Saddle How To's

June 11, 2009

• The Cinching Stretch

  After you've finished tightening your cinch (Make sure to read about the proper way to cinch a horse), there's one more step to ensure your horse's comfort and prevent saddle sores. (…)

May 22, 2009

• Savvy On-Saddle Cinch Storage Technique

  Do you ever find yourself carrying your saddle with the cinch dragging on the ground? This is a problem worth solving and, fortunately, easily solved. (…)

May 7, 2009

• Can You Oil a Saddle Too Much?

  The answer to this important question is an emphatic YES.

  Over time, excessive application of oil will break down the fibers in the leather and weaken it. (…)

January 29, 2009

• Mold & Mildew: Bad News For Saddles

  Both mold (green and hairy) and mildew (white-ish gray and powdery) are fungi that thrive in damp, moist environments. And by "thrive," I mean grows and spreads. (…)

January 2, 2009

• Saddle Repairs & Alterations: Saddle Specialists Only

  We receive quite a few inquiries from folks looking for somewhere to have their saddle repaired or altered (i.e. their fenders shortened). (…)

October 10, 2008

• Cleaning Saddle Tooling

  Leather carving and stamping (commonly called tooling) is one of the elements that make western saddles so unique and beautiful. But that beauty comes with a price. (…)

August 21, 2008

• Saddle Repair Is Best Left To The Experts

  Well-made saddles can take quite a bit of heavy use, but eventually you may find your saddle in need of repair. When this happens, it's tempting to try to fix the saddle yourself. (…)

August 9, 2008

• Cleaning Your Saddle Pad

  The end of the summer season is a good time to think about cleaning your saddle pads and blankets. Hair, dirt, sweat and assorted crud all build up over time. (…)

July 25, 2008

• Saddling and Handling a Horse: Which Side?

  Traditionally, horses have been handled from the near (left) side. Today, you'll see most folks leading, saddling, and mounting their horses from the near side. Why? (…)

June 29, 2008

• Clean the Back Side of Your Saddle For Your Horse

  The other day I went on a ride where we went through plenty of water and a good bit of mud. (…)

September 13, 2007

• Cleaning Rough Out Saddles

  I've received a number of emails of late asking how to clean rough out leather, so I thought it would be a good topic to cover. (…)

August 17, 2007

• Clean Your Cinch!

  Cinches are one saddle part that should be inspected and cleaned regularly. Dirt, hair, and sweat all build up on a cinch and can cause cinch galls on your horse. (…)

July 8, 2007

• Saddle Pads: Thicker isn't a Solution for Poor Fit

  Ideally, the saddle pad's purpose is to protect your saddle from your horse, not your horse from your saddle. (…)

June 9, 2007

• Avoiding Girth Galls

  Girth galls are ugly, painful sores caused by the cinch (girth) being placed in the wrong position or by a worn, damaged, or twisted cinch.  Galls are a man-made problem and an injury that is definitely avoidable. (…)

May 27, 2007

• How Should You Place a Saddle on the Ground?

  When a saddle isn't on a horse, the best way to store it is on a saddle stand or rack. (…)

May 13, 2007

• How To Unsaddle a Horse

  Giving advice on unsaddling a horse may seem silly to some. I mean, how hard is it to figure out how to take the saddle off, right? (…)

May 4, 2007

• Stop Saddle Abuse

  There's always lots of discussion among riders about their saddle cleaning and conditioning practices. (…)

April 15, 2007

• Cinches: Definitely Not One Size Fits All

  One of my pet peeves in western riding is seeing people riding with the wrong size cinch for their horse. Whether it's too big, or too small, it's bad news. (…)

November 19, 2006

• Is the Problem Your Saddle or You?

  Saddle fit isn't only about your horse and your saddle. It's also about you. (…)

November 8, 2006

• How To Attach a Latigo to Your Saddle

  We've received a number of emails lately asking us for instructions for attaching a new latigo to a saddle. (…)