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Trail Lite Saddle

(34 customer reviews)

$1,815.00

The Trail Lite Saddle is the mule and donkey saddle made for the cowpuncher or trail rider. This saddle is also great for shows!  Built with a padded seat, this saddle is VERY comfortable.  The Trail Lite Saddle was built with showing, working and trail riding comfort in mind – for both you and your mule or donkey.

Each saddle comes with a 5-Year workmanship warranty.

Click here to watch a video of Steve demonstrating the Trail Light Mule Saddle

You want to know if a saddle is going to be a good fit which is why every Steve Edwards saddle comes with a saddle fitting video to help you place your saddle, britchen, breast collar and cinches in the correct position. It’s free with each saddle. If you do have problems, call Steve and he’ll help you out!

Give Steve a call if you have any questions 602-999-6853 or send an email, [email protected]

NOTE: All of Steve’s saddles come with 4 Tie Straps.

SKU: TL-001 Category: Tags: ,

Product Description

The Trail Lite Saddle is the mule and donkey saddle made for the cowpuncher or trail rider.  This saddle is also great for shows! Built with a padded seat, this saddle is VERY comfortable.  The Trail Lite Saddle was built with showing, working and trail riding comfort in mind – for both you and your mule or donkey.

Nylon Tie Straps Included with Your Saddle

Each saddle comes with 4 nylon tie straps. Some customers ask about replacing the tie straps with billets and we strongly discourage this. The cinches need to be balanced and centered which is why we ship with nylon tie straps. Billets do not allow for the cinches to be centered and as a result, the saddle will roll and not be balanced. Billets result in the cinch being higher on one side than the other.

Will This Saddle Fit My Mule?

You want to know if a saddle is going to be a good fit which is why every Steve Edwards saddle comes with a saddle fitting video to help you place your saddle, britchen, breast collar and cinches in the correct position. It’s free with each saddle. If you do have problems, call Steve and he’ll help you out!

Give Steve a call if you have any questions 602-999-6853 or send an email, [email protected].

This mule saddle is built on a durable, wooden fiberglass covered tree with an iron horn.  This makes it sturdy enough to use for packing and working cattle as well as trail riding in rough terrain.

The seat, cantle and pommel are shaped to provide a secure seat and comfort to the rider who spends long hours in the saddle.  The rear cinch is the most important and must be the tightest so Steve’s design uses 5″ perforated neoprene cinches front and rear.

Tip from Steve:  When you tighten the front cinch tighter than the rear cinch this creates a cantilever action which pulls the saddle forward.  This is why Steve suggests the rear cinch be the tighter cinch.

At only 18 pounds for the 16″ Trail Lite, this saddle is lightweight but tough!  Steve has dragged firewood to the camp and worked cattle all in this incredibly tough saddle.  The Trail Lite Saddle comes in 14″, 15″, 16″ or 17″ seat size and all Trail Lite Saddles are padded.

Trail Lite Mule Saddle Details

  • Mule and donkey designed rigging plate.
  • High Quality durable imitation Fleece lined skirt.
    o    Why imitation lining?  Over 45 years of riding Steve has found the wool lining needs to be replaced every five years.  He’s discovered that the new imitation wool provides just as good wear time as wool itself.  Wool was originally used because cowboys never used any type of blanket under the saddle – wool was used as the saddle was placed directly on the animal.
  • Nylon front & rear tie straps.  (Cinches not included)
  • Stainless steel hardware
  • Smooth, padded seat
  • The seat color is dark brown
  • 5-Year Warranty

Additional Information

Many riders prefer their own stirrups.  Please note that stirrups or taps may be added to your saddle for an additional charge.  Saddles come with 2 1/2 inch wide stirrup leathers.  Steve recommends Tapaderos as the safest stirrup.  We also offer a top of the line, leather covered stirrup.

Contact Steve for pricing on stamping designs, questions, information on in-stock saddles and matching tack, [email protected] or call (602) 999-MULE.

34 reviews for Trail Lite Saddle

  1. Rex & Gloria Meyer

    We have a mule with an elevated spine. The Cowboy Saddle worked great but was a little heavy for my husband who has arthritis to through it up on an over 16 hand mule. I purchased this one for a Christmas present. Now my husband rides in the trail saddle and I use his cowboy saddle on my mule. We are very pleased with both. They are comfortable for both rider and more importantly – comfortable for Miss Mule.

  2. Paul Heatwole (verified owner)

    It is light and tuff. I was sacking out a mule with a small tire rope tied to the saddle horn. Miss Mule did fine for 15 minutes then decided it was time to go full bore. The tire caught in the round pen which stopped the mule right now. She reversed course no worse for wear and calmed down immediately. Showed me how strong that saddle is. Also is a good fit.

  3. Mickie Perini (verified owner)

    I searched and compared mule saddles for quite awhile before I bought my trail lite. April is my first mule, so I wanted to minimize my mistakes! So, after watching many of Steve’s youtube videos, I decided to let Steve be my mentor. I also talked to a few people who use his saddles and they all loved them. I am so glad I made this choice. The saddle is light, so I don’t have to struggle to put it on her, it’s super comfy, well made, and I LOVE the conchos! And you just can’t beat the price. I would highly recommend this saddle!

