oh! another horse loving skydiver :D i can remember my first saddle. it was prolly from the 80's, but it was a Crosby(best english saddle on the market). I was having a lot of problems with my horse at the time, and it was because the saddle didn't fit him right. First and foremost, fit the saddle to your horse. Then to you. You can deal with a saddle thats a little too big for you, at least for your first one. One thats too small will be uncomfortable. The price is just what you are willing to pay. And go with leather. I'm not a fan of synthetic stuff, tho my parents are. It just isn't the same. Plastic will never be the new leather. I think that an australian saddle would be awesome. I ride english, so I do all of my riding(trail rides and all sometimes training for hours) in a little saddle. English saddles are just as comfortable as western saddles, so keep your options open. An austrailian saddle will teach you better balance, since there isnt' a horn and a lot of crap holding you in like a western saddle. No offense to you western people out there or anything ;) If you REALLY want to get good, ride bareback. :D Look on ebay(where i bought my first saddle) or find a tack dealer close to you. The yellow pages will have closest Equestrian Centers to you, and if you just show up and start asking questions I'm sure they'd be happy to help you. They might even have some for sale.
