Welcome to Rod and Denise Nikkel's
Saddle Tree Website

We have updated our site and added lots of new information; click here to go to the new site...

We have put this site together primarily as an easy-to-access source of information for saddle makers.  The information articles below were written initially to help our customers understand some of the finer points of handmade saddle trees.  We would also like you to be able to see a few of the different styles of trees we have made to give you more ideas to choose from.  We hope you find this site interesting and helpful as you consider what you want in a saddle tree.

We have been building custom saddle trees since 1996 and have now made over 1650 trees - one at a time.   We build a traditional Western saddle tree: a wood frame covered in rawhide.  All the trees are made by just the two of us, built to the specifications given by the saddle maker and customer.  Because each tree is handcrafted individually, it is easy for us to accommodate special requests.  So far, we have figured out how to do pretty much anything a customer has asked of us, but we always enjoy learning more.  We want to share with you some of the information we have learned over the years about trees and life.  Thus, this website.  Hope you enjoy it.

The following are our Information Articles.

Construction and Measuring
(713 KB, download time about 4 minutes at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

Seat Length and Thigh Length Relationships
(803 KB, download time about 4 1/2 minutes at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

Using Hand Hole versus Gullet Measurements
(505 KB, download time about 2 3/4 minutes at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

Fitting the Horse
(372 KB, download time about 2 minutes at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

Horns
(810 KB, download time about 4 1/2 minutes at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

Cantles
(590 KB, download time about 3 1/4 minutes at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

Troubleshooting Saddle Fit Problems
(80 KB, download time about 1 minute at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

Bar Angles (new August 2008)
(207 KB, download time about 1 1/2 minutes at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

The Most Important Part
(44 KB, download time about a 1/2 minute at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

Order Form
(33 KB, download time about a 1/2 minute at 28.8 kbps on dial up)

Note:  all the above articles are presented in Adobe AcrobatTM format so that you can easily print them off for future reference.
You will need a free copy of the Adobe AcrobatTM reader to view these files.

You can contact us at any one of the following.

Phone: 1-780-524-2490
Fax:   1-780-524-2490
e-mail:  info@rodnikkel.com
Snail Mail: Rod and Denise Nikkel
          PO Box 2139
          Valleyview, AB, Canada
          T0H 3N0

All contents copyright Rod and Denise Nikkel 2009-2010.