By flattening out the tree, the goal is to create equal pressure along the bars of the saddle tree. Referring once again to racehorses, Dr. Consequently, these individuals tend to not be as flexible in a turn and tend to lean.
Rounder-croupped horses will not exhibit the same powerful move but will be able to flex and or turn while remaining vertical. This physical attribute will definitely affect how a saddle tree fits and performs for a horse. Ropers seek a low gullet. When evaluating a horse for saddle fit, Dennis advises checking for dry spots and swirls after riding. Not just muscular development but also the skin being used to being wet and hot under a blanket and saddle. When chasing the clock, as many performance riders do, every millisecond of improvement is sought to win the race.
Her check? That 0. It seems the observations of an old saddlemaker are worth considering. Contestants are constantly evaluating and adjusting every aspect of their tack when looking to gain time. Why not start with one of the most crucial pieces first? Barrel Saddle Fit: The Theory of Evolution Considering the influence of racehorse blood, is there a need for an architectural adjustment in barrel saddle trees?
Sometimes they even have a double skirt. The tall, thin horn aids in balancing the rider and gives a good hand grip. The flat seat allows the rider full mobility and the low cantle's purpose is so the seat isn't digging into the rider's back.
You can use a cutting saddle for team penning, sorting, and cutting competitions. You can not rope out of a cutting saddle. Mounted shooting saddles are similar to barrel racing saddles. They are lightweight and have a close contact skirt to promote leg cues.
They also have a low horn and swell that are tilted forward. The reason for the tilt is so that the riders can change their guns easier. If the horn and swell are not tilted and placed lower, they could hit the horn when switching guns during a competition.
This can cause damage to the horn over time, however a lot of mounted shooters choose to use barrel saddles. Mounted shooting saddles also feature free swinging fenders to allow more movement. They also have a deep seat and sit the rider snug in the saddles. You can't rope out a mounted shooting saddle.
These saddles are designed for versatility in the ranching world. You can use them for trail riding, arena work, or ranch work. They feature a strong horn for roping and a narrow seat for all day comfort. The ranch cutting saddles aid in comfort and allows a rider to do multiple jobs.
You can use these saddles for cutting competitions or other events. They tend to be heavier saddles and still have the longer, square skirts. They are made more durable so that you can do some roping out of them. They have a taller horn and pommel, similar to the cutting saddles. The horn is a bit thicker to rope with. The cantle is still lower and the seat if flat with a slight rise near the pommel. Ranch saddles are typically big, heavy, and feature lots of leather.
They have sturdy horns and trees for rigorous, everyday ranch work. They have a high cantle for comfort and security. The horn is stout for roping or dragging. Before choosing any saddle , make sure to research for reviews and learn as much as possible.
An informed shopper is a smart one! Now, you have the answer to what are the differences between roping and barrel saddles. Knowing this information will help you choose the right saddle for each discipline.
Remember, you can never interchange saddles for roping and barrel racing disciplines. To do so could cause severe injuries and serious saddle damage that becomes expensive to repair. Choose wisely, and you and your horse will be safe. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Barrel Saddles are Made for Speed Barrel saddles are made with speed in mind.
Barrel saddles are typically much lighter in weight. They will usually weigh no more than pounds. Barrel saddles need to be lighter so as not to weigh down the horse during a race. These saddles also have round skirts or very minimal skirting, since these only add to the weight and get in the way of racers. A barrel saddle has a deep seat that helps riders to remain seated, without falling off during sharp turns around the barrels. The bars of the better wooden saddle tree will have some flex in them.
The cantle attaches favorably into the back end of those bars, to stabilize. The whole thing is wrapped to hold in the moisture content of the wood. Rawhide leather is used, fiberglass is used, and can even be double wrapped. They call that double wrap, a "lifetime" tree. The fiberglass is more rigid and less money than the rawhide. I can argue both sides of which is best. Rawhide restricts the flex less.
But fiberglass will hold the moisture better over time. Most of the less expensive saddles will now use full QH bars with a 7 inch gullet width.
This is a current standard. Most of the better saddles will also use the 7 inch width, but can have special trees made in a variety of widths if needed. Rigging is almost always double rings. Exception is the hanging, drop plate rig. Rigging rings are attached by a yoke that goes on both sides of the pommel.
