Rod Nikkel Saddle Trees :: Search Results

Why does my saddle lift up at the back? Part three

Ways to distinguish between the various causes and what you can, or can't, do about them.
Subscribe to RSS Feed In the first part of this series we talked about the three most common causes that a saddle will lift up at the back – too wide a bar spread, too… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/why-does-my-saddle-lift-back-part-three/

Why does my saddle lift up at the back? Part two

Same symptom, different causes. Here's two less likely causes, but still possible reasons for a saddle to lift up at the back.
In our last blog post, we described the three most common reasons saddles lift up at the back. These next two reasons are not as common, but are still real. (We have to… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/why-does-my-saddle-lift-back-part-two/

Why does my saddle lift up at the back? Part one

There are a number of possible causes to a saddle the lifts off the horse at the back. Here's the first few reasons.
Subscribe to RSS Feed This is a question we see not uncommonly on horse forums, and one we were asked a few months ago by a customer’s customer. (Not with this picture… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/why-does-my-saddle-lift-back-part-one/

Padding doesn't fix mismatched "angles"

Often if a saddle is too large for a horse, people figure that putting extra padding underneath will compensate. But that doesn't fix things if the problem is that the angles on the tree are too wide for the horse.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/padding-doesnt-fix-mismatched-angles/

What we would do

Here's our evaluation of what we would change in tree specs to fit this horse.
Subscribe to RSS Feed So, now that you have had time to look at the pictures and decide what you would do differently with a tree to fit this horse, here’s our… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/what-we-would-do/

What would you do?

Some pictures one of our customers sent us so we could help him figure out fitting specs for his customer.
Subscribe to RSS Feed Let's ask a skill testing question today… A little bit ago a saddle maker who builds on our trees went out to see a new customer. He took one… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/what-would-you-do/

Evaluating a horse's back for saddle fit - part three

Looking at an angle from the front and then the back gives us a good idea about the amount of rock and crown a horse needs in his tree.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/evaluating-horses-back-saddle-fit-part-three/

Evaluating a horse's back for saddle fit - part two

When we look at a horse to try to figure out what we will do in the tree to fit him, there are a number of different factors that we check. Here is what we are checking out when we see the horse from the back.
Subscribe to RSS Feed In the first part of this three part series, we discussed the types of things we look for from the side when we are trying to decide what specs to… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/evaluating-horses-back-saddle-fit-part-two/

Evaluating a horse's back for saddle fit - part one

When we look at a horse to try to figure out what we will do in the tree to fit him, there are a number of different factors that we check. Here is what we are checking out when we see the horse from the side.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/evaluating-horses-back-saddle-fit-part-one/

Of saddle fit, shoulder blades, and "flare"

There is an idea that a tree should "flare out" at the front bar tips so it doesn't contact the horse, thus leaving room for movement of the shoulder blades. Here's an example of a tree built with that idea, and why it doesn't work in real life.
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Subscribe to RSS Feed… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/saddle-fit-shoulder-blades-and-flare/

He's gotta lotta rock...

Looking at some of the reasons some horses have more rock in their back than others.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/he-s-gotta-lotta-rock/

Bar spread and how it works on horses

Lots of pictures in this post explaining why and when different bar spreads, defined by hand hole width in our trees, are chosen and what shape of horses the different spreads may fit.
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Subscribe to RSS Feed… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/bar-spread-and-how-it-works-on-horses/

The top line doesn't match the rock line

Looking at the top line of a horse doesn't tell you how much curve he has in his back under the bars of the saddle. You have to look at where the bars go. Here's a great example of the mismatch between top line and rock line.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-top-line-doesn-t-match-the-rock-line/

A study in contrasts

Comparing some measurements between a tree for a larger rider and a small child. Interesting the variety we can build in one week...
Or - The long and the short of it. I couldn’t decide on the best title… Here’s a couple trees we built in the same group of four. Funny how sometimes you get very similar trees… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/a-study-in-contrasts/

It's not just ancient history

And I thought the "donkey seat" was only on old pottery...
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/it-s-not-just-ancient-history/

The problems with too-short bars

While bars that are too long can cause problems for the horse, so can bars that are too short. Here's why.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-problems-with-too-short-bars/

The things we record and why - part two

All the things that affect fit for the horse probably comprise the largest group of measurements in our database. Here's what they all are.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-things-we-record-and-why-part-two/

Saddle fit and your new saddle - from a tree maker's view

A brand new saddle doesn't ride as well as it will after a few hours of use. Here's some hints to help you understand what will change and why, as well as help you get properly acquainted with where the new saddle fits on your horse.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/saddle-fit-and-your-new-saddle-from-a-tree-maker-s-view/

Let's do the twist!

Twist is another of the factors that affect how the tree fits the horse. Here's more of what it is, how it changes between horses and how the definition changes between western and English saddles.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/let-s-do-the-twist/

The name of a bar - what it really tells you, or not

How do you describe how a bar fits? Well, some companies have specific names for specific bar fits, but they aren't consisten between makers. Here's what we do now, and an idea for the future.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/name-bar-what-it-really-tells-you-or-not/

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