saddles are built to last. I found that the crown c tipped me to far forward but the martin allowed my to have a deeper seat, while still being able to get up out of the seat when i need to. The moveable d ring allows me to fit the saddle on any horse and place it correctly on the horse. The flared tree also allow for free shoulder movement and the moveable d ring places the cinch away from the elbow to help prevent pinching. They are worth the cost.