Do you ever think about the fit of a saddle in your life? I’m not just talking about padded seats vs. non-padded or what sort of tooling you’ve got. I mean the type of saddle — the who, what and why of the rig you pick to present yourself to the rest of the riding world.
It’s happened to all of us. You pull up to a branding, and there’s a rough-looking Heinz 57 gelding with a walleye, leopard spots and a half-rubbed out mane, but he’s sporting a pretty sweet cowboy-looking rig on his back with a cotton rope tied to it and a good dish to the seat. Suddenly, you get to wondering, “What’s this guy’s story?” He instantly becomes more interesting because clearly this rough little horse belongs to someone who knows what’s what. That saddle told you so.
On the flip side, you might arrive somewhere and see a horse that’s just got that high-end, show horse pedigree look. But the saddle he’s packing doesn’t match it at all. The stirrups aren’t twisted properly, and the faux leather/patterned Cordura fenders just don’t strike you as being ultra-competitive in the breed show circuit. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just … telling.
Sometimes, the little details on saddles will tell other horsemen where you’ve been, where you came from, what sort of stuff you are into and maybe even what you want to be. It’s not very often you see a nightlatch or tie strings hanging off a Western pleasure saddle, and there aren’t too many trail riders that have a groove worn in their muleskin horn wrap from dallying. I haven’t seen too many day-help cowboys sport intricate carvings or a bunch of silver on their rigs, either. Cutters keep things pretty plain, and reiners are generally a bit flashier. There is room for it all!
You don’t have to spend a lot of money or have something custom or special to be cool. In each and every micro circle of our horse world, there are certain things that jump out and tell our stories through every piece of our tack. Some accessories are simple and punchy; others just tell the world you rodeo. Or want to. Some of the details stem from pure utility, and other elements allow the owner to express his/her creativity and influences with their horsemanship. I love this. I’m partial to certain things and say nay to others. My world consists mostly of riding young horses and ponies, using horses and occasionally showing. I’m not a flashy kind of person, but my background plays a big part of what I like on my saddles and why. I bet my tack room would tell you that before I could.
So, to the wades, the associations, the barrel saddles, team ropers, trail riders, buckaroos and the West Texas specials. To the cutters, the reiners, the cowhorse guys, the roughouts vs. the stamped vs. the full floral tooled, you are seen, noticed and applauded. Keep doing you, no matter the horse you’re on or the state you live in.
And let’s just take the time and give a really special nod to the occasional guy who shows up on the bareback pad. With stirrups.
The post Saddle Fits appeared first on Western Horseman.
All Rights Reserved. Copyright , Central Coast Communications, Inc.