Bucking rolls?

[Pocket_Pony]

Ok, so I’ve got my new JJ Maxwell, which I love more and more every time I ride in it.

I got a 15" seat because I was worried that a 14.5" (which they suggested) would be too small. The 15" is just a little bit roomy, but not too bad.

I’m thinking about having them put on bucking rolls. But I haven’t ridden in a saddle with bucking rolls, and even if I had, each saddle is different so I’d still be torn.

Ack, what do I do? The seat is roomy enough (and slippery enough!) that I do sort of slide around a bit - would bucking rolls help with that?

Also, any suggestions for helping the seat to be not so slippery? Sort of wishing I had gotten a rough-out seat!

[Bluey]

You could try getting a smaller bath towel, roll it along the small side and stick it in front of you to see how that feels.
That is what some did to judge if a bit less room there would fit better.

That saddle doesn’t look too large for you, maybe just getting used to it would work?
Bucking rolls would sure help give your seat a bit more support, so you can sit in your saddle better.

Also, how you hang and train your fenders may make a little difference in how you may sit in there.

If you were riding with swells before, riding without just feels awkward.
I never really liked it, not at all the feel you have in an English saddle.
My ranch saddle is a 14 1/2" and my reiner is a 16" and both feel the same to ride, they were made to put you in the right place for what you may do.

The front and twist are really different from English to western saddles.
Even if we may think the swells would interfere compared with an English saddle, swells really helps get a better seat in the wider and further of the horse’s backs western saddles.

There is a reason why most western saddles for long now have been made with swells, it is the better mousetrap, other than for those that learned to ride in A frames and are so comfortable right off in them.

You won’t see hardly any discipline where anyone any more uses A frame saddles for any that requires really active riding, other than those that ride those because it is the tradition of the kind of riding they want to follow.

As one saddle maker here used to say, there are all kinds of human bottoms in the world and so there are all kinds of saddles in the world to fit them.

[craz4crtrs]

Do you have any chinks? I wear chinks a lot, especially in a slippery saddle. Could you have a suede seat Put on? That is also something a saddler can do.

Bucking rolls are easy to put on. Buy them from the saddle maker so they will fit your saddle,

[Beverley]

Well, it looks like you can get more than two fingers between thighs and base of pommel, but not too bad. There is nothing worse than breaking in a new saddle. Oil it a lot, and as was suggested, chinks or chaps would help. I can’t speak to the bucking rolls as I’ve never used them, but just looking at the one picture, I’d be inclined to recommend a little fleece seat saver to give a little margin til the saddle is more broken in.

[Bluey]

You know, one of the best saddle makers ever, people have come all over the West for him to make them a saddle, made me one saddle that just didn’t work, my hip keep hurting, it felt too large and slick and I just could not get a good seat on it.

I tried and tried to get used to it, fitted practically all horses great, we looked at it time and again and he just made me another and sold that one to someone in Switzerland, from all places, that had wider hips and it fit her perfectly.

Some times, even the best saddle maker may just not get it right and they generally stand behind their work.

If you are not right away practically 100% happy, go easy on it, try to get used to it but still preserve it so it looks new and if it just doesn’t work, talk to the saddle maker, see what they tell you.

[craz4crtrs]

[QUOTE=Bluey;8032869]
You know, one of the best saddle makers ever, people have come all over the West for him to make them a saddle, made me one saddle that just didn’t work, my hip keep hurting, it felt too large and slick and I just could not get a good seat on it.

I tried and tried to get used to it, fitted practically all horses great, we looked at it time and again and he just made me another and sold that one to someone in Switzerland, from all places, that had wider hips and it fit her perfectly.

Some times, even the best saddle maker may just not get it right and they generally stand behind their work.

If you are not right away practically 100% happy, go easy on it, try to get used to it but still preserve it so it looks new and if it just doesn’t work, talk to the saddle maker, see what they tell you.[/QUOTE]

This is great info. Long story and I have posted on it before, but I had a lovely wade type saddle made for my mare. Fit her perfectly, did not fit me at all. I fought with it for over 6 months and sold it. Nothing wrong with the saddle, but for me the stirrup leathers were too far forward, the shovel cantle and flat seat tipped me forward. I had no stability at all. Really thought I was losing my riding skill and started becoming fearful at times. Especially on hills or working cattle, which I love. I even thought I was scared of my mare, but she wasn’t doing anything wrong. It was the saddle.

Went back to a ladies with more slope to the cantle, raised slightly in the front for my pelvis and narrower twist with a narrower padding. No comparison.

I would talk to the saddler about adding a suede seat. A little more padding would make the saddle feel smaller. I did try the bucking rolls, just made the saddle tighter but still tipped me forward.

[Pocket_Pony]

I am actually really comfortable in this saddle, hip-pain, knee-pain, ankle-pain, and back-pain-wise. I actually generally feel better physically after riding in this saddle, I can ride for a couple hours and not hurt, so I don’t think there are any adjustments per se that need to be made in the seat. If a saddle isn’t going to work for my body, I’ll know right away.

My first couple rides I was just wearing jeans, which are really slippery to ride in! Next couple of rides I put my full chaps on.

I just worry that the seat size is a bit too big for me, that’s the main thing.

[Bluey]

Try the rolled towel trick, it will do what bucking rolls would do, you can get a feel how those would help you not slip around and if that is what you need.

The seat being 1/2" too large should not be enough to bother you, if it has a middle that fits you fine.

