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| Sheep skin vs synthetic lining, can you advise
what the advantages are to each?
Thanks, Craig |
Today's fabric's have been improved so much
that there is virtually no difference between Sheepskin and Synthetic linings
in saddle with these pros and cons listed below...
Sheepskin dries faster and wicks away moisture better and is thicker than Synthetic therefore providing a bit more cushion for the horse. Synthetics takes a bit less care than sheepskin but does mats down over time. Moths love to eat Sheepskin so consider that if you have a moth problem. A Sheepskin Lining in a saddle holds it's value
better.
Hope this helps you a bit when making a decision. Thanks,
|
| Hi!
I love my SRO5 Saddle and have been out on the trails. I performed the clean towel and dirt pattern test and all seems fine. I am having one problem. I can't figure out how to get my 4 point breast collar adjusted properly. Are you supposed to hook to the small rings under the flap on the front of the saddle or higher up to the big external rings just below the horn? Colleen Sinon |
On the Crest Ridge Collar there are 4 collar
hobble straps and 1 chest strap.
The top 2 should attach to the top ring just below the pommel or swell on each side of the front of the saddle and adjusted so the chest strap hangs level just below the horse's esophagus. Then the bottom 2 straps (or Hobbles) go to the cinch ring on each side of the horse to synchronize everything no matter what terrain you ride. Once you have everything adjusted and as snug as a mans belt would be (as a comparison) then you will never have to adjust this collar again because there are scissor or trigger snaps for quick installations thereafter. |
| Q:Hi...
I was wondering if you have saddles for non-gaited horses? I have a Quarter Horse. Also, the saddle I'm riding in now has a similiar rigging to your saddles. It's very hard to get the fenders to move forward, if you want your feet out ahead of you, like going downhill. Does the girth ring on your saddles allow room for the fenders to swing forward? Thanks! Kim Carrick |
Kim,
Our saddle tree that we have fit the Appendix bred Quarter Horses very well and we can make saddle to fit Foundation bred as well. I just need the measurements that are on our home page to determine which your horse is. Our fenders are free swing and and added plus is that with each of our saddle you can v rig or center fire rig the saddle if by chance you are having trouble with the fender hitting on the girth ring. If you need further explanation please call toll free 1 888 297 1261 Thanks,
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| Q: Question regarding the Sinclair, can you tell me if this saddle has english style girth fitting or does it have cinch style. | The Sinclair is western rigged. |
| Q: I am interested in Guffey slick seat(mule)
is it possible to get it with brass hardware? I
will ever rope of it but may use it to pull a piece of firewood once in
awhile – would the tree be OK for that or should I go to the roper tree?
How much extra weight would that add? Would it be available
in dark oil?
Les Schewe |
We don't have the brass hardware, we use stainless steal due to
the strength in the material. Yes, it would need a roper tree which adds
$75.00 to the price and 1/2 pound extra weight. Dark Oil is
= to our brown.
Our process starts with determining the needs of the Mule to determine which of our trees will work best for the horse. We need to KNOW the Guffey is the right selection for him. Please complete the measurements and photos as you see here:
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| Q: I have a two and half year old MFT filly
that has just been put under saddle. I am interested in purchasing
a saddle for her but wanted to inquire at what age can she be fitted properly
since I know she will be growing for a few more years. She will be
used for trail in the Ozark area of Southeast Missouri.
I am very impressed with your website, saddles and apparent customer satisfaction. Thanks for your assistance. Paula Hull |
Paula,
Usually by 3 I can fit a horse with a saddle that will last them until age 9-12 and as always a person should check their saddle fit on any horse periodically. What we encourage for a horse this young is to purchase a less expensive saddle (because we always want a good fitting saddle regardless) until the horse reaches the age of 3 and then proceed to a lifetime saddle for the horse. Then you can always sell the less expensive saddle and recover most of what you paid. Starting a young horse with a saddle that is comfortable will encourage him that riding and work can be fun proving there is no discomfort. Let me know when you are ready to proceed and I will gladly assist you further. Debra |
| Q: Will these saddles fit a Morgan?
What is the difference between a trail saddle (regular) and a gaited saddle? This is more of a course George question. And will the saddle still fit if the horse changes shape, ie: puts on weight, looses weight, or becomes pregnant? I have a round skirted western saddle, which seems to fit, there are no dry spots when I remove the saddle. I just want something lighter in weight, comfortable for my Morgan mare (very important to me). I live in North Carolina, so we do have hilly terrain. Thanks
|
Yes we have fit many Morgans!