  4. Janet Cameron

    I love this Trail Lite saddle. It truly is light. I have spinal issues and can’t lift most western saddles. The Trail Lite is the best saddle for someone like me with a bad back. It also is very comfortable to ride in. It fits my molly mule perfectly. AND…there isn’t a lot of leather to clean! I am very thankful that Steve included a DVD on saddle fitting. This is my first mule. I have a strong background with horses and I assumed I could extrapolate from that background for success with my mule. I didn’t think I’d have to review the DVD. I’m glad that I did. The saddle fitting DVD (like all Steve’s videos) really takes things step by step to ensure success.

  5. Nadine Chounet (verified owner)

    The Trail Light saddle seems to fit my standard donkey just right and is comfortable for me. I am glad I got this rather than continuing to try and jerry-rig my horse gear for him.

  6. Richard Peterson (verified owner)

    We bought this saddle about 1 month ago and one of the latigo strings already broke. We are going to replace all the leather strings on each latigo to prevent this from happening again. Seems to fit our half draft mule just fine, and does not slip! We will probably upgrade to another one of Steve’s saddles in the future as we are happy with the fit, just not as happy with the quality. It is fairly priced for what it is though.

  7. Eileen (verified owner)

    What a beauty my Trail Lite saddle is. It fits me and my mule well. Steve was patient with the questions I had. I am pleased with my QVMR experience!

  8. Jeremy (verified owner)

    I have 3 totally different mules and the Trail Lite saddle fits them all. I got it about two months ago and think it is very comfortable, durable, and looks great after about 150 miles in it. The video that came with the saddle was very helpful and I called Steve with a bunch of questions that he was happy to answer. He told me to send him pictures of my mule once I had the saddle on it and he responded right away saying that everything looked right. Steve has been very responsive with all of my questions and he always has the answers. I have no complaints about anything.

  9. janet arter (verified owner)

    I am very pleased with this saddle. It fits my mule well, is light to carry and the seat is super comfy!

  10. Sheryl Jurgensmeyer (verified owner)

    Love my trail Lite Saddle! It’s light weight but sturdy, easy to place on my mule. Very comfortable and it was easy to prepare for riding with the video provided. My only regret….not buying it sooner!!!!

  11. Neil campbell (verified owner)

    The trail lite saddle fits like a glove. The saddle fits both me and my mule perfectly. I was one of the people you read about using a horse saddle on my mule. After riding in my trail lite saddle my mule became so much more relaxed and happy. Thanks Steve.

  12. Andrew Jenkins (verified owner)

    I’m a big guy , I wanted a lighter saddle for our donkeys but it needed to be sturdy. My choices were fairly limited, there’s not a huge selection on the market for donkeys. I knew from buying tack from Steve that he has high quality merchandise. This saddle is no exception. Very happy !

  13. Kenny SARKINEN (verified owner)

    This saddle is Awesome!
    Lightweight and Quality!

  14. Karen Heatwole (verified owner)

    I love the saddle. It’s very comfortable. We used it for both riding and packing our camp on a hunting trip to Wyoming. We also packed out elk meat and the head with the antlers on the saddle. No problems with it. Great for attaching stuff to the rings! I love the latigos on both sides.

  15. Melanie Rae (verified owner)

    Ok, it took some thinking, to put out the money for this saddle. OMG its so comfortable, I have never owned a saddle this padded and so nice. My Rotator cuff injury on my arm thanks you Steve, for not having to lift so much weight too. Oh, and my mule thanks you for such a comfortable saddle too! :>)

  16. Jennifer (verified owner)

    I LOVE my Trail Lite saddle. My first priority was that my riding donkey be comfortable, and he is. I didn’t expect to be so comfortable myself! I especially love how light it is…so much easier on my arms, shoulders, and back (I have arthritis). I’m sure my donkey appreciates the lightness, too! But don’t let the lightness fool you…it’s super-durable. And very beautiful…I get lots of compliments on it!

  17. James Montana

    Great saddle, nice and light and comfortable for our riding donkey. I noticed she steps out easier, walks lighter and goes the distance and that is lot of good to say by the donkey because believe me, if she is uncomfortable, she won’t go! Or she puts up an attitude and try to fast step it home! Thank You Steve! Now, I got a mule, my other boy has started to ride, and have to save money for another, either this or Trail rider. Another rider in the family means this poor daddy have to work overtime!

  18. Adrienne Driskill (verified owner)

    The trail lite saddle fits my mule like a glove. There is no sliding forward like some saddles do, and my mule stays comfortable for the whole ride – no stopping to readjust the saddle!

  19. landshark

    I was not 100% sold on a lite saddle. Steve gave me some good recommendations on the lite saddle. When I put in on my mule I could tell that she was more comfortable with it then my old saddle. It fit her like it was made for her. After riding with this saddle I was totally convinced. What a comfortable ride!

