I went from riding English my entire life to ending up with 3 western horses.
Currently riding in a no name 16 inch roping saddle. Fits my horses and my butt well, the twist is almost too wide so at the end of the day I’m super sore.
We mostly work cows and id eventually want to learn how to rope.
We have a Yoder saddle that’s way too big for me. I’ve sat in a few Connollys that I’ve liked as well. Anyone have experience with Corriente?
Seems like you are in Montana?
If so, one good option is to find who makes the local western rider’s saddles.
There ought to be some real good saddle makers around there?
We have a handful right here that make most cowboys and fancier saddles.
Then find out who has used saddles you can try and buy a really good quality saddle you can ride in forever.
🙂 I don’t really want to spent 5k on a new custom saddle. I do kept my eyes open on FB!
I’m in Montana too but I have my saddles made by Len Brown out of Missouri because I have some special requirements in a saddle build due to my service in the Marine Corps. He builds the trees as well as the saddle itself so he can tailor both to my horse and myself. It’s not cheap but it is worth it for me. His web site could use an update from the 1990s look it has now but trees and saddles he makes are the best I have found for what I need. FWIW I use his Bull Derm roper saddle built on his Futurity Cutter bars for my personal riding/working saddle.
Also when you say “twist” do mean the English tack version of twist or the Western tack version of twist? English tack twist means the narrow section of the saddle, Western tack it means the angle at which the bars turn along the back of the horse. It sounds like you are wanting a more narrow seat rise so it isn’t spreading your hips so much, which would be the English tack reference to twist. Is that correct? If it is when you do start looking for saddles and are talking to Western saddle makers tell them you want a narrower seat rise area of the saddle because depending on the saddle maker they may not understand what you actually want if you say you want a narrower twist as that terms means something different to them than it would to an English saddle maker.
You’ll be able to find a good used western saddle without breaking the bank. Research different brands and the models they offer. Many are made for women or have a narrow twist.
I am a personal fan of Bob’s…I have ridden in many different brands but nothing compares. If you are working cows I would suggest a cowhorse or reining saddle…a rope saddle will probably position you forward where a reining or cow horse saddle will sit you back over your hips and allow your legs to swing easily.
the Jorden Larson model Bobs has one of the highest rises (pommel) and marrow twist with a low cantle. It sucks you right down in. The model is very hard to find because when people buy them they love them so much they never sell!
Look for a Bobs that may say KR Reiner or Lady Reiner. They should fit you better. Check on Facebook, There’s a page called Saddle Switch, Christine gets in a lot of used high quality saddles and she always has great deals!!
I had a Bob’s Lady Reiner for several years.
It fit me very well, excellent saddle.
Then I rode by chance in my friend the reining trainer’s Kyle Cicero and it fit me like a made to order glove.
She found me another, a used one, like hers and I sold my Bob’s.
Every one of us is built differently so it makes sense that some saddles may just fit better than others.
You won’t know until you sit in several saddles which one may fit you best.
I still have my now several decades old ranch saddle.
I am too big for it now, built by a local top saddler, an excellent saddle.
I think Bob’s saddles fit most everyone very well, but would not dismiss others as one more choice.
Used good quality saddles is what most trainers and those that want to ride a good saddle buy.
If you check reiner’s tack on facebook, they have used saddles for sale all the time, several brands.
There can get an idea what is selling and at what prices.
I won a beautiful Corriente last year; albeit barrel racing saddle. Possibly the roping saddles are different but I ended up selling it because I felt like it was “perched” up on my horse’s back, rather then being able to get my butt down and sit for the turns. It was very comfortable and fit the horse’s good, but I just did not like the position that it put me in.
Not sure if they make the roping trees similar or different to the barrel racing ones.
Last year I found a nice old Longhorn roping saddle on a local website, and even though the seat size is too big for me, it is an extremely comfortable saddle to ride in. Leather is great on it yet and I thought I got a steal of a deal on it!
I love my Bob’s saddle.
Team roping saddles are the worst to ride all day long in if your working cows. When I was getting my cowboy saddle built I rode in one for a few months, I’d be crippled and sore by half through the day let alone at the end of a long day.
They aren’t built for a long day and they are meant to be stood and and tip you forward up on to the fork while you’re roping. You end up fighting your feet and your seat to get set back on your pockets if your sorting cattle.
Keep the roping saddle if you plan to team rope but I’d look into a ranch cutter style saddle with a dally horn if you plan to rope outside and work cows. You can find some of them relatively inexpensive used.
I do love my cowhorse saddle and can easily ride in at day but I’ve never roped out of it. It doesn’t have the horn for it.
If you have your heart set on a Bob’s, which I love as well, I think it was the Ron Emmons model that had a dally horn? I cant remember…
ETA: Corriente saddles, the only ones I have ridden were the older wade, cowboy ones. The older ones were better. I knew I a lot of people who would buy one to use while they were getting a custom saddle built or repaired.
I wouldn’t buy one new but that’s just me. And something to keep in mind is the tree only comes in full QH bars which of course varies between tree makers but if you have narrower, leaner horses or TB they might not work. Maybe someone can say for sure since it’s been a long time since I’ve ridden in one.
I can understand not wanting to drop $5k+ on a custom saddle. Plus if you really don’t know your needs and wants in a saddle you could easily be disappointed when it gets built and you’ve spent some hours in it. Before ordering one, ride as many saddles as you can and see what works.
Also, if you order, talking to your builder about measurements always specify if you are talking about tree measurements or finished measurements.
Yeah I’m hurting after day 2 of riding in the roping saddle. Will look into that! I was going to try a friends barrel saddle since they are so light (me trying to saddle any of the horses is a disaster, I need a step stool)
Both the saddles we have fit my TB well. He’s narrow and almost mutton withered but has had multiple 5+ hour rides with both saddles without issues. I’m guessing they are regular bars (another discussion)
Seat size is confusing as well. I’m an 18 inch in my jump saddles.
The rise in the seat of most team roping saddles will make many women really sore if they are using them for doing any kind of work that requires long periods in the saddle. Even for guys, you don’t want to be working out of a team roping saddle if you can help it. With many western saddles because of women’s seat/pelvic structure they have 3 points of contact vs 2 in men. For most women the flatter the seat from cantle to pommel the more comfortable of a ride it is for them.
As a general rule of thumb, yes, you would look for around a 16 inch western saddle. But that’s going to vary on preference. Ride in as many western saddles you can first, and see what feels comfortable to you.
I barrel race in a 14.5" seat size. Although I can do either 14" or 15" too.
My jumping saddle is a 17.5" seat size.
The roping saddle I have that is way too big for me is 15.5" but yet it is comfortable. Just puts me into a bit of a chair seat b/c it’s too big for me.
So I’m a bit outside of the rule of thumb, so it is not a hard and fast rule!
I have found McCall saddles to be outstanding as far as commercially manufactured saddles go (that is to say, saddles not made by one named saddle maker). They make several different styles and offer lots of custom options if you want to go that route. However you can also find plenty of them for sale online used for significantly less money.
I recently bought a McCall Lady Wade sight unseen online after trying a friend’s on my gelding. It fits me and him amazingly and it seems to fit every horse I throw it on. It was half the cost of a brand new one and it was only three years old. It’s incredibly comfortable - I’ve done two full day rides in it and roped in it and had zero issues (and I have chronic pelvic floor issues so the wrong saddle makes a mess of me).
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