a couple months ago, i decided to spend the money i've gotten from teaching this summer on a saddle. i've spent hours in the local tack shop, considering the options. i know i want a close contact saddle, with knee rolls and a padded flap (even though i've historically been most comfortable in a saddle without knee rolls and with a plain flap). i got about $1600 from teaching, so that's my saddle budget. it needs to cover the saddle itself plus stirrup leathers and irons, which should total about $300. so that leaves me what, $1300 for a saddle.

okay. so i did some research, and found that i don't have a clue. but i narrowed it down anyway, based on what the catalogs said (about softness of the leather, correctness of the balance, and general comfort), price, and a gut feeling. here are the two possiblities: pess0a a/0, and the bdh. the prices on those pages are misleading. the pess0a i can't find new for less than about $1500, so you'd think that was too much. but there are sometimes used ones for sale. i've found one in canada for $810 (plus $50 shipping). i can take it on trial for a week, but then would have to ship it back if it doesn't work out. the bdh is on sale from a local saddlery for $1300. i can get that one on trial too, for 3 days, and if i want to buy the actual trial saddle (and not get a new one of the same model sent out to me) there's some unspecified discount off that.

i'm supposed to get the bdh in the mail sometime in the next week or so, i think. ideally, i'd like to try the pess0a and the bdh at the same time, on the same day, to get the best comparison, but with limited trial periods that's difficult. if i wait til i get the bdh, then i probably won't get the pess0a in time, and vice versa. urg. it almost makes me want to go ahead and get the pess0a now, since i know it's available, and if the bdh isn't here in time, just go ahead and buy it. then, if i decide i'd really rather have the bdh, i can just sell the pess0a online somewhere. this is just too complicated.