Conventional ring rigging has a smaller yoke. Drop rigging has a longer yoke. The Bork Rigging has a large drop yoke. Rider preference determines which is best. All are well liked. Closer contact plate in-skirt rigging is usually not used on ropers. Exception being breakaway ropers, calf ropers, or youth ropers, where larger animals are not roped.
Most saddles have the rigging sewn. Some of the old timers prefer hand laced attachment. If you are gone fencing, for a month, you can repair the hand laced rig by campfire, with needle nose pliers. Hard to have that harness stitching machine at the next stop along your way. Sewn rigging can sometimes be re-enforced with a wide piece of nylon to stop tearing and stretch as much as possible. Double ring rigging has a strip of leather connecting the two rings to be used like a washer, to keep the stirrup leathers from rubbing your skirts, and allowing your stirrup leathers to glide as you move, not catch on the rings.
Beware imported "ropers" with weak attachments, lots of staples, thin tree bars, and lots of thin leather layers glued together for a skirt. Ropers will ride with a tighter rear flank strap than other sports. Reinsman began, and others are following, with a left side tie strap that can be tightened like the front.
TexTan was the first saddle company I found, that made a "Ramrod" rear flank attachment. This is extra leather that covers the rear housing and has reinforcement for best possible hold power. Often, there is a y shaped extra brace from under that rear housing to the flank billets, so the flank will not swing so freely.
The flank bottom is almost standard at 3 inches. Ropers often use a wider, 6 to 10 inch bottom flank center to ease pressures when tightened.
Skirts are sometimes rounded, mostly square, sometimes pointed corner square for looks. You will have enough skirt to help keep the saddle from twisting easily.
The skirts are usually thicker and stiffer than pleasure saddles. A rear housing covers the rear ring rig attachments, and the top of the rear of the skirts. Skirts should be lined with a durable, thick pile fleece. This will make fitting easier, cushion your horse properly, and allow your saddle skirts to last a lot longer than a thin or sparse fleece.
Breast collar dees are nice. Stainless steel or solid brass are preferred. Double tug to the rings and the front rigging ring when possible. Dees with clips attaching under conchos allow you to add or remove saddle strings when and where you want them. Saddle strings strung through the tree attach the skirt all the way through the tree and top leather for holding it all together with some flexibility for horse comfort.
Some argue that the screws used on the conchos for saddle strings pull out too easy for the work they do in their saddles. Some argue that strung through saddle strings need to be taken off in the arena competitions. You choose! A rope holder strap, a dee clip on the pommel, right, left or both sides, with a strap of leather slotted to go over the horn. Do Not Panic if your saddle does not have all the Ranch Roper features. These saddles are made for the most strenuous of working cowboy details.
Most saddles do not need this much "umph". Most riders do not need this much weight in their saddle. Heavy ranch ropers can weigh well over 45lbs, even 60 lbs when outfitted. But, without double covered bullhide trees, Wade horns, and so much leather, they can weigh as little as 38lbs, still rope, and make great trail, or pleasure saddles too.
Cutting saddles are real saddles too. Kind of a nice opposing complement to the roper style saddle. You sit in a flatter plain, some more forward in the leg position. The horn is made to hold onto, so you don't get left behind your cutting horse. More freedom in the stirrup leathers and fenders, yet rigged very strong and full skirted too. The horn and front end are made to hold your weight during the ride. The horn is upright and often braided for extra grip. Better saddles have this horn well attached to take the pressures necessary for cutting.
This horn is NOT made for dragging trees, roping calves, or other of this type pulling work. The tall horn is made for your hand.
The extra height will give leverage to break out of the pommel if used for heavy work. Seats, fenders and jockeys are almost always rough side out.
Often Hard seat. If your cutter has a padded seat, it's almost always suede covered. This rougher texture holds better against your chaps. It can help keep you centered while your horse is trying to dart out from under you. Better seats are ground seats that keep you closer to your horse. You sit in more of a "chair" position in the cutter saddles than as sitting on the ropers. Cutter stirrup leathers come 2.
Usually, they are made of strong, thinner leathers. The key is to build a stirrup system that will travel with your legs as you move, and signal, your horse. Skirts are full and rigging is usually a dropped front dee on a double ring rigging.
