HISTORY LINKS CONTACT US    Endurance or long trail rides require many essential accessories including clothing, emergency kits for horse and rider, and food and water. In addition, accessories for your saddle from Gaston Mercier help make the ride more comfortable for both your horse and you. Browse our list of accessories and contact Hi-Tack for ordering information. » Leathers » Stirrups » Pads » Colors » Luggage Leathers Gaston Mercier leathers from Hi-Tack include a thin layer of memory foam for comfortable contact with the leg, and are doubled with an inside nylon strap for strength to avoid stretching. An adjustable lower strap with a clever torsion configuration maintains the desired stirrup position perpendicular to the horse. Our Straight leathers are more traditional in design, while the Ergonomic leathers give the rider additional comfort by eliminating conventional rubbing between the lower leg and saddle. In addition, Fenders are available for the Owyhee saddle and may be purchased separately. For the best fit, Hi-Tack offers 3 standard leathers lengths, or you can provide your dimensions for an even more precise fit. » back to top Stirrups The stirrup is essential to a rider's comfort, especially on endurance or long trail rides. Hi-Tack offers two unique designs that will help you forget foot fatigue. The closed stirrup offers safety and flexibility in the footwear you use by protecting your feet regardless of shoe type. The stirrup floor has a large surface area for better comfort and support, an adjustable incline for increased stability and decreased fatigue, and a shock absorbing ergonomic sole which reduces compression points underfoot. The open stirrup is lighter in weight, and is designed for traditional boot wear. The open stirrup still features a large floor area, a hinged floor, and a shock absorbing sole. » back to top Pads Gaston Mercier pads offer maximum fit, breathe ability, durability, light weight, with ease of cleaning and a quick dry. Every pad combines a Cordura® shell (except for our Pad-Flap design, which is made of leather) with leather reinforcements, and a Sympafoam underlayment, whose honeycomb design pulls sweat and heat away from the horse's body. For endurance riders, quick recovery for both horse and rider is a top priority. Our pads dry quickly, and are attached to the saddle for easy tacking and maximum contoured fit, reducing wrinkling and rubbing. With our Pad-Flap option, you get the fastest, easiest tacking available, with no wrinkling or rubbing. Hi-Tack's available pad reduces joint stress by significantly removing shock impact through horses' limbs and riders' backs. You can also choose a more spacious Pad, with extra room behind the saddle, to protect your horse if you plan to use rear Saddlebags. All Sympafoam Pads with Saddle Bag Protection can also be ordered with built-in Pad bags — either Saddlebags, or Weight Bags for competitors who are required to meet weight in competition categories. » back to top Colors Hi-tack offers the widest variety of shades in the saddle industry. Be as conservative or as bold as you like by choosing from four colors: Brown, Black, Hazelnut, or Natural for your Saddle, Leathers, Stirrups, and Cinches. Gain even more personalized choice — up to 9 colors — for Seats, Knee Rolls, Stirrups and accent strips. Match your colors to the rest of your tack and stand out from the crowd by making your own statement about what your Gaston Mercier saddle means to you! » back to top Luggage Endurance or long trail rides require many essential accessories, including clothing, emergency kits for horse and rider, and food and water. Hi-Tack offers a unique line of specially designed Saddlebags that anchor securely to the saddle, with maximum balance and minimum bounce at all speeds and across all terrain. The "1.5 Banana Shaped Front Saddlebags" offer maximum efficiency with 1.5 gallons of storage volume each, and placement in front of the rider for easy access and good weight distribution. Easily store standard sized 1.5 liter bottles of water, or anything else you choose, with no-bounce performance. The "1.5 Croissant Shaped Cantle Bag" attaches directly to the back of the saddle at 3 "D" ring points, eliminating bouncing. The "2.5 Traditional Style Hi-Tack Saddlebags" have a capacity of 2.5 gallons each, and can be secured to the back D-rings of the saddle. The "4.0 Cantle Bag Cylinder" and the "7.0 Cantle Bag Cylinder" offer mass storage for long trail rides and overnight trips. You can choose any of the above combinations to find the right match for your storage needs. » back to top ©2008 All rights reserved.