  20. Judy Vance (verified owner)

    The trail lite saddle is amazing—for my mule and for me. I followed Steve’s conditioning instructions to the letter and the saddle fits like a glove. Love it!

  21. Tawny Biggs

    This trail saddle is amazing. It is so light. Beautiful. I will never use any other saddle.

  22. Linda Vining (verified owner)

    Very comfortable saddle, and very handsome, too. At 18 pounds, it’s something that 5′ 3″ me can lift over my head onto my 15.3 mule. Not only does it come with the saddle fitting video, it comes with Steve! This was my first Western saddle, so I did my best to follow the video instructions. When I sent him a picture, he gave me detailed correction on how to fix my squirrelly effort! I could see my mule relax all over under a light, comfy saddle.

  23. Mark L Heiss (verified owner)

    If there’s a perfect mule saddle, the Trail Lite is it! Comfortable, light, yet built like a tank. Both Maggie Mae and I find the saddle very comfortable, a great fit, and Maggie enjoys the light weight. The saddle is minimalist in design, yet covered in high quality leather where you want it and need it. It comes with a DVD that provides excellent fit and break-in information.

    Mark Heiss and “Maggie Mae”
    Niwot, Colorado

  24. Bernie Harberts (verified owner)

    I rode my Trail Lite 2,200 miles from North Carolina to Idaho. I was looking for something lightweight, tough and affordable. The saddle fit both my pack and saddle mule so I was able to alternate riding and packing them (with a pack saddle I bought from Steve). My Trail Lite has survived wrecks, snow, ice, hail, tons of camping and at the end of it still looks great. It’s by far my favorite saddle. Great choice for your mule. Plus, you’ll get great fitting advice from Steve. He helped me with some technical questions I had on my 7 month ride. Worth every dollar! Bernie Harberts / western North Carolina / RiverEarth.com

  25. Leah (verified owner)

    I had my doubts about ordering the trail lite saddle – I wasn’t sure it would fit my mule, I wasn’t sure it would be comfortable, I had people telling me a horse saddle was fine (which is unequivocally false), etc – now that I have it, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It’s so light and easy to lift/carry, my mule is so much happier, it doesn’t rock or slide forward on her, I feel well balanced and secure in it, and it looks nice. (I am 5’1” 100lbs and ride comfortably in the 15”, just for reference – the 15” will fit a petite rider. The 14” ran too small for me).

  26. Frank Todd (verified owner)

    I love my new Trail Lite saddle. I was looking for a saddle that was lite weight and durable and that my mule would like. The Trail Lite fills the bill.

  27. Ronald Sowers (verified owner)

    I have purchased the Trail Lite saddle, have not put it on my mule yet as I am doing the proper ground work first. The saddle quality and workmanship is top notch, I am excited to get it on my mule and ride.

  28. Daniel Easley (verified owner)

    Fits mule great, and I find it comfortable and light, only down fall is im your average 6ft guy and need another hole for lengthing the stirrups im hoping they will stretch just enough to be perfect

  29. Terri Collins (verified owner)

    I bought a trail lite saddle for my mule. I had already tried 8 other saddles trying to find one that would stay in place and not move forward. This saddle did great. It didn’t move at all. I love it and enjoy not having to dismount while riding to move my saddle back off my mules withers. Thanks so much !!

  30. Juanita (verified owner)

    This Trail Lite Saddle is the envy of all including friends with horses. I’m happy to have a donkey to ride and since he deserves the best he gets a Trail Lite saddle for our comfort and his pride.

  31. Ashley K (verified owner)

    I’ve had my Trail Lite saddle for 6 months. It is truly light weight, easy to carry around, and throw on! It fits my mule well, along with the saddle pad also from QVR. The saddle is absolutely silent, no squeaking with the synthetic fenders. I love that! Steve is also a fabulous communicator. He calls & emails if you have a question about tack or mule. All around great mule man, and quality tack for happy trails.

  32. Rip Stauffer (verified owner)

    I went from Steve’s heavier trail saddle to the Trail Lite do to my age and old injuries. I replaced everything needed to ride at one time and was surprised when the Post Office lady placed the box on the counter and I carried it out thinking to myself “this must just be part of the order” and was very surprised upon opening it that my entire order was there. I inspected it throughly and was very happy with the workmanship. It is easy to place on my 17 hand mule, rather than throwing it with all my might as I had been doing in the past. It is a comfortable, quality USA made saddle and comes with whatever support you may need from Steve. I can quite easily recommend all of his tack!

  33. scott w reavis (verified owner)

    My 2nd Steve Edwards saddle, excellent workmanship, value and comfort! Use both on mammoth Donkeys.

  34. Tiffany Morey (verified owner)

    We purchased the 14 in trail lite saddle for our 12 year old daughter. It is very light so she can saddle and unsaddle her own mule. Shipping was fast and everyone at Queens Valley was great to work with.

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