We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
It's not the pattern...
Posted by RodandDenise on March 21, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
When Rod learned from Julian Tubb how to build trees, he was given this pattern. It was to make leg cut on cantles to give riders a bit of relief if the front edge of the cantle was likely to bite into their leg. Useful at times on really laid back cantles, depending how the ground seat was put in, or shorter seats with riders whose leg wasn’t quite as small as the seat required…
Center of pressure under a saddle
Posted by RodandDenise on March 4, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
A long time ago, in a blog post far, far away… I posted this picture of how a rider’s weight is distributed on a saddle tree. You have the red circle showing where the weight on the rider’s pin/seat bones and other associated soft tissues is positioned. You have the blue circle representing the weight carried on the rider’s thighs. (Note that the circles just show where the weight is carried, not the amount of weight carried there.) And the black arrow indicates where the weight of the rider’s legs in the stirrups is carried – mid way in the stirrup groove where the stirrup leather goes over the bars. The point being that the entire weight of the rider is not directly under their seat…
There are still firsts...
Posted by RodandDenise on February 26, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
You would think that after twenty years of building trees, we’d be running short of different things to do. Nope… While we have built a fair number of exposed wood horn caps in the past,
What do you call a group of tree makers?
Posted by RodandDenise on February 12, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
A forest? In that case, here are a couple of seedlings and a (relatively) mature maple - because he is Canadian, after all...
From left to right: Greg Cymbaluk, Rod Nikkel, Dusty Smith
How do I measure my horse for bar angles?
Posted by RodandDenise on February 9, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
We occasionally hear of people using protractors to try and measure angles off their horse and correlate them to bar angles on saddle trees. You just can’t do that – and here’s why…
Kids these days...
Posted by RodandDenise on January 20, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
We’ve had an additional body around the shop the past couple of weeks.
Bridging
Posted by RodandDenise on January 7, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
This is a bridge. It contacts at both ends and has lots of empty space underneath it.
Merry Christmas!!!
Posted by RodandDenise on December 23, 2015
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
Merry Christmas everyone!! OK, so the shape isn't quite right...
Once Upon a Time
Posted by RodandDenise on December 19, 2015
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
back in the ‘80’s, there was a cowboy…
For the past twenty five years
Posted by RodandDenise on December 15, 2015
We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.
I've had the privilege of being able to ride my engagement ring...
