The Complete Handbook of Saddle Accessories

I've been running a tack shop for nine years and I thought I knew this field cold. The chapter on specs forced me to look at stirrup leathers differently - I had no idea the difference in break-in stretch between chrome-tanned and vegetable-tanned leather was that significant. The maintenance troubleshooting section is worth the price alone; I already used the stitching repair checklist on a customer's girth. Only minor gripe is some sections read a bit dry, but it's a reference book, not a novel. I'm keeping it behind the counter and consulting it daily.

This book is dense. I mean that in a good way - it's packed with concrete numbers and real comparisons. The section on pad materials and how compression changes over a ride was eye-opening, and it made me rethink my own fleece pad collection. I'm not in the industry; I'm a trail rider with a bit of a gear obsession, so some of the business chapters weren't for me, but I skipped those. Knocking one star because I think the installation chapter is great for beginners but I found it a bit drawn out, since I already knew my way around a saddle.

I bought this hoping for guidance on choosing pads and cinches for our lesson horses, and I found some useful tables in chapter three. The sections on leather quality and stitching were informative. But I felt it was slanted heavily toward English riding and high-end competition gear; as a western lesson barn owner, I had to mentally translate a lot of the advice. There is less on synthetic school saddles and bare pressure points than I expected from the title. I also spotted one example about flocking that contradicted what our local fitter told me. It is still a handy reference, but I do not think it is the definitive handbook they claim it is.