Types of Western Saddles
Parts of a saddle | The cantle Cantle {\ˈkan-təl\} : n. The back of the saddle seat, which provides a backrest and support, keeps the rider in the saddle, as well as anchoring the bars of the saddle tree.
Why Ride a Cowboy Dressage Saddle. The history of the western saddle is an American journey. I would like to share with you the short version and how it relates to the Cowboy Dressage Saddles that we offer for sale.
The saddle swell or fork (or, if you're English, pommel) is the part of the saddle that holds together the bars of the tree. It also supports the horn. There are three different styles of swells: the A fork (or "slick fork"), the swell fork, and the undercut swell fork.
Innovative saddle designs, many combined with customisable fit options, provide you with the ability to choose a saddle which is not only comfortable and beautiful, but also delivers superior performance benefits for your horse.
The Saddle Gullet The saddle gullet is the cutout or tunnel underneath the fork and rides over the horse's withers. The design of the fork and the angle of the bars of the saddle tree determine the width and height of the gullet.
Western saddles are used for western riding and are the saddles used on working horses on cattle ranches throughout the United States, particularly in the west. They are the "cowboy" saddles familiar to movie viewers, rodeo fans, and those who have gone on trail rides at guest ranches.
Western saddles are designed to protect the leg of the rider when on trail or in the wilderness. With all of these the basic principal is the same. Heels, hip, shoulder of the rider need to be inline.
The western saddle is suppose to be comfortable when ridden in for long hours. It is a working tool for those who spent what seemed like 24/7 in the saddle. For many it is their first introduction to a horse is in a western saddle.
The saddle jockeys (also called “housings”) are the pieces that cover the exposed portions of the saddle tree bars. Jockeys are positioned on top of the skirts. There are three jockeys – the front, the back, and the seat jockey. In addition to providing a covering for the bars, the jockeys also protect the rider’s legs from the horse’s sweat and from rubbing on the rigging and stirrup leathers. On old time saddles, the jockeys consisted of three separate pieces.
The Western saddle was designed for cowboys who spent long days riding the range, driving and working cattle. Leather Western saddles are much heavier than English saddles but the weight of both saddle and rider is spread over a larger area of the horse's back, which makes it less tiring for the horse.
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The bars of the saddle tree are the actual weight-bearing surface of the saddle. They're the part that's in contact with the horse. Well-fitting bars of a western saddle will apply only 3/4 lbs per square inch to the horse's back with a 150 lb rider up.
All western saddles come with a stated seat size. Seat size simply measures the distance from the base of the horn to the top middle of the cantle. This distance is then expressed as a size in half-inch increments from 12 inches to 17 inches.
What are the saddle skirts and what's their purpose? We explain it all for you.
Q: I am going for my Certified Horsemanship Association certification, and although I am much more familiar with English saddles, I am hoping to get a low-level certification in western, too. I feel like I need a better understanding of the western saddle, which seems to have more straps and rings ...