Little known high quality makers, and custom saddles

[Draftmare]

I am thinking about starting to save up for a custom saddle for my mare and I. We have gotten pretty hot and heavy into the western dressage, and I would like to get something a bit nicer than my work saddle. She is not an easy horse to fit, and many off the rack brands that don’t work for her. The ones that do, like Big Horn, have less than impressed me with their leather quality and craftsmanship.

So, does anybody have any recommendations for either smaller makers that can make adjustments to their saddles without being concerned fully custom, or a custom maker? I thinking I would like to stay around $3000.

[Marla_100]

Back when I was shopping for my hard to fit ASB I studied and researched a lot and like you was unhappy with the quality of most ready made off the shelf saddles. I had certain details I would not compromise on. Learn all you can about saddle trees. Many custom makers use off the shelf trees and are unable to modify them. I didn’t want the standard trees most were using.

I finally came upon a custom reining saddle which had been a trophy saddle and was unused with all the bells and whistles I wanted. Mine was made by Carl Woods, not sure he is still making saddles. Use google and see if he still has the large ranch out west and drop him a note. My saddle is a beauty and made with the finest leather and all the goodies.

Good Luck in your search.

[Bluey]

The past years prices for handmade saddles have practically doubled here, the demand is very high and people are paying the higher prices.

Don’t know where you are, who would fit what you want depends on your area.

There are several saddlers here that do good work and if you tell them what you want, they will order several trees, have you try them, then make the saddle you want on them, you can come try the basic saddle all along, before it is finished and change any that still can be changed at will and will end with exactly the saddle that you want.

A friend had a rope wreck with his colt while branding calves and it tore the saddle up, so he had to get another one.
He could not find a good used one, had one made for him and is very happy with it.

You really are better off working with some local saddler, if you want one made just for you and your horse.

[Wirt]

Look on Ranchworldads.com. under saddles.

Frecker saddlery. good makers there. Anything made by Dave Rigby.
Harewood.

Robert Chavez is lesser know but excellent.
3000.00 is low. But sometimes you can find used ones that go for that.

[NoSuchPerson]

I’ve been pretty pleased with the saddle Mark Howes made for me.

http://www.dhrss.com/index.html

Although thanks to a late growth spurt, it no longer fits the mule it was made for.

[imaginique]

Synergist makes a traditional western saddle and should be in your price range.

[Draftmare]

[QUOTE=imaginique;8798128]
Synergist makes a traditional western saddle and should be in your price range.[/QUOTE]

Are they the ones that are semi treeless? I was also thinking about checking out Startrekk saddles as they have a reining model that looks pretty traditional.

[Draftmare]

[QUOTE=Bluey;8797616]
The past years prices for handmade saddles have practically doubled here, the demand is very high and people are paying the higher prices.

Don’t know where you are, who would fit what you want depends on your area.

There are several saddlers here that do good work and if you tell them what you want, they will order several trees, have you try them, then make the saddle you want on them, you can come try the basic saddle all along, before it is finished and change any that still can be changed at will and will end with exactly the saddle that you want.

A friend had a rope wreck with his colt while branding calves and it tore the saddle up, so he had to get another one.
He could not find a good used one, had one made for him and is very happy with it.

You really are better off working with some local saddler, if you want one made just for you and your horse.[/QUOTE]

I am in SW MI, the nearest shop dedicated to just western saddles is Horse Saddle Shop, which is just shy of 3 hours away in IN. There aren’t any saddle makers around here that I know of. Seems like all of the good makers are in the south.

[QUOTE=Wirt;8797694]Look on Ranchworldads.com. under saddles.

Frecker saddlery. good makers there. Anything made by Dave Rigby.
Harewood.

Robert Chavez is lesser know but excellent.
3000.00 is low. But sometimes you can find used ones that go for that.[/QUOTE]

I would think that $3000 should get me a really good saddle. That’s a lot of money!

[Bluey]

Top of the line saddle maker here, you can see his prices and generally is several months behind in starting one:

http://www.oliversaddle.com/index.html

They make great saddles, the fancier ones tend to become collector items.
Many top cowboys and cattlemen use theirs, but they are not cheap.

The different between a good quality of saddle and the run of the mill ones is that they tend to fit many horses like it hugs them and sits the riders just in the right spot no matter what you do.

Some of the lesser quality ones, you may have to fight the saddle and they may wiggle on the horse as you ride.
Part of it is the leather the better ones use, is just better leather and they know which part of the hide use where, the lesser saddles use any piece that is handy here and there, some that won’t really hold the tooling well, one way you can tell a good saddle from the cheaper ones.

