Breast Collar or Crupper?
February 19, 2009 by Saddle Sense
Filed under Saddle Parts
This is one of those questions that has popped up in our mail several times, so we thought we’d address it here in our blog. It’s important to get this right because these two saddle accessories are designed to prevent the opposite problem. The crupper is a strap attached to the back of the saddle [...]
Rigging or Rig?
November 21, 2008 by Saddle Sense
Filed under Saddle Parts
You may have heard folks use these two terms and wondered what the difference was, or maybe if there was any difference at all. Here’s the straight scoop. Rigging is an umbrella term that encompasses a saddle’s rigging system – the cinch or cinches, the manner in which they are attached to the saddle (i.e. [...]
The Three Most Important Saddle Parts
November 8, 2008 by Saddle Sense
Filed under Featured Posts, Saddle Parts
Can you name the three most important parts of the western saddle? If each of these three parts are correctly designed then you’ll have a solid saddle. Get just one wrong and the saddle can never be “right.” The answer? The saddle tree, the seat, and the rigging. While every western saddle part has a [...]
Saddle Tree: Rocker, Twist & Flare
August 3, 2008 by Saddle Sense
Filed under Featured Posts, Saddle Parts
Veterinarian, Joyce Harman’s newest saddle fit book, The Western Horse’s Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book, is chock full of great information on western saddle fit and western saddles. I’ll be sharing some nuggets from the book on the Saddle Blog, but this is really a book you should have in your library. The first nugget [...]
Western Saddle Marks
May 2, 2008 by Saddle Sense
Filed under Featured Posts, General Saddle Topics, Saddle Parts
Most manufacturers and saddle makers will place their mark on their saddles. While the mark can be placed anywhere, the most common locations are on the latigo holder, the seat, behind the cantle where the back jockeys meet, and on the fenders. You can see examples of marks in each of these positions in the [...]
Flank Cinch: How Tight?
November 12, 2007 by Saddle Sense
Filed under Saddle Accessories, Saddle Parts
This question comes up a lot. Just how tight should a flank cinch be? Tighter than many people think. The flank cinch holds the back end of the saddle down on the horse’s back during extreme activity such as roping or fast stops. To work correctly, it must be tightened enough to engage if the [...]
What’s a Roper Cinch?
September 30, 2007 by Saddle Sense
Filed under Saddle Accessories, Saddle Parts
Ever wondered what a roper cinch was and what it was for? Let’s clear things up. A roper cinch is wider in the center than at the ends. The purpose is to provide more support for the saddle and horse when the rider is roping cattle. The wider surface area provides more stability and distributes [...]
Saddle Tooling Coverage
August 28, 2007 by Saddle Sense
Filed under Saddle Parts, Saddle Types
A carving and stamping design can cover any portion of a saddle. When ordering a saddle from a custom saddle maker you’ll be able to choose the tooling coverage you want. The more coverage, the higher the price. Saddles can be border stamped, full tooled, or partially tooled. Saddle makers have developed a method for [...]
