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Saddles what is the most functional type?

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You gonna translate for em there NR??? I hear your Canuck to Yankee is pretty darn fluent :) :wink: Rumor has it you can speak upper and middle class without to much trouble as well. It's the nasal tones you have to watch. Lots of room for misinterpretation :) A good interpreter is very important.
 
Northern Rancher said:
Now now boys I better go along too-I've been on a few cultural tours in JB's country-I'd hate for you to get led astray.
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Hell, I guess it'd be okay for all of you to come at the same time. Why shoot, I ain't filled my quota on Canadians for quite a spell. And a good translator is damn hard to find. :wink:

I've often wondered about the software on this site. How it translates anything you foreigners write here in your language, into english, so I can understand it. :wink:

Pretty dang handy, I'd say. :lol:
 
There seems to be an eastern influence causing some of our natives to speak in a bizarre language called ...let me see how would you spell it... um . F.R.E.N.C.H. I was sort of shocked when one of em came at me growling, spitting and clicking the unfamiliar tones, I think that's what them easterners calls it? Not really too sure??? alot of us just look at em funny when they try to communicate using it???If you were to meet any of these modest folk you would soon realize that the whole world spins on Montreals axis :p
 
Judith if you dont rope then why get a roping saddle? Doesnt matter if its a slick fork or not. Ranch roping saddles with plate rigging is heavy.
When I sell a horse I let the customer saddle them up. I find women either have trouble or just outright cant lift one of my saddles on the horse.
I have only ever used ranch or cutting saddles but I suspect that a reining or barrel saddle would not only be lighter but it would give you a better feel for your horse.
Arent you into TBs? Arent your clients going to be riding English? Are you thinking the swells on western saddles will give you an edge if things turn into a bronc ride? If your riding with your stirrups in the normal length the swells are not going to help you anyway.
Or if you mount bucking rolls on a slick fork so that you can use them on a bronc they are going to be in your way when your doing normal riding<that is if your riding big strided<large movement> horses.
Worst comes to worse you can always just tie a slicker on the front of a slick fork but I have never personally done this.
What I like swell forks for is if your jumping something on a colt and the colt refuses at the last second. The swells can save you from jumping the jump without your horse.
 
Roper,
I need a western saddle for breaking colts and riding with western types :) If I am pushing cattle with people I'll look like a dufus when I show up in either my treeless (thank you god for treeless saddles) or my close contact :) But heck maybe I could start a new trend :)Probably get laughed clear out of Saskatchewan if I showed up in the english duds. I don't rope, but i know it is something I will need to learn.

My personal riding horses are never TB (although I love them dearly)I breed to race and trust me you do not want a race bred TB moving cattle! (althought there are lots of people who do ride em :) I ride Morgans and the occasional appendix. Zippy was my up and coming personal riding horse. So after I get settled I will be looking for another good ole Morgan :cry:
 
Not to discourage you but if your going to learn to rope. Its going to take you years before you get good enough to really pasture rope.
Your going to need calves or real gental stock to train your horses on or to prepare them for roping bigger stuff outside of the arena.
On the job rope training can be tuff when the main concern is more about getting the job done instead training the horse.
As far as brandings go around here ropers are a dime a dozen. Everybody shows up at a branding with a rope. If you really want to be a help, draggers,taggers or branders are whats really needed.
To be honest with you I dont get much chance to rope anymore.
Nobody would laugh at you around here if you where in a barrel or reining saddle. Less weight and better feel between you and the horse makes a lot of sence.
Maybe my next saddle will be a reining type. Haha I just hate the crome and looks of the ones I have seen so far. Haha Padded seats and ostrich leather :? :lol:
Whatever style you do get I would either buy a second hand one or borrow one to make sure you like it before you plop down big bucks for a new one.
I would not buy a roping saddle just porposely because I might have to help someone, someday and something might have to be roped.
But then if you want to get into roping, maybe get cows of your own or get into team roping. Then by all means I would get a roping saddle if I was you.
PS they might laugh at you for riding a Morgan :p
I wouldnt :lol: But man people can be closed minded about any other breed of horse besides a QH :lol:
 
I have taken flack for years about my saddle horse choice :) This is dressage country you know so why would I ride one of those yicky :) Dumbbloods are the most common horses here. I'm pretty set in my ways about the little fellas. Isnt a kinder breed around. It is amazing to watch them in action, soooo smart and versatile! Truely wonderful critters they is.
 
