Saddle Options
A custom made saddle, without the custom price!
It's your saddle - It's your choice!
MIX AND MATCH TO GET THE SADDLE YOU WANT!
We want you to have a saddle that fits you and your horse well, so all our saddles are custom made to your requirements. You can choose any combination of the following:
- Cantle height:
- Knee Pads: Western Drafter or Southern Drafter;
- Leather: Any combination of rough and smooth leather and the option of lighter weight leather;
- Rigging: Equaliser saddles available with cable rigging or in-skirt rigging. (In-skirt rigging $100 extra (incl GST in Aust) (Int:$90.99AUD ex GST).)
- Skirt: Flank dee with double skirt or one piece skirt and no flank dee (slimline);
- Fender Options: Fender saddles available with spring bars or over tree;
- Wool or felt lining (Wool $40AUD extra (incl GST in Aust) (Int:$36.36AUD ex GST).) We recommend felt lining in preference to wool especially in hot climates and stock work conditions. Felt lining has a much longer life, is less likely to attract burrs and is much easier to maintain (just a matter of hosing it).
Western Drafter Knee Pads
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Southern Drafter Knee Pads |
Western Drafter Knee Pads allow the rider to lean forward in the saddle and the extra height at sides (4" is standard) gives security with a lively horse.
Southern Drafter Knee Pads are very popular for polocrosse, endurance riding and for riders who like to lean over the front of the saddle. Southern Drafter Knee Pads are low profile (3 1/4" is standard).
LEATHER
Smooth or Rough Out Leather?
We recommend rough out leather for heavy work conditions as it doesn't show scratches and gives better grip for the rider. Another option is rough out seat and knee pads with the skirt and fenders smooth. Smooth out all over is also available but is not recommended for work conditions.
Most of our saddles are made either rough out (i.e. flesh side out) or a combination of rough and smooth because:
- We find that the rough side of leather stands up to everyday wear and tear better than the smooth side;
- The strongest part of the leather is the smooth side so it needs to be protected from damage by scratching and rubbing;
- A cut on the smooth side will open up whereas the rough side of leather can be cut half way through without opening up;
- A scratched smooth out saddle doesn't look too good therefore affecting resale value;
- Rough out seats and kneepads also give a better grip.
For more information about leather view
Saddle Materials, and view
Saddle Care to learn how to care for your saddle and other leather products.
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Patented “Double H Ranch” Cable Rigging
Features:
- Revolutionary cable rigging;
- Continuous cable runs through the pommel and joins behind cantle;
- Cable rigging designed to give the best girthing position for individual horses;
- 19 strand steel cable;
- Cinch lace fits directly to cable - less bulk;
- Tree with cable tested to a strength of 2.2 tonne;
- Heavy PVC coating protects the cable from wear.
Advantages of cable rigging:
• Closer leg contact;
• Allows rider to slide cinch laces to the best girthing position;
• Saddle finds its own balance;
• Greater stability;
• Less likely to need a flank girth. |
Cable Rigging
"Customers purchasing a personal saddle overwhelmingly choose saddles with cable rigging."
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In-skirt Rigging
In-skirt rigging means that the rigging dee is inserted between the two layers of the skirt. The stainless steel dee is reinforced with seat belt webbing which is attached to the saddle tree at the front and back for extra strength. |
In-skirt Rigging |
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Station Special Rigging
The Station Special rigging incorporates a stainless steel dee which is suspended on leather straps reinforced with seat belt webbing and attached to the saddle tree at front and back. |
Station Special Rigging |
All rigging styles have a wear flap which sits between the fenders and the rigging which allows the fenders to move back and forth with out catching on the rigging.
SKIRT OPTIONS
Flank Dee with double skirt
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Slimline - one piece skirt and no flank dee
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Consider your riding style. We have two options for hanging the fenders which give a very different feel:
Spring Bar
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Over Tree |
Fenders hung from spring bars for the rider who likes plenty of forward movement with the fenders.The Spring Bars on our fender saddles are similar to those on a flap saddle with the fenders under the flap instead of over. Spring Bar fenders give more freedom of movement, especially forward, so someone who has been riding in a flap saddle would adjust to them easily. The Spring Bar fender has the added safety advantage that if the rider gets thrown and hung up, chances are that the fender will slip off the spring bar. (The vast majority of our saddle buyers choose this style).
Fenders over the tree are designed for a person who likes to ride fairly straight up and down, dressage or western style. Our saddles have a rock bar where the fender strap goes over the tree which has a pivoting effect as the fender moves back and forth with the leg.
We have found that whichever style people choose they soon adapt to it.
Your choice of fender mounts will be determined by the styles of saddle you are used to, and your riding style; whatever suits you.
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Saddle Top View
Saddle Top View showing cut away at front of seat. |
All of our saddles are cut away at the front of the seat. The cut away has several uses including lifting the saddle on to the horse and as a hand grip with a lively horse.
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