Skirts run the gamut of all roughout, to all smooth. Basket stamping and border tooling are most popular. The cutting saddles are almost always heavy oiled. Penning saddles began with a bunch of cutting saddles. Then, the point men figured it was easier to stand in a roping saddle, to see the numbers , so you had a point guy in a roper and turnback men in cutters.
As the sport evolved, two riders would pull cows from herd and one would turn them in a pen. Then some teams would all three get a cow and do whatever was needed to get them all in the pen So the saddle had to evolve. Penning saddles are still divided between cutting and roping saddle enthusiasts. You can pen in either type.
But, I will tell you some of the properties that some of our best penners have in common:. Most do use a tree that is either roper, rancher without a Wade horn, or one of the "combo" trees labeled as Penning saddles.
Although top grain padded seats are popular, we probably sell more of the one-piece hardseat, rough side out. There is some grip, easy to keep balance while standing in the ride. Bicycle seats on top of the hardseat will alleviate any tired buttock pain. Swept back forks are common because they give a little something to throw your thigh into for balance while standing.
The more balanced you become, the less this swept back fork is used. Higher cantles seem to be favored over 3. Rigging is usually double ring because people are doing more than one thing in their saddles, but a drop plate, or an in-skirt rig will keep you in closer contact with your horse. Cutaway skirts are another close contact option. Sometimes, a rider will want their stirrups tied, or locked for more standing firmness. Dakota will do this at the factory. The saddle is made with almost a Y type stirrup leather, so the fenders and stirrups have very little movement.
Re-enforced flank billets are nice, so the flank strap does not swing into the front of the hocks on fast starts. Saddle strings look flashy while you run, and don't really get in the way too badly.
Breast collars are recommended. BC dees allow double tugs. Most penners like a little class in their tack. Handbraided rawhide trim, Herman Oak leathers, maybe a fancy concho with saddle ties, on the accessories.
Saddles are usually well oiled and look like clean, but well ridden, working ranch saddles. Pleasure saddles. What is a pleasure saddle? Should be a saddle that is a pleasure to ride in! This category of saddle is often a well made saddle, lighter in weight, comfortable for rider and horse.
Might call this the forerunner of the "trail" saddles. The famous "Little Wonder" tree, or something similar is usually used. Pleasure saddles can be made in any saddle tree category. These saddles are just good all around riding saddles. They usually have a padded seat, but not always. They are usually suede seats on smooth saddle leathers, but not always. They usually have a smaller horn on a thinner pommel, but not always. They usually have a 4 inch cantle, where they usually had a 3 inch cantle 25 years ago.
The seats usually have some lift in the front, but may have a lot to help balance a beginner. They are usually easily adaptable to most any type pleasure riding. You can add straps, re-enforcements, strings, bags, or leave them stripped down to bare minimums. You can order your inseams and seat sizes. They come both rounded and square skirts. Though they have almost always been all leather in the past, most are hybrids today.
Lower costs of manufacture and easy to break-in are the chief reasons for this. Swept back forks and suede jockeys help a beginning rider. Close contact and less bulk are made for the more advanced riders. Tooling styles often depend upon the crowd you ride with. However, it's smart to have at least a border tool if the smooth side is out. Border tooling keeps the edges from turning upward so much.
Tooling good leather helps keep the leather packed for strength and less stretch. Basket patterns and other geometrics are easy to clean. But they are beautiful. Combinations show the artistry of the maker and are marvelous to help distinguish your saddle from the "crowd".
Easy to ID if needed! Shouldn't a pleasure saddle be a pleasure to see? Show saddles. This is a category encompassing all levels of Western showing. To get the right saddle here, you really need to know where you might be heading. There are Equitation classes where rider and tack are extremely important in the winnings.
Remember this: The classes are so competitive, and the riders are so good, that judges have to get real picky to choose the placement of the class. No grime! Tack and horse must always be neat and clean. It might be old, but it must shine. Even the silver. If you have a used show saddle, figure some way for that silver to shine, even if you have to remove it and have it re-plated.
Judges can see the whole saddle. They see a lot of competitors. They talk with guys like us and know what is available. You cannot hide cheap construction. Buy the best you probably cannot afford. I don't want to insult anyone, but you must realize what you are competing against.
The big key in show arenas is "class". Fully tooled saddles do not show scratches and discolorations as much when they are conditioned.
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