Saddle How To's

There's a lot to know about western saddles. We've been there and we understand that figuring it all out can be a bit confusing at times. We sort it out with some helpful 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

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

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

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

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

November 8, 2006

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