Rod Nikkel Saddle Trees :: Search Results

What do Quarter Horse, Semi-Quarter Horse and Full Quarter Horse bars mean?

Common terminology when you go to a store looking for a saddle, but what does it mean? Actually, not a whole lot...
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/what-do-quarter-horse-semi-quarter-horse-and-full-quarter-horse-/

So why was it soring horses?

When we got this tree in to duplicate, we were told it was broken because it had started to sore horses when it hadn't done that before. However, it didn't fall apart when we took the rawhide off. So what was wrong?
But if you have been following the story line, you will have noticed that the tree seemed to be intact - until we took it apart, that is. So why was it soring horses? … https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/so-why-was-it-soring-horses/

Saddle fit - Western compared to English Part 3

Finishing up the comparison of "saddle fit rules" between the two types of saddles - and explaining why a lot don't apply to Western saddles (and maybe not even English ones...)
Subscribe to RSS Feed I'm finishing up here on the short series comparing saddle fit between English and Western saddles. After looking at the history and basic design of… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/saddle-fit-western-compared-to-english-part-3/

Of single backs, double backs and crown

Terminology from 2300 years ago being useful in today's saddle and tree making world? You betcha!!
Subscribe to RSS Feed So when I got it I eagerly looked to see what he said. "A double back is easier to sit upon and better looking than a single one." (pg. 17) … https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/of-single-backs-double-backs-and-crown/

Saddle fit - Western compared to English Part 2

Saddle fit - Western compared to English Part 2
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-western-compared-to-english-part-2/

Ya gotta look inside...

Comparing two horse of vastly different builds, and two trees of vastly different specs...
Subscribe to RSS Feed The horse ahead of him in this picture is Winston. This is Winston. He's a Hanovarian/Morgan cross. He's not short. His Dennis Lane… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/ya-gotta-look-inside/

Saddle fit - Western compared to English Part 1

English and Western saddles were designed for different purposes, and their different functions are the basis for how the trees are built and how they work for both the horse and the rider.
Subscribe to RSS Feed There is a lot of discussion - on the internet, written in books, put into video form, etc. - about how saddles should fit horses. But for a western… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/saddle-fit-western-compared-to-english-part-1/

Of Arizona bars, and why we won't make them...

The stirrup groove is built into the underside of the bars for a purpose. An Arizona bar only has a front groove - no back groove. Since this will always compromise the fit for the horse, we won't build a bar this way.
Subscribe to RSS Feed There are very few things we won't build when it comes to saddle trees. Sometimes there is a learning curve for things that we haven't built… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/of-arizona-bars-and-why-we-won-t-make-them/

The Medial Gluteal muscle

A major mover of the hind end, this is a hind end muscle that can be negatively affected by poor saddle fit.
Subscribe to RSS Feed Well, I'm finally getting around to that hind end muscle I promised I'd write about before my interlude post. The name of this muscle - the… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-medial-gluteal-muscle/

All western saddles extend over the loin

Saddle fit "rules" say there can't be any weight on the horse past T18, but threre is no evidence for this statement. The fact that horses have been ridden in Western saddles for centuries is a lot of evidence against it. 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/all-western-saddles-extend-over-the-loin/

Checking out a flex tree

We were asked to help figure out a saddle fit problem that involved a common brand of flex tree, which gave us a chance to really evaluate the tree itself - as we took it apart to duplicate it with a solid tree to fit the horse properly. Here's what we d…
Subscribe to RSS Feed A while back we were contacted by some (relatively) local people who were concerned that one of their horses had developed white hair under the… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/checking-out-a-flex-tree/

Our new curiosity satisfying (we hope) acquisition

Our new FSA pressure sensor mat has the ability to tell us a whole lot about saddles, trees and how they work on horses, hopefully confirming what we believe to be true but maybe with a few surprises in store. I guess we'll have to see! But by using thi…
Subscribe to RSS Feed Well, after years (literally) of researching, wishing, thinking and saving, a fantastic chance came to get our own pressure sensor mat to be able… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/our-new-curiosity-satisfying-we-hope-acquisition/

The Serratus Ventralis muscle

Another very important muscle that supports the body of the horse which is also involved in the movement of the shoulder blade is the serratus ventralis. It also can be affected by saddles and saddling.
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-serratus-ventralis-muscle/

Finally, pressure research on horses!!!!

How much pressure is too much? I finally found real research on horses that give the beginnings of answers to this question.
Subscribe to RSS Feed A while back I wrote a post about how much pressure is too much under a saddle, saying that everything I had read was based off human studies, and… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/finally-pressure-research-on-horses/

Reason #4 to order a hand made tree - better fit for the horse...

due to larger surface area on the bars and more combinations of factors that affect fit being available.
Subscribe to RSS Feed due to larger surface area, more combinations of the Factors that Affect Tree Fit being available, the rider being positioned more central on the bar… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/reason-4-to-order-a-hand-made-tree-better-fit-for-the-horse/

The Rhomboideus muscle

Another muscle which attaches the forelimb of the horse to its body, and how it might affect saddles and how they fit.
Subscribe to RSS Feed Also called the rhomboids, this muscle is the next in the line of muscles I am talking about that attach the front leg of the horse to its body. … https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-rhomboideus-muscle/

The Latissimus Dorsi muscle

The latissimus dorsi muscle
Subscribe to RSS Feed Moving on in our discussion about muscles of the horse that attach the front leg to the horse, a major one is the latissimus dorsi. This muscle… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-latissimus-dorsi-muscle/

The value of an objective standard

We decided to compare our two horses with the Dennis Lane Equine Back Profiling cards, and discovered again how valuable having an objective standard is when comparing between horses.
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-value-of-an-objective-standard/

The Trapezius muscle

First up in muscles is a relatively superficial muscle attaching the shoulder blade to the spine. Since it sits under the front of the bar, it is important for how saddles relate to horses.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We'll start with the muscles that connect the front leg (remembering, of course, that there is no bony connection from the front leg to the… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-trapezius-muscle/

Movement of the rib cage

How the rib cage of the horse moves might be influenced by cinch and saddle. So what is normal and what may we need to consider when it comes to saddling up our horse?
Subscribe to RSS Feed It is pretty well known in the cowboy world that you don't want your cinch, latigos and billets to be all synthetic material. You want at least… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/movement-of-the-rib-cage/

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