The Western Saddle: A Cowboy’s Most Prized Possession

For a working cowboy in the old American West, a saddle was his most prized possession. Without it, he couldn’t work. So a cowboy might wager away his gun, his spurs, or even his boots, but never his saddle. In the old west, horses were plentiful and cheap. A good saddle was neither. The song, [...]

Quarter Horse Bars?

The tree is the foundation of the saddle and it’s job is to distribute the rider’s weight over the horse’s back, making it more efficient and comfortable for the horse. A tree consists of five basic parts – the two bars that run parallel, the fork that holds the bars together at the front, the [...]

What Your Stirrup Length Might Be Saying About You

Personal preference and riding activity both definitely have an impact on stirrup length. But so does horsemanship skill. In general, you’ll see better horsemen ride with longer stirrups. Why is that? The better the horseman you are, the better your balance in the saddle. You’ll ride the horse more than the saddle, following his movement [...]

Saddle Patina

Do you angst over every scrape, stain, and wear pattern on your saddle? There’s no doubt that a good saddle is expensive, so it certainly makes sense to take good care of it. But a saddle is meant to be used and not simply placed on display. A saddle is first and foremost an object [...]

Used Saddle Pick of the Week: 16″ Genuine Billy Cook Wade Saddle

The “Used Saddle Pick of the Week” Every week we scour the Internet searching for a particularly juicy bargain on a high quality used western saddle and feature it here on the WSG Saddle Blog. The saddles featured are listed for sale on ebay as of the date of the post. Checking out our Picks [...]

Custom Saddle Pricing

If you’ve ever pined for a quality custom saddle made just for you, to your exact specifications, you’ve probably discovered that they don’t come cheap. Quality custom saddles that use quality materials (i.e. wood tree, premium leather, stainless steel or brass hardware) and quality craftsmanship techniques with no shortcuts, and are created by an experienced [...]

Used Saddle Pick of the Week: 16″ Dakota Trail Saddle

The “Used Saddle Pick of the Week” Every week we scour the Internet searching for a particularly juicy bargain on a high quality used western saddle and feature it here on the WSG Saddle Blog. The saddles featured are listed for sale on ebay as of the date of the post. Checking out our Picks [...]

The Stohlman Encyclopedia of Saddle Making

Al Stohlman was a saddlemaker and leather craftsman who was probably as well known for the books he wrote as for the fine saddles he made. Al died in 1998, but Al Stohlman saddles are still coveted as solid, well crafted riding saddles. Together with his wife Ann, Al Stolhman wrote a three volume series [...]

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