I tried out for an exercise rider job once, and I borrowed an exercise saddle, which was an english saddle stripped down to its components, basically. Very very lightweight, all the parts of a normal english saddle just a thin thin seat, little paddi...
I would train her with a saddle on simply because you might distribute your weight differently bareback than you do in a barrel saddle. Barrel saddles tend to push you forward a little, or at least mine does. Once a horse gets used to something, they...
I prefer heavy saddles myself. But if you can't lift your saddle and manuever it then a heavy saddle isnt really what you need. If you will be doing any work on your horse, roping, cutting, dragging or spending more time in the saddle than out of it,...