Best Higher End Western Saddles?

[NoSuchPerson]

Off on a tangent…

I know nothing about cutting horses other than admiring them and wondering how their riders manage to stay in the saddle. So, this may well be a stupid question.

Do you think the change in saddles from flat seat to one with a deeper seat and higher rise in front has been prompted by cutting horses getting more athletic, working quicker and cattier? And thus more challenging to ride in the old flat seat?

I’m thinking about, e.g. old photos of reining horses and cutting horses and to my eye, modern horses often seem to be more athletic and performing at a higher level.

[Aces_N_Eights]

@NoSuchPerson

Off on a tangent…

I know nothing about cutting horses other than admiring them and wondering how their riders manage to stay in the saddle. So, this may well be a stupid question.

Do you think the change in saddles from flat seat to one with a deeper seat and higher rise in front has been prompted by cutting horses getting more athletic, working quicker and cattier? And thus more challenging to ride in the old flat seat?

I’m thinking about, e.g. old photos of reining horses and cutting horses and to my eye, modern horses often seem to be more athletic and performing at a higher level.

In my opinion, yes. Great observation.
Those older lines were crucial to building the modern bred cutting horse but if you were to take those horses winning 40+ years ago and put them against the horses winning now they would have a hard time competing against them.
But with that said, cutting itself has changed along with the type of cattle worked. You look at older pictures and most of those horses are faced off with the cow with both eyes on the cow for the most part.
Then look at pictures of now, the horses are more parallel, one sided to the cow. It adds a degree of difficulty with how much a horse needs to move and turn as opposed to a horse faced off.
Sometimes with the newer style a horse will kind of lose the cow in the turn when switching sides/eye.

[jvanrens]

The flat seats were still pretty common less than 20 years ago, so the horses were a lot sharper than 40 years ago. They used to ride cutting without hanging on to the horn. Couldn’t do that with a decent horse 20 years ago.

[Arelle]

Sorry, I was giving recent advice since a lot has changed in 20 years.

Thanks @Aces_N_Eights for providing a photo.

[Aces_N_Eights]

I said 40+ years ago for a wider, more obvious comparison. I agree even 20 years ago there’s a big difference.
In my opinion, these horses are a good example of great horses and still a huge influence as far as breeding and how prolific they are but wouldnt be able to be compete by modern standards due to the evolution of the sport.
1976 NCHA Futurity. Olan Hightower on Colonel Freckles, Open Champion

Then Terry Riddle on Freckles Playboy as the Open Reserve Champion.

[Djones]

@Aces_N_Eights

The trend has kinda changed on the flat, seated cutter board style. A lot of people have been ordering the tall front-ends with a big rise. I am personally not a fan of them.

that’s so different than the flat seat cutter I rode a lot of horses in during the 80s/early 90s. Not cutters, but I rode a lot of miscellaneous horses and started a few and liked that I could sit where I wanted and also get out of it easily if I needed to. This is a lot like what I used along with 1" flat bottom stirrups

Do you think that new style is intended to help you stay with the horse as they do the big sweep from pointing left to pointing right (that big swap of left eye to right eye)? It looks a little trappy feeling.

[Aces_N_Eights]

@Djones

Do you think that new style is intended to help you stay with the horse as they do the big sweep from pointing left to pointing right (that big swap of left eye to right eye)? It looks a little trappy feeling.

I think so, especially for an amateur, 2K limited, etc rider learning the sport. I feel as though I see it more with those riders who are riding a solid horse but the rider still isn’t reading a cow well enough to stay with the horse during those bigger moves. And that’s okay as it gives them security and helps build confidence as they are learning. Could also be an older rider losing confidence as they feel like their balance and speed isn’t what it used to be.

I think a lot of the trainers, open level, and the handier non-pro riders still like a flatter seat for the movement as jvanrens mentioned above. For sure my boss does. Last winter I used a Leddys like you pictured to ride turnback. But not the same as cutting obviously.