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Shop Haflinger Saddles Built for Wide, Short Backs

Haflingers are broad, short-backed horses with low withers, so a regular western saddle often pinches or rocks. Most saddles here are built on wide or extra-wide trees; compare gullet width, skirt length and seat size on each listing before you choose.

Why Haflingers Need a Different Saddle

The Haflinger comes from the Tyrolean mountains on the border of Austria and northern Italy. It stands just under 14 hands, with a strong, compact build. That build is exactly what makes saddle fitting hard: a wide back, a short distance from shoulder to loin and little wither to hold a saddle in place.

A standard tree is usually too narrow and too steeply angled for that shape. It sits on the edges of the bars and digs in, or perches high and rocks. Horses with broad backs and low withers often do best in a tree with a wider, flatter or hoop-shaped profile.

What Makes a Saddle Fit a Haflinger

  • A wide gullet: most Haflinger saddles on our listings have a 7″ to 7½” gullet.
  • Flatter bars: the bars need to lie flat along a broad back rather than tip onto their edges.
  • A short or round skirt: a long square skirt can press into the loins of a short-backed horse.
  • A light build: several models use Cordura skirts and fenders to cut weight.

Haflinger Saddles We Stock Compared

The table lists the Haflinger-specific models in our current stock, using the specifications from each listing. Weights and prices are approximate, and several models come in more than one seat size or color, so check the listing for the exact saddle you want.

SaddleSeat sizesTree and fitWeightMaterialsPrice
Big Horn Haflinger Tree A0090815″, 16″, 17″7½” gulletAbout 22–23 lbLeather, suede seatAbout $1,535
Big Horn Light Weight Haflinger 28615″–17″Steele Equi-Fit tree for draft horses and Haflingers; short, round skirtAbout 22 lbLeather with Cordura skirt and fendersAbout $1,210
Big Horn Haflinger Cordura 29516″Wide Plus tree made for HaflingersAbout 20 lbCorduraAbout $1,130
Big Horn Haflinger / Mutton Withered Short Back 168116″Wide Plus tree, 7½” gullet, 26½” skirtAbout 27 lbLeatherAbout $1,855
Dakota Custom Haflinger 221415″–17″Fiberglass-covered treeAbout 28 lbLeatherAbout $1,665
South Bend Pawnee XL 290015″–17″Extra-wide Steele treeAbout 21 lbLeather top with Cordura skirt and fendersAbout $1,015

New vs Used Haflinger Saddles

NewUsed
Price in our current stockAbout $745–$2,165About $470–$1,210
ConditionNew from the makerPre-owned; condition noted on each listing
Returns30-day refund and returns policy14-day Test Ride Demo Program

A wide-tree saddle only works if it matches your horse, so the return or trial period matters more than usual. Check the fit before you ride out.

Checking the Fit on Your Haflinger

  • Take a wither tracing about two inches behind the shoulder blade and compare it with the saddle. Our Saddle Size Guide shows how.
  • With no pad, check for two to three fingers of clearance over the withers and even contact along the bars.
  • Make sure the skirt ends before the last rib.
  • Watch for the saddle sliding forward, a common problem on low-withered horses.
  • Read how bar width and angle work in our semi quarter horse bars guide.

Haflinger Saddles FAQs

A Haflinger needs a saddle sized for two things: the rider and the horse. Seat size depends on the rider, and our Haflinger saddles come in 15″, 16″ and 17″ seats. The horse needs a wide or extra-wide tree, usually with a 7″ to 7½” gullet, and a skirt short enough for a short back. Measure your horse with a wither tracing rather than guessing, because Haflingers vary more in width than most people expect.

Most Haflinger saddles we stock have a gullet between 7″ and 7½”, noticeably wider than many standard western saddles. Gullet width alone does not guarantee a fit, though. The angle of the bars and the shape of the tree matter just as much, because a wide gullet on steep bars can still bridge or pinch. Compare a wither tracing with the saddle, then check clearance and contact on the horse without a pad.

Some Haflingers can, especially narrower individuals. But many Haflingers are wider and rounder than the horses full quarter horse bars were designed for, and they have lower withers. A full quarter horse bar saddle may sit too high, rock or slide forward on them. If a full-bar saddle looks close, check it carefully on the horse. If it bridges or pinches, a saddle built on a Haflinger or extra-wide tree is the better choice.

Often, yes. Haflinger saddles are built for a broad back, low withers and a short back, and plenty of other horses share that shape. Several of our listings say so directly: the Big Horn 286 is built on a tree designed for draft horses and Haflingers, and the Big Horn 1681 is described as suiting mutton-withered, short-backed horses. The right choice depends on your horse’s shape, not its breed, so take a wither tracing first.

Used Haflinger saddles can be very good value, because wide-tree saddles are harder to find and hold their usefulness well. In our current stock, used models run from about $470 to $1,210. Check the photos for tree damage, worn fleece and stitching, and confirm the gullet width on the listing. Used saddles can also be tried through our 14-day Test Ride Demo Program, so you can check the fit on your own horse.

Looking for other styles too? Browse our full range of western saddles.

BUY HAFLINGER SADDLES​

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