I dont know about rodeo roping saddles like calf ropers use. But im wondering if a roping saddle could be made by someone like Jinglebob on a lighter tree? Example Not heavy enough to pasture rope bulls but heavy enough so that you could rope calves, pony horses or maybe rope the odd steer?
Seems like most ranch saddles are pretty restrictive to the horses shoulder. Maybe he could use a tree with more flair at the front?
This kind of saddle wouldnt need heavy plate riggin for the way it would be used. Maybe you could get it cut out more where your legs<thighs> go for a closer, better, feel?
 
I have a question. Several years ago, Mr.FH rode a working cowhorse (name of the horse was Smokin 45) that
a friend was showing. The saddle was a Ray Blair Reining Saddle.
Has anyone know anything about this man or his saddles?

We tried to buy that one, it was soooooooooo nice, but it wasn't for
sale. I've wondered many times what happened to it. As I recall,
Ray Blair was from California.
 
:) Well too much to read and absorb,so will give my simple reply.Saddles are no different than picking out a good horse,dog,girl-check em out and pick the one that fit's yu?
 
Hello, I'm new but have read most of the previous posts. Having just gone through trying to find a good saddle, I highly recommend either a McCall Lady Wade or McCall Lady Pendleton. Since you mentioned you rode english, I would bet you would like the Lady Wade best. These two saddles aren't terribly heavy, and you can definately rope off of them. My friend rides TBs and her Lady Wade fits all of her horses well. I purchased the Lady Pendleton and couldn't be any happier. McCall saddles are well built, and comparable in quality to a custom made saddle. A description of McCall saddles can be found at dryforksaddle.com. Many dealers sell them, and if you are interested, I'd definately shop around. Brighton Saddlery had the highest price at $3200 while Teskey's had the lowest price on the same saddle at $2400. Tacktrader.com sometimes has used ones listed too.
 
WyomingRancher said:
Hello, I'm new but have read most of the previous posts. Having just gone through trying to find a good saddle, I highly recommend either a McCall Lady Wade or McCall Lady Pendleton. Since you mentioned you rode english, I would bet you would like the Lady Wade best. These two saddles aren't terribly heavy, and you can definately rope off of them. My friend rides TBs and her Lady Wade fits all of her horses well. I purchased the Lady Pendleton and couldn't be any happier. McCall saddles are well built, and comparable in quality to a custom made saddle. A description of McCall saddles can be found at dryforksaddle.com. Many dealers sell them, and if you are interested, I'd definately shop around. Brighton Saddlery had the highest price at $3200 while Teskey's had the lowest price on the same saddle at $2400. Tacktrader.com sometimes has used ones listed too.
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Yup, just about my base price. :wink: :lol:
 
Hello!
I have only been riding for about 5 years now, and in a roping saddle. I have 300+ - but I'll be darned if I ever really rope anything! My horn is for pulling toboggans and the horse is for fence and pasture calving and pasture checking. He is a sturdy QH/appy with a medium wither. I am thinking about buying an allaround Teskeys hard seat for now. Can anyone tell me how these fit - if this would be a saddle you would consider for a beginner rancher - one day I will upgrade!! But then so will my three kids$$$$.

I can find very litle about teskeys on the 'net - I really like the simple look of them (without the tooling and exotic stuff) and thought the tree was suficient for my QH types. Need some help!
 
hey gonnabeacowgirl look up corriente saddle co. i work cow for a living and train ranch roping horses and there associationis one of the toughest most affordable saddles i've ever rode i wont buy anything else. i think its corrientesaddleco.com
 
Faster horses said:
I have a question. Several years ago, Mr.FH rode a working cowhorse (name of the horse was Smokin 45) that
a friend was showing. The saddle was a Ray Blair Reining Saddle.
Has anyone know anything about this man or his saddles?

We tried to buy that one, it was soooooooooo nice, but it wasn't for
sale. I've wondered many times what happened to it. As I recall,
Ray Blair was from California.
Click to expand...

Ray Blair used to live in Red Bluff, CA. He worked at a saddle shop named the Vaquero Shop in Red Bluff. Smokey Pritchett, past president of the California Reined Cow Horse Association was one of the owners. Ray Blair was an outstanding saddle maker and I had the very good fortune of finding one of his saddles for sale and bought it on the spot. I too wonder what happened to him. This shop was open in the late 70's.
 

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