His Story
Forty Years in Western Saddles
David Solum entered the western saddle business before most of the makers in his current inventory had built their reputations. He has watched NRHA reining grow from a regional sport into a multimillion-dollar international discipline. He has seen the NCHA Futurity purse climb from five figures to over six million dollars. He has watched AQHA Ranch Riding go from a niche class to one of the fastest-growing events in American horse show history.
Through all of it, he has been buying, selling, inspecting, and repairing western performance saddles. His connections in the NRHA and NCHA community run deep — he knows which saddles are available before they hit the open market, and he knows what they are worth.
The Certified Used Saddles brand exists because of a simple premise: buyers deserve to work with someone who has handled the saddle, checked the tree, documented the leather, and stands behind the condition description. That is what David has done, on every saddle, for four decades.
Expertise
What David Knows
The Makers
David has personally handled saddles from every major maker in his inventory: Bob's Custom, Kyle Tack, Donn Leson, Superior Saddlery, Martin Saddlery, Roohide, Teddy Johnson, Calvin Allen, Rios Bros., Equine Oasis/Tim Bauer, Andrea Maschke, and Pinnacle Saddlery. He knows which models have known fit issues, which have inflated reputations, and which consistently exceed their price point.
Saddle Inspection
Tree integrity, leather condition, rigging hardware, gullet clearance, back cinch billets, stirrup leathers, silver integrity. David's inspection protocol covers every structural and cosmetic element of a western performance saddle. A broken tree never enters his inventory. A misleading condition description never leaves it.
Saddle Repair & Maintenance
David's expertise extends beyond sales into professional saddle repair and maintenance. Leather cleaning and conditioning, rigging replacement, billet and latigo work, stirrup leather replacement, silver polishing and restoration, flocking and tree refluff. He knows what a saddle can be brought back from — and what is beyond honest repair. See the Saddle Care & Maintenance guide for his recommendations.
Market Valuation
Forty years of active buying and selling gives David an accurate picture of what western performance saddles are actually worth at any given moment — not what sellers hope they're worth, and not what outdated listings suggest. His pricing reflects current market conditions, real condition assessments, and honest maker reputation. When he puts a number on a saddle, it's a number he'd defend in any tack room conversation.
Services
What David Offers
Full certified used inventory across all four western disciplines. New and used. Call or email about any listing.
Tell David what you need. He'll reach out when a matching saddle comes through his inventory.
Quality western performance saddles accepted on consignment. No-obligation evaluation and honest market pricing.
Leather work, rigging replacement, billet repair, silver restoration, and maintenance consulting for competition saddles.