A trail saddle is designed for the purpose of being comfortable, durable saddle that not only considers comfort for the rider but the horse as well. The trail saddle is not suitable for roping as the tree will not withstand the stress of the roping activities. Just as a roping saddle is not designed for long hours on the trail as it generally is first and foremost designed for strength in the tree for bringing a running 1400 pound steer to a dead stop in a few short feet. The trail saddle also tends to have a narrower twist for rider comfort, a deep pocketed seat with no rise in front of the rider within the seat strainer, and the fenders should thread through the tree so that the legs of the rider are hanging in a straight position with the knees slightly bent. A Cutting Saddle is designed with the riders feet out forward so that the rider is forced to lean back in toward cantle of the saddle as the horse does all the work of staying with a steer. It also has a steep rise in the seat strainer to help the rider keep that position. A Gaited Tree saddle has a tree (the skeleton of the saddle) designed slightly more narrow through the shoulder, more flair on the front of the bars and a taller gullet to accommodate the taller wither of the gaited breeds. Gaited trees also tend to have shorter bars than that of a typical Stock Horse Saddle. No horse owner should ever consider a saddle that fits today will fit 1 year from now. As horses' bodies are like ours and as they get older bodies start to sag and this is most apparent on the back and barrel area of a horse. Saddle fit should be checked often and most certainly each time the horse comes off of a long lay-off period. There is never a guarantee as to when the saddle will no longer fit and if you do notice the horse's body changing then it would a person would be well advised to check and recheck saddle fit often. Often weight gain or loss of 150 pounds will not affect saddle fit but I have seen some saddles retired during a mares 3rd trimester because the shape of the bars will not accommodate a sagging top line. Generally within a month or two of foaling and some conditioning the same saddle can be used again on the same mare. Debra Racheter |
| Q: What is the rigging on the Traveler? Thanks. Marti in Southern Oregon. | A: Crest Ridge saddle all feature front hanging dee rigging, the most durable available. Hanging dee rigging consists of one piece of leather wrapped around the dee, both loose ends attached directly to the tree with screws and reinforced with copper rivets. In-skirt rigging is inferior because all that holds the rigging is 2 or 3 copper rivets attached to 2 or 3 layers of leather, sewn into place. Wouldn't you rather know the tree, instead of than a piece or 2 of leather were holding on your saddle? All Crest Ridge saddles can be rigged in any position, from 7/8 to 5/8 with the use of “V Rigging”. Tanya (Debra's Assistant) |
| Q: Hi. 2nd ? I am not an expert on saddles and am having difficulty fully understanding the difference between the Dbar and Jbar trees. Is the tree the difference in price in addition to the seat? Thanks, Keith | A: Hi Keith, The D bar has less of a rocker, Rocker is the curve of the bar from front to back. Crest Ridge Saddlery® rocker(s) accommodates the shape of the back to ensure that the bars do not bridge, resting on single points front and back. This tree provides 176 square inches of surface to equally distribute the total riders weight, with just enough curve to ensure the weight is spread along the length of the bar as it should. The Price difference between the Guffey and the Traveler is because the Traveler is made the same way OVER AND OVER, no modifications. This allows us to keep the price down. If you send a measurement of your horse, we can determine if the Traveler is a good fit, then you can take advantage of the savings and be assured of a well fitted, well made saddle! Tanya (Debra's assistant) |
| Q: I have Arabs, I do endurance rides. I am curious about your saddles, as they specify that they are for gaited horses. How are they different then from other saddles, and would they fit my Arab? I like the look, and he extreme withers, this saddle looks like a good fit for him. How can I know? | A: These saddles are often a GREAT fit for an Arab, please send me the measurements you will find here: CLICK And I can better advise you as to which model will be the best for your horse! Tanya |
| Q: Hi, I like this saddle but have a horse with very muscled withers. He takes a full quarter horse tree. Do you make any saddles that have a wide gullet and wide bars? Also, do you have a saddle to fit an arabian who has withers but is wide in the back? Thanks, Therese | A: Therese, With the various trees and adjustments we can make to our trees ( read http://crestridgesaddlery.com/trees.shtml ) we can accommodate about 80% of the horses out there, and usually 98-100% of the Gaited Horses. Please send the measurements in on your two horses that you will find here: CLICK and we will let you know IF we can fit them and which model of our saddles you can choose from! Tanya |
| Q: I printed your saddle fit page, but I also
would like to know how to measure my horse for saddle length.
