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
Seat
Length and Thigh Length Relationships
Using
Hand Hole versus Gullet Measurements
Fitting
the Horse
Horns
Cantles
Troubleshooting Saddle Fit Problems
Bar Angles (new August 2008)
The
Most Important Part
Order Form
Note: all the above
articles are presented in Adobe AcrobatTM format so
that you can easily print them off for future reference. You can contact
us at any one of the following.
Phone: 1-780-524-2490
All contents copyright Rod
and Denise Nikkel 2009-2010.
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You will need a free
copy of the Adobe AcrobatTM reader to view these files.
Fax: 1-780-524-2490
e-mail:
info@rodnikkel.com
Snail
Mail: Rod and Denise Nikkel
PO Box
2139
Valleyview, AB,
Canada
T0H 3N0