Tools of the Trade: the Best Seat in the House

A saddle may be a tool of the trade, but it’s also a source of pride for cowboys and cowgirls. Having a well-made saddle that reflects your personal style and fits your horse like a glove means both horse and rider can enjoy a comfortable ride. 

 Saddles are purpose-built for their intended use, and a good saddle puts the rider in the right position to do their job while also allowing the horse the freedom of movement to put their athleticism on display.

 Because of the effect saddles can have on performance, there are multiple options in saddle selection. Rodeo competitors generally use saddles designed for the specific event they participate in, although there can be some crossover and versatility in certain types of saddles. Event-specific rodeo saddles are sold for barrel racing, team roping, calf roping (tie-down and breakaway), steer wrestling, and saddle bronc riding. 

 Barrel racers look for lightweight saddles that enable speed and mobility. Barrel saddles feature high horns for the riders to grip and maintain balance. They often have a shorter skirt, as the more compact a saddle is, the lighter it is. Because they are just supporting the rider and not toting the additional weight of a steer or calf, they don’t have reinforced trees or extra riggings.

 Roping saddles are heavier and often wider. They are built on a solid tree and designed for strength and stability with extra reinforcement to handle the potential strain of dallying or the jerk of the calf. They also have an added rear cinch for additional security.

 But roping saddles get even more specific than that. Team roping saddles need a tree and saddle horn that is strong enough to dally off of and take the weight of that wrap. They generally have a deeper seat, lower cantle, and higher pommel. The horn is slightly wider as well. 

 Calf roping saddles generally have a lower cantle, as in the tie-down world, cowboys need to be able to get off their horse quickly. With the rise of breakaway, there is a new breed of breakaway saddles within the calf roping saddle world that reflects traditional calf roping saddle features but has a slightly different seat and cantle to help cowgirls get to the front of their saddle and rope quickly in the perfect position.

 Steer wrestling saddles have a focus on gullet height and a hard seat design. They sit low and close to the horse's back. These features help protect the horse's back with the shift in weight as the cowboy moves toward the steer and also enable him to get out of the saddle without getting caught on the horn or cantle.

 In saddle bronc, the saddles are hornless and are designed to help the rider gain stability and maintain balance despite the thrashing, bucking movements of the bronc. They have a higher cantle and a deep seat. They are also narrower than a traditional saddle and much lighter in weight. And of course, they are built for function, and generally lack any decorative features.    These differences are the basics from a functionality perspective, but many saddles have additional unique features, especially from a cosmetic standpoint.

 Everyone has their personal preferences when it comes to saddle makers.  Next time you’re watching a rodeo, take some time to look at the competitors' saddles. They are often true works of art.