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Choosing a Western Saddle - Part 1 Saddle Types
By Janet Ashby
Western saddles come in many different styles and sizes. They can be divided into types depending on their construction material, production technique, fork type and tree type. There are very many options within each type including cantle height, horn style, riding position, smooth or rough leather and horn style. Saddles by Manufacturing Technique Custom Saddles Custom saddles are hand made from the very highest quality materials to your individual requirements. Usually taking between 35 and 50 hours to build a custom saddle will cost between $2500 and $4000. A very elaborate saddle can be even more. Many saddle makers have a backlog and will usually take between three and twelve months for a saddle to be built. You will probably be asked for a non refundable deposit and make sure that you are given a written contract and a receipt. Manufactured Saddles The type of saddle most of us will be buying is a machine made saddle made on an assembly line. Manufactured saddles vary widely in quality and price. Some are excellent quality, almost as good as custom saddles. The quality depends on the quality of the materials used and the construction methods. Lower cost saddles may use poor quality materials , plastic trees, low grade leather, cheap hardware and poorer construction methods using staples rather than nails and screws. Obviously, with saddles as well as any other purchase “you get what you are paying for”! Manufactured saddles also have fewer customisations, usually limited to cosmetic areas. To ensure that you purchase a good quality saddle look for the manufacturer. Some top brands include, Billy Cook, McCall, Martin and Crates. Saddles by Construction Material Leather The standard saddle is made from leather which has the durability, strength and flexibility required in a good saddle. The very best saddles are made from the highest quality leather and synthetic saddles just do not have the durability or good looks of a leather saddle. The equivalent of a whole cow hide is needed to make a saddle. Saddle skirting, the heavier leather used, comes in different thicknesses and quality. The thicker leather is used for heavy wear areas such as stirrups, fenders and seats. lighter Thinner leather that can stretch is used for stirrup covers, cantle back and the fork. The leather can be applied with the smooth side out or the underside, which is rougher, out in places such as the seat where the roughness will increase the grip. Synthetic Saddles made from synthetic (man made) materials are considerably cheaper than leather saddles and lighter in weight. They can be purchased in different styles, trail, barrel endurance etc and usually are designed to look like a traditional leather saddle. Some earlier synthetic saddles were very poor quality but the synthetic saddles made today are of much higher quality. Synthetic saddles do not have the look, feel and smell of traditional leather saddles but do have their place for casual riding. They are appropriate for casual riders who only ride for a few hours a week, for children who will outgrow a saddle quickly and for those who cannot afford a leather saddle. They may also be appropriate for a novice rider to ascertain their needs before they buy a more expensive leather saddle. Limitations of synthetic saddles include lesser durability than leather saddles. Although they are claimed to be durable by the manufacturers they will never last as long as a leather saddle and skirts and flaps tend to curl up very quickly. Many synthetic saddles are designed for rider comfort rather than horse comfort. Despite these disadvantages synthetic saddles are increasing in popularity so it will be interesting to see if they overtake the popularity of leather saddles in the future.
This intel first appeared on: http://www.usedsaddlesales.com/2008/11/15/choosing-a-western-saddle...
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The copyright for this content entitled "Choosing a Western Saddle - Part 1 Saddle Types" has been specified by the contributor as:
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This intel was contributed by janetra
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May, 2012
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