I like my saddles tight, that is why my ranch saddles have been 14 1/2" and that is what I wanted in my reining saddle.
I was reining fine with the ranch saddle, but was putting me a bit up there for the really deep stops to help the horse properly get into the ground.
The trainer had me try 15" and 16" reining saddles and insisted the 16" ones were better for me in those saddles and he was right.
Yes, it feels large, but when you are moving on, it has a middle that lets you feel deep in there, while still having room to move around a bit.

Saddles can be so specific, if yours feels right, other than a bit big, maybe the saddler has some idea of where to go next?

[craz4crtrs]

[QUOTE=Pocket Pony;8033183]
I am actually really comfortable in this saddle, hip-pain, knee-pain, ankle-pain, and back-pain-wise. I actually generally feel better physically after riding in this saddle, I can ride for a couple hours and not hurt, so I don’t think there are any adjustments per se that need to be made in the seat. If a saddle isn’t going to work for my body, I’ll know right away.

My first couple rides I was just wearing jeans, which are really slippery to ride in! Next couple of rides I put my full chaps on.

I just worry that the seat size is a bit too big for me, that’s the main thing.[/QUOTE]

I think it great you love the saddle and it fits the horse. If you like riding in jeans, look at Smooth Stride jeans. Search on Facebook or Google. They are really comfortable for a riding jeans and even have a cell phone pocket.I was one of the models for the fuller figure sizes. Well. I wear a 14 or a Morgan. You can even get full seats or whatever you like. Much nicer than breeches or stiff jeans.

I am not affiliated other than owning a pair of their jeans.

[cowboymom]

That’s a beautiful saddle!

I think do as Bluey said with the towel to get a feel of what the bucking rolls could do for you. My wade saddle came with them and I took them off b/c I actually prefer a lot of room to move in my saddles. That’s how I make the adjustments for comfort and transitions in different country; I’ve had “sticky” saddles and didn’t like it as well.

I think the saddle works really well for you if you can adjust to the “feel” of it. It looks sharp!

[Bluey]

The bucking rolls I have seen seem to be set a bit lower than I would like, one reason some just don’t like them there.
If you get some, try several ones before deciding what fits you best.

I wonder, if you try to sit more in the middle, not against the cantle, if it would feel better, maybe try with the stirrups one hole longer, unless then they are too long and you have to go fishing for them.

Keep making small adjustments first, something may just click, since it is basically fitting you fine as is.

One of my really old ranch saddles was this 14 1/2" one, with a bit cut under swell, not quite a low moose ear to the swells and that helped make the saddle feel bigger.
I liked it because it put the front a bit closer to me and, since I am so short and don’t have long arms, that kept the horn more out of the way:

[cowboymom]

Mine were set low on that saddle I mentioned, I never even sat on a horse with them on, the saddle rack was enough to know that I didn’t like them, they interfered with my leg.

Bluey I like that saddle a lot! Love the horn, I hate the doinky up in your bra-strap horns that are so common now! is that a custom?

[Bluey]

Yes, that is a Bob Marrs ranch saddle, old now, very comfortable.

Not as nice as the OP’s new one, but at least well broken in.

Those new slick saddles just take a bit to get used to them.

Some cowboys here used to throw a new saddle in a water tank, then use it and they said they molded to them best that way.
Then, their saddles were very plain rough out ones, that a dunking didn’t really hurt that much.

I would talk to the saddle maker, see what he has to say.

[Pocket_Pony]

[QUOTE=cowboymom;8035065]
That’s a beautiful saddle!

I think do as Bluey said with the towel to get a feel of what the bucking rolls could do for you. My wade saddle came with them and I took them off b/c I actually prefer a lot of room to move in my saddles. That’s how I make the adjustments for comfort and transitions in different country; I’ve had “sticky” saddles and didn’t like it as well.

I think the saddle works really well for you if you can adjust to the “feel” of it. It looks sharp![/QUOTE]

Thanks! That’s why I got the seat a 15" instead of 14.5" - I also like room to move around and don’t like to be stuck in one place. Hmmmmm…

[Pocket_Pony]

@Bluey;8035111

I wonder, if you try to sit more in the middle, not against the cantle, if it would feel better, maybe try with the stirrups one hole longer, unless then they are too long and you have to go fishing for them.

Keep making small adjustments first, something may just click, since it is basically fitting you fine as is.

There is a perfect sweet spot for me to sit and that’s where I end up - I just don’t have much junk in the trunk to fill out the rest of the seat to the rear/cantle. I first rode with my stirrups too long and I think that exaggerated the feel of being too big. Then I put them up one hole and that seemed to help my thigh take up a little more diagonal space, if that makes sense. I could probably go up one more hole if I were doing arena work and so then that would change the dynamic also.

Sigh.

It is an awesome saddle, though, and I love it. Each time I ride in it it feels better and better (and I loved it the first time!).

[cowboymom]

Give it time, I think you’ll settle into it!

Bluey the first thing I do with new leather work boots is walk through the creek and then wear them dry!

[Ceylon_Star]

If you need bit more help adjusting to the slick seat, you might try some Sit Tite, or other similar grip balm/spray. It doesn’t hurt the leather or your clothes, but gives a touch more stick. I use it when I lesson on my barn owner’s gelding because his saddle is slick and flatter than I like (and am used to, since mine is roughout with suede seat).

Gorgeous saddle!!

[Aces_N_Eights]

Pocket Pony, I would try some bucking rolls if the saddle feels fine but you just want a little tighter fit. They are not permanent, if they don’t work take them off and re-sell them.