Hello all! Long time, no login.

Anyhow, I've got a gelding I'm patterning. We've done about all we can do with a heavy, way too big for me, ranch saddle. So, I'm in the market for a new barrel saddle. I've currently got a circa 1980 Circle Y but it's got a super shallow seat and doesn't fit him the best.

He's curvy but lifts his back when ridden. Wide-bodied. All cowbred, no running. Trying to stay around $1000-1200 for a used model. I've been looking at a Circle Y Lisa Lockhart Flex2 but I may be blinded by the beautiful saddle.

I'm attaching some pics. He's been a headache to fit since I got him as a 3 yr old.

Wow he’s gorgeous!  I’m no expert by any means but I’ve had good luck with a Lynn McKenzie fitting a horse similar to yours. 

if you have a local tack store, I suggest hauling in and seeing about having a saddle fit done for your horse. No reason to keep buying saddles if they wont fit. I struggled with that when I had my barrel mare, finally I went to the saddle maker and he fit a saddle to her perfectly

I sat in a Lynn McKenzie once. Super comfy. I've been keeping my eye out for one within my budget. I did one of her clinics way back around 2010. 
Dunny (he came with the name and I couldn't change it, I'd known him too long already) is Shining Spark on top and Smart Chic Olena on bottom. He had a full sister born last year that I drooled over until she sold. He might not even make a nice barrel horse but we're sure gonna try. We've been doing ranch riding classes to work on getting him nicely broke 

We have a sort of saddle shop about 90 mins away but they don't ever have much for barrel saddles. Mostly trail stuff and some all around and lower end show saddles. 
I've got a gal local to me who's selling her Triple Creek that will let me try it on him. But she's selling because her horse outgrew it so I'm counting on it fitting. 

Highly recommend the Lockhart that you first looked at.   The regular tree in a circle y is very very wide ~ wider than all other circley I have tried with the flex 2 tree.   I had a lynn mckenzie make a horse very very sore ~ not my favorite pick, although they ride fantastic

I have a friend around me that has a Shining Spark and cowbred mare that wins the shows if she leaves barrels up! Dont count him out, he is easy on the eyes also! Have fun no matter what....best of luck with a saddle, I am not good with that.

I missed out on it. Drug my feet too long. I'm now looking at a Cactus CJ. Saddle shopping is hard!!

Even though the leather quality could be better, I highly recommend the Circle Y Flex2 saddles by Lisa Lockhart (although they call them "Badlands" now that she went to Martin). The wide fits my beefy classic QH great, and the regular fits my hard-to-fit Shotgun and also fits Dexter very nicely. I've been super impressed with it.

Note that the tree in the Kelly Kaminski is not quite the same as the Lisa Lockhart, although similar. I had actually ordered a KK for Dexter this year but it sent it back b/c it didn't fit him at all. So I'm particular to the LL in the Flex2 line.

I love the wide tree Martha Josey saddles! Also like the Lisa Lockhart flex ones!! Most of my horses are wider bodied horses as well and love how those 2 saddles fit and ride! I ended up with a cheaper circle y model a high horse that's a wide fit and I actually got it for my daughter it's a high backed 13" so thought it might fit a lil more like a 12" it actually fits like a 13.5 and seems to fit most of my horses pretty good :)