[imaginique]

[QUOTE=Draftmare;8799580]
Are they the ones that are semi treeless? I was also thinking about checking out Startrekk saddles as they have a reining model that looks pretty traditional.[/QUOTE]

Nope. They have a tree but you get a moldable form that you conform to the horse’s back and they build the saddle to match.

www.synergistsaddles.com

[Obsidian_Fire]

John Fallis, Wilder Idaho.

You can take tracings and pics for him to figure out correct tree.

Best western saddles ever for a more ‘dressage’ seat.

[Hillbillygaitedgirl]

I have an AMTS (allegheny mountain trail saddle) that was custom made for my hard to fit mare & I really like it and it was less than $1500 when I had it made 4-5 years ago.

[aktill]

At $3000 you’re at a bit of a divide in terms of a custom saddle.

If you need that to be the tax and options in price, you could go with a very simple saddle from a lesser known/younger maker with a custom tree, or a fancier saddle on a production line tree (better leatherwork than factory, but essentially the same tree, at which point I personally think why bother).

My advice would be to work with someone who can work to Dennis Lane templates (google it), or someone you can haul to in person.

[Draftmare]

Does anybody have any thoughts or experience with Martin saddles? I got to sit in quite a few at the tack shop today, and it looks like I can build what I want for just a smudge over $3000. They seem to offer a bunch of widths and seat sizes, including the hard to find true 8 inch gullet my mare needs.

[Bluey]

I know some cutters like Martin saddles for their working/training saddles.

[Pocket_Pony]

After having two saddles made for me (neither of which worked - one for the horse, and one for me), I no longer wish to buy any saddle that I can’t sit in and try first.

Having said that, I did sit in a Martin once and liked it but it was too big for me. When I talked to an independent saddle fitter I had used around that same time and told her about it, she said that she used to like their saddles but they changed something about the way they made their trees and she didn’t like them any longer.

Regarding Frecker’s . . . I spoke with Mr. Frecker at a Buck Brannaman clinic once and asked about his trees, as Mac is wide and I probably have/had similar problems as you do. Mr. Frecker makes his saddles on one tree shape. It either fits your horse or it doesn’t. He has a waitlist of, gosh, at least a year to make a saddle for you.

I think if you are going to go totally custom (tree and all), you should expect to have the saddle take at least a year to make, if not more. The true craftsman saddle maker makes one at a time and there is usually a waitlist.

Have you sat in a saddle with an 8" gullet? It will be wide. Do you have hip problems?

[rainpants]

Martin saddles are nice - I’ve rarely seen them for sale up here, the people I know who have them won’t let them go!

The US dollar is much higher than the Canadian dollar, you’d get more bang for your buck purchasing from a maker up here I think!

So some Canadian maker suggestions:

http://www.thesaddleshack-sc.com/page/481089758
https://www.facebook.com/baileysaddlery/

I have a Bailey and its well made and comfy and Todd is good to work with. The base training saddle is under $3000 Canadian. Or he has used saddles come in as well.

I’ve sat in a Saddle Shack saddle (and have a headstall from him) and he does quality work as well.

[StarPattern]

I have a Don Loewen wade that I absolutely adore. He’s from Merritt, BC and the quality is outstanding. I think the basic saddles from him start at $3600 CDN, but they age well and hold their value.

[Draftmare]

[QUOTE=fallenupright;8801993]
Martin saddles are nice - I’ve rarely seen them for sale up here, the people I know who have them won’t let them go!

The US dollar is much higher than the Canadian dollar, you’d get more bang for your buck purchasing from a maker up here I think!

So some Canadian maker suggestions:

http://www.thesaddleshack-sc.com/page/481089758
https://www.facebook.com/baileysaddlery/

I have a Bailey and its well made and comfy and Todd is good to work with. The base training saddle is under $3000 Canadian. Or he has used saddles come in as well.

I’ve sat in a Saddle Shack saddle (and have a headstall from him) and he does quality work as well.[/QUOTE]

The problem with that is that shipping between Canada and the US is soooo high. I was going to order a fly bonnet from a Candian maker, and for just a fly bonnet it was close to $20 to ship. I can’t imagine what a saddle would be!

[rainpants]

[QUOTE=Draftmare;8802382]
The problem with that is that shipping between Canada and the US is soooo high. I was going to order a fly bonnet from a Candian maker, and for just a fly bonnet it was close to $20 to ship. I can’t imagine what a saddle would be![/QUOTE]

I’ve bought a saddle from the US, and it wasn’t too bad, really. Also, the two I mentioned are fairly close to the border and I think Todd Bailey shows/judges a bit down in the US and might be able to work something out.