If you are in the market for a hand-crafted Western saddle, check out Cactus saddles. With over 150 years experience in saddle-making, the company has a wide range of styles and designs available . Whether your preference is for barrel-racing, bull-dogging, roping or reining, there is bound to be a saddle to suit your tastes.
It is important that a saddle should fit properly. Badly fitting gear will rub, eventually causing saddle sores which can take a long time to heal. Being uncomfortable can also make a horse misbehave. It is important to try the saddle on the horse. Different brands will differ slightly even if they are advertised as the same size.
A horse with an average wither will normally need a saddle with a medium or regular tree. These horses are not as solid as some and have a definite wither. This group includes the gaited breeds, modern-day Quarter horses and thoroughbreds. Horses that are more solid often have a flatter back and less defined wither. They need a wide tree. Draft horses and crossbred drafts usually have a back that is very flat and wide. The wither may be barely discernible.
The saddle bars should be in contact with the horse's back as much as possible. This spreads the weight over the maximum area. Horses with a very prominent, narrow wither may need extra padding in the hollow area behind the wither. Some horses have extensive muscling behind the shoulder blades and will need a wider tree to accommodate this type of conformation.
With most horses, the croup and wither are level. More pressure is put on the withers if a horse has a rump higher than the withers. If the back dips as in swaybacked horses, the bars will touch only in the front and rear. This will cause rubbing. Horses in poor condition and old horses are most likely to be swaybacked. They will need a bridge pad to even up the pressure.
The bars and skirts need to be the right length for the horse. Mounts with a short back may need rounded skirts and shorter bars. Saddles on mules sometimes rock because of their very level backs. Most pressure then falls in the middle of the back.
A new saddle should be placed on the back without a blanket. When it is in its right position, it should sit level. You should be able to fit several fingers between the gullet and the wither when the saddle is in place. If a full hand fits in the gullet, the tree is too narrow. If only one finger fits, the tree is too wide.
Work the animal in the new saddle until it builds up a good sweat. When the gear is removed, the sweat pattern should be even. Dry areas will show the presence of pressure points. Any ruffled or rubbed areas indicates excessive movement of the saddle. Saddles are built for specific purposes. A roping saddle must resist the torque of roping a steer. Gaited horses need gear which allows for their shoulder action. Mules typically need a straighter bar. With Cactus saddles, all bases will be covered.
It is important that a saddle should fit properly. Badly fitting gear will rub, eventually causing saddle sores which can take a long time to heal. Being uncomfortable can also make a horse misbehave. It is important to try the saddle on the horse. Different brands will differ slightly even if they are advertised as the same size.
A horse with an average wither will normally need a saddle with a medium or regular tree. These horses are not as solid as some and have a definite wither. This group includes the gaited breeds, modern-day Quarter horses and thoroughbreds. Horses that are more solid often have a flatter back and less defined wither. They need a wide tree. Draft horses and crossbred drafts usually have a back that is very flat and wide. The wither may be barely discernible.
The saddle bars should be in contact with the horse's back as much as possible. This spreads the weight over the maximum area. Horses with a very prominent, narrow wither may need extra padding in the hollow area behind the wither. Some horses have extensive muscling behind the shoulder blades and will need a wider tree to accommodate this type of conformation.
With most horses, the croup and wither are level. More pressure is put on the withers if a horse has a rump higher than the withers. If the back dips as in swaybacked horses, the bars will touch only in the front and rear. This will cause rubbing. Horses in poor condition and old horses are most likely to be swaybacked. They will need a bridge pad to even up the pressure.
The bars and skirts need to be the right length for the horse. Mounts with a short back may need rounded skirts and shorter bars. Saddles on mules sometimes rock because of their very level backs. Most pressure then falls in the middle of the back.
A new saddle should be placed on the back without a blanket. When it is in its right position, it should sit level. You should be able to fit several fingers between the gullet and the wither when the saddle is in place. If a full hand fits in the gullet, the tree is too narrow. If only one finger fits, the tree is too wide.
Work the animal in the new saddle until it builds up a good sweat. When the gear is removed, the sweat pattern should be even. Dry areas will show the presence of pressure points. Any ruffled or rubbed areas indicates excessive movement of the saddle. Saddles are built for specific purposes. A roping saddle must resist the torque of roping a steer. Gaited horses need gear which allows for their shoulder action. Mules typically need a straighter bar. With Cactus saddles, all bases will be covered.
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