13.5" to 17" Circle Y Martha Josey Lightning Contender Saddle MJ08
Product Details
Martha Josey Lightning Contender Saddle
The MJ08 Lightning Contender saddle is your perfect partner for fast runs and daring adventures. With its ultra-short skirts and all-leather design, the saddle is as lightweight as it is reliable. At 24 pounds, it makes the perfect choice for racers of all kinds. The MJ08 comes with the same great Josey Ultimate tree, a 5" cantle, and a 13” swell so you'll feel comfortable and secure in the saddle during any wild ride. Whether you're a professional or a beginner, this saddle will help you stay safe, secure, and focused on your goal. Let the MJ08 Lightning Contender Saddle be your perfect companion as you make daring runs.
IDEAL FOR:
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT:
HELPFUL TIPS:
MORE DETAILS:
The placement of the saddle on the horse’s back is important to function and comfort. The correct saddling position places the front edge of the bar BEHIND the horse’s shoulder blade. This is the sweet spot where the saddle will rest comfortably without interfering with the horse’s movement.
Here at Circle Y, we take saddle fit seriously! Often, we see riders over-padding on a well-fitting saddle. This can lead to poor saddle fit, saddle sores, and a sore back! It’s a good rule of thumb to always check your fit and adjust pad width sizing accordingly!
Have you evaluated your horse’s topline conformation? A weak topline can lead to poor saddle fit. Horses with hollows behind the shoulder, asymmetry, prominent spines, swaybacks, and downhill builds need correctional pads to ensure proper fit. Check out our correction pads at Reinsman Equestrian today to ensure your horse’s comfort or call our customer service team for more info!
WARRANTY:
CARE INSTRUCTIONS:
Every new saddle has been oiled and then finished with a protective finish, so you don’t need to oil it for about six months. If you’re riding a lot in dry or variable weather conditions, you should oil it sooner. The protective finish is water-based so your leather can breathe, so do not use detergent-based, solvent, or harsh cleaning products. Rub the leather gently, and do not scrub vigorously with soap and water. For more information, please see your warranty card, or contact a Circle Y representative!
Specifications
- Tooling: None
- Tree: Ultimate DURAhide Regular and Wide
- Hardware:Black Lightning Bolt
- Rigging: 3-Way Adjustable In-Skirt
- Swell Width: 13"
- Cantle Height: 5"
- Horn Size: 4" Neck, 2 1/4" Cap
- Skirt Size: 13.5" D x 24.5" L

3-Way adjustable in-skirt rigging with several rigging options and positions to best suit fitting all of the different horse conformations.
Western Saddle Seat Size Calculator
Please try our new seat sizing tool to find your size
Calculated Seat Size Shown Below
Please select your body shape:
Do you prefer a tighter Barrel Fit?
Are you fitting for a Tucker Saddle?
Calculated Seat Size:
Things to Consider
- Tucker adds 1/2inch to their seat sizes (due to thick seat padding)
16.5” Tucker = 16” normally
- Barrel riders usually take 1” less on the seat size
16” Trail Rider = 15” Barrel Rider
- Ranch (slick seats) usually ride smaller (1/2inch seat size) so they don’t slide around
16” is for most men, 15” for most women
- Trail Saddles with High Cantles (5”) make the seat sizes feel smaller
Trail Saddle with 5” cantle will feel smaller in the seat than one with a 3.5” cantle
- English Saddles don’t convert exactly but often are 2” bigger
18” English = 16” Western
- Riders with inseams under 30” or 5’ tall and under often need custom cut fenders
Tall riders with long legs but lighter weight may need custom cut fenders as well
Checking the Fit
- General Guideline is about 3 fingers between your thigh and the swell.
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Worked with Josh on multiple occasions. Fast response, thorough on answers, hassle free. This place was great! Came back to buy a second saddle from them as well. This will be my first place to look when I need something and even for my next saddle.
Extremely good to deal with very helpful. I just can’t recommend these guys enough. Considering I am in Australia they were extremely good to deal with very helpful I recommend them 150% saddle was packed well and it’s beautiful very happy customer 5 start rating hands down.
After so much searching and being nervous about ordering a saddle online. I picked up the phone and called the Horse Saddle Shop to ask a few questions about a used saddle that was on their website. They were so nice and helpful. I ordered my very lightly used Circle Y saddle and a new saddle pad. It arrived very quickly. Only a few days. I LOVE my new saddle. In great condition and rides great! I would highly recommend using them for your tack needs. I know I will be in the future!




