Let's discuss these three, please.  I am at the point with my back (sometimes not always do I feel weak- Herniated disc) and powerful horses these days that I am needing more of a deeper seat and one where they cant get me out of position.  I absolutely LOVED how my Bautz Brazilian saddle sat me but it had to be sold for a vet bill.  I currently ride and do well on my regular days in my Double J Pro.  I rode an usher around ( didn't get to make a run) and it felt like my brazilian. 

Are the Shiloh Contenders with the swells almost like a trap style a good one to help hold your position? Does it have a deep seat at all?  I don't think it has a rise like an Usher.  

Are the Stingrays a deep seat?  I know they weigh more than most do or so I've read. 

Please add any additional info.  :)

Following. You and me are looking for the same like we talked about

I recently got a new guardian saddle. I chose it over the Stingray because I need more cantle on the colt I'm running at the futurties. I sat in Leslie Kinsels and loved the feel of the seat. If you run into her or Hailey ask them about why they love them. Leslie says that she feels secure in the Stingray riding her colts. Since that's my love I just thought I would go with the Guardian. Hailey told me (she was very well versed on the Martin saddle line) that I could get the smaller skirt in that saddle vs the Stingray to fit easily on the colts during their early breaking. I have had a hard time with one of my colts lately getting a saddle to fit his small back. I put it on him and it worked well. I'll be in Bryan all next week so if you come look for me and you can ride it. Here's to faster turns and staying in the middle! Tana

Check out Horse Tack World's new saddle ~ it is fabulous and does what you are looking for.  Designed to keep your feet in front of you (but not too much!)    Many pics showing riders' position in other saddles, and then in one of these.   I needed something better for the horse I purchased recently, or I'm not going to do him justice, plus, at 56 ~ who needs to be thrown all over, or worse yet fall off.  It was designed by Felicia herself with much time put in and made by Circle Y.    Deep, Deep seat, but you are not trapped like a treeless ~~ Plus, extremely lightweight!  around 20# I believe

I have been looking at the HTW saddles. Really am interested in one with the comfort cantle. Just wished I could see one in person before buying, but the sound really nice.

I’m curious about them as well. I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to get up to hustle one though. I also don’t know how they’d work on a downhill horse 

I just got rid of my Martin Stingray for that very reason. It held me wayyyy too "in". I prefer a free-er feeling saddle and I ended up trading it in for a BTR. I felt like I was wearing a seatbelt in it, it truly locked me in place from the hips down. It was also a 9" gullet though, which can factor into the "feel". I ride an old Jeff Smith on a buster welch tree normally and the BTR is comparable to that feel for me... I would give it a try if security is what you're after! :) 

I haven't made a run in one, but I definitely dont feel like I'm in the backseat.........no comparison to say a Tammy Fischer, ect  (Not knocking them, just feel like it's much easier to not get stuck, per say).  I feel like the quality is good, and I love the preturned stirrups.  I'm ready to sell my 2nd saddle and buy another of these.   I think the flex saddle would work pretty well on a downhill horse   jmo.   My horse runs down hill, but it is pretty slight.......

I have both the Shiloh Contender, and the Stingray. I prefer to ride in the Stingray, better quality leather, and a more comfy ride. They both hold you in good, and I don't feel locked in by either one. The Shiloh has more rock in the tree, so it doesn't fit a wider horse, as good as the Stingray does. They are very different from each other, and nice to have both, to use as needed. I think my Stingray is a 7" gullet.

I’m glad I read this - I had to sell my Contender due to horse fit and haven’t seen a saddle since that I thought was just as good quality. I’ve been riding in pozzi pros because they fit my horse, but I don’t like the quality for the price. 

I also had an older Martin Cervi that didn’t fit, but I liked the quality. Sounds like they still are??

My Contender is a older model, has round skirts, tooling, conchos, and is noticeably lighter in weight than the Stingray, which is a plain model, but the leather seems thicker, and more pliable, and the ride for me anyway is spot on.

I have a friend, who loves her Usher Brand saddle, and is planning on buying another one to add to her collection.

I recently have gone to a Martin Stingray and I LOVE it. It felt broken in from the day I bought it new. I was struggling feeling confident on my mare after coming off and breaking my arm. I feel secure, but not trapped at all. The Martin is made with high quality leather and features their pattened Stirrup Rig position Slot which helps keep your feet/knees positioned so that your upper body stays balanced. They don't keep you from moving your feet, but they provide kind of center point for your feet to go back to so that you balance point is centered at all times. I haven't ridden the others you asked about, but I am a huge Martin Stingray fan and say if you get the chance to sit in one or ride one you'll love it in my opinion. Also my mare is super hard to fit, but the 7" inch gullet fits her perfectly and she is a wide-backed mare with very little withers. 

I’m excited about trying one of these. I need to get my horse fitted to see what gullet size I need 

I recently got a Stingray and love it. I don't feel it holds me at all from getting up. But keeps me very balanced. 

For those who love their stingray, what did you ride in previously? 

How tall are you? I had was considering one of these saddles but I am short (5'3") and fear the tall rise will make feel like the horn is in my face and that I can't get up and out.

A friend of mine bought one. Hers is with the upraded leather and its nice. The leather is soft. Not hard and stiff like most new Circle Y's today.

I had a Lazy L by Coats that I absolutely LOVED but it didn't fit my wide-backed mare with hardly any withers (pinched her shoulders), so I sold it. I then got a treeless Tammy Fisher and hated it. It was way too trapped feeling, I felt like it had me sitting on her neck, and it just wasn't for me. I had an Infinity Saddlery saddle made just for my mare. It is a beautiful saddle and fits her fairly well, but I felt like I was sitting on it, not in it, and the stirrups hurt my ankles and I just felt like I was not comfortable or "with" my mare in my runs. Since I had the Infinity built I was trying to like it and get used to it and rode it for about a year and a half. I took the chance to do a test ride of a Stingray at a race and I fell in love. I can't tell you how great it felt. Then when I bought my new one, it felt just as good. Best decision I've made saddle wise. I feel super confident and it fits her and me and the leather is such good quality! 

If you can do a test ride/fit with Martin of one, I would. I thought my mare would need a super wide gullet being she's wide-back and has hardly any withers, but the standard 7" gullet actually fit her great when in other saddles a 7 1/4 barely fit. They are great! Definitely worth every penny I spent. I saw someone said earlier they thought they were heavy. I don't feel like it's heavier than any of my other saddles. I haven't weighed it, but I don't feel like it's way off from others!

Anyone ride the BTR and Stingray? Which did you like best