It's a pain. I like to see the stuff first, but alas, there are no Western tack shops around here. (I should open one… I wonder how I'd do.)
Finding decent gear can be a total nightmare. There are a ton of saddles on Ebay, most of them around the £99 – £150 mark. Anyone tempted to buy one… don't.
Even on the photographs they look less than secure. Frankly, any western saddle where you can see rivets — don't go there. The stirrup should be attached to the tree, not the leather.
Bridles are not quite as terrible, but still bad. I saw one which looked fine in the photograph and when it arrived, the leather was shoddy, brittle and nasty. I'd use it… for decoration. Not on a horse.
The second one I got was okay, a bit dry because it had been hanging up a long time, but the leather was okay, it just needed a good clean and oil. Still took a few sessions of saddlesoap and cleaning to get the leather supple again.
It's fine now, but I had to spend time and elbow grease to get it to this point.
It's a minefield. I'm used to judging leather and knowing whether or not it's fit for use. My Granddad was a saddler and I grew up fixing my own tack (after being taught how.), so I know the difference between good, but neglected leather, and just plain bad leather, which no amount of oil and care can fix.
I look at stitching and how a piece is put together. I can tell good from bad, but how many people have my upbringing?
I'm afraid a lot of the gear on Ebay isn't worth the money, and even more of it is downright dangerous.
It truly is a case of Buyer Beware.

Tags: Horse, Tack, Western