“I have fitted the saddle on various horses and I have come to the conclusion that the Trail Ranger Wide Fit basically fits any riding horse when using different thickness saddle pads”
Trail Ranger Saddle Review:
Field-Tested Across Different Horses and Riders
When it comes to a versatile trail saddle, real-world feedback from riders in the field says more than any product description ever could. Recently, one of our clients took our Trail Ranger Saddle (Wide Fit) on the road—testing them across several horses and different riders to see how they performed in real South African terrain.
First Impressions
“Die saal ry baie gemaklik met ’n lekker sagte sitplek, en vertoon regtig baie goed.”
Right from the start, he noted the comfort and appearance of the Trail Ranger. The seat is soft and comfortable, making long hours in the saddle easy, while the overall look of the saddle stood out on every horse it was tried on.
Fit Across Different Horses
One of the standout features was how well the Trail Ranger Wide Fit adapted to various horses—everything from a lean Thoroughbred type to a solid Quarter Horse cross:
“Trail Ranger Wide fit op Bullet 👆🏻 – ’n skraal TB tipe perd met ’n dik saalkleed. Pas perfek.”
“Trail Ranger Wide fit op Elsa – ’n QH merrie met dun saalkleed. Pas ook perfek.”
“Trail Ranger Wide fit op Chappies 👆🏻 – ’n Boerperd/QH kruis met dun saalkleed. Pas ook perfek.”
His conclusion?
“My waarneming is dat die Trail Ranger Wide fit op basies enige tipe ryperd gemaklik kan pas as jy net verskillende dikte saalkleedjies gebruik.”
Whether used on a finer-built horse or a broader type, the Trail Ranger handled each with ease. The adjustable strap system made it simple to fit different horses using a single girth and varying pad thicknesses.
Comfort and Adjustability
Another point that impressed him was how easily the straps and rigging adjusted, making it practical for multiple horses.
“Sy straps kan baie gemaklik stel om met een buikgord alle grote perde te pas.”
Room for Improvement
No honest review would be complete without some constructive feedback. Two aspects stood out:
“Die stubeuls is klein. ’n Normale man met werkskoene kry skaars sy skoen in stubeul.”
“Die flappie wat oor stiegriem gespe kom kan groter”.
He suggested the stirrups could be made slightly larger and the stirrup flap repositioned to sit a bit further back—small design tweaks that would make an already comfortable saddle even better.
“Thank you Koos, these two adjustments has been discussed with the manufacturer and in the 2026 version this will be fixed.
Final Thoughts
Comfortable, well-fitted across multiple horses, and easy to adjust—the Trail Ranger is proving to be a reliable companion for long rides and varied riders alike.
Trail-Tested Over Distance
Over the weekend, he and his daughter rode more than 15 km through Free State terrain—open flats and ridges.
“Janinké het met ’n groen perdjie gery en is baie tevrede met jou Trail Ranger. Daar is niks wat haar gepla het nie.”
His daughter Janinké, a young rider with a natural passion for horses, was especially impressed:
“Sy het genoem dat die Trail Ranger se sitplek aansienlik sagter is as haar Western saal se sitplek. Sy sal hom enige tyd aanbeveel vir enige ruiter wat ’n mooi, sagte, bekostigbare saal benodig.”
How to Saddle Up with a Trail Ranger
In this video Koos demonstrates how to correctly saddle up a trail ranger and gives a tip on your stirrup leather position for a comfortable ride.
If the video does not play Click Here to view on YouTube
Comfortable, well-fitted across multiple horses, and easy to adjust—the Trail Ranger is proving to be a reliable companion for long rides and varied riders alike.
View More of Our Trail Saddles Here
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