Do you have a good description on how to measure that? Thanks, Carole |
A: Hi Carole,
Debra |
| Q: Do any of your padded seat saddles have
a narrower twist than others? Or are they all the same?
Thank you, Sue |
Sue,
Our Elite Guffey Series has the narrowest twist. The tree is shaven and then with the added SupraCor® Seat it makes for a very nice ride. Thanks,
|
| Q: Are your neoprene packer cinches available
yet?
What is the smallest size you offer? Do you have an option of elastic on the ends? How much are they? Thanks! Jaime |
A: The super cinches are $59.00, they come with all the necessary
parts to make the v-rigging work. We do not have Elastic ends. We have
2 sizes, a 34" and 36" which are the equivalent to a 30" and 32" in a conventional
girth. Available on the site!
Tanya. |
| Q: I have some special needs for my new saddle.
First it has to be as
lightweight as possible because I have a damaged spine myself and cannot lift up anything weighing more than 22 lbs. What's the lightest you can offer? Second it should be short to fit my horses short back. And third, a somewhat special wish, I would like a saddle horn that can be removed for daily training and just be attached for showing purposes. It doesn't have to be rigid when attached but it should look like "real". I hate the horns, but I have to have one for showing. Can you help me? Melinda |
A: All of our Synthetic Saddles are less than 22 lb, and only have
a 23 inch length. I cannot make the horn removable. To do so would compromised
the tree. These saddles are inexpensive enough that we could make you 2
one to work in and one to show in and ship them both in the same box.
I hope you will understand and appreciate the fact that I will not sell a junk saddle in one that will be compromised by making a removable horn. A horn HAS to be incorporated in the tree at the time of manufacture. Debra |
| Q: Can you make an ALL synthetic western saddle
with center-fire rigging, draft bars and short skirt-length front to back
to fit a short-backed, draft type?
What would it cost? Thanks. Ronda |
A: I am sorry we do not make full synthetic
saddles as they will not hold up under hard use and that would be counter
our companies policy.
Tanya |
| Q: I am looking at purchasing one of your
breeching. I am trying to match my saddle which is dark oil.
Can you tell me which color is closest to the dark oil?
thanks! Julie |
A: Our light brown would probably be the best match.
Tanya |
| Q: Can the Sonata SR05 saddle be used on other
breeds of horse for general trial and endurance type riding.
Regards
|
A: Yes, many of our customers are using these on anything from Qtr
to Morgan to Arabs with success!
Tanya |
| Q: Hello there!
I ran across your site while researching some problems with my horse. After reading some of your informative articles, I realize the saddle and/or fit is the place to start. Wonderful web-site! I may be interested in two saddles from you. I've only had "Red" a few months. He is a "rescue" Appendix QH gelding - 17 hands tall - very lanky - 8 years old. My husband's new horse is a "rescue" Thoroughbred gelding - 18 hands, approx. 18 years old. We have always had Quarter Horses (wide and stocky) so the saddles we are using (Western, of course) are a poor fit, especially for Red who is NOT wide in the shoulder/breast area. I was researching, because he stumbles a lot (only when being ridden), has poor gait transition, and I'm bouncing all over the place during trot & canter. I don't even feel comfortable in my saddle at walk. I'm sure Red needs work, but first I need a saddle that "fits" both me and my horse. I'm a 130 lbs, so I know I need a 15", according to your chart. A "scratch-n-dent" saddle (if available) would be fine. I know I need to measure our guys before purchasing, but do you have any 15" scratch-n-dents in stock? Also, do you feel a proper saddle will help my horse and his tripping/bouncing gait at all? Thanks,
|
A: Thanks for the feedback on the site, we really appreciate it!
Yes, stumbling CAN be a symptom of a poor fitted saddle, so can poor gait transitions. But the most important thing I saw in the information you sent is that YOU do not feel comfortable in your saddle even at a walk! You cannot possibly begin to work on improving your horse if you are not secure in your saddle! I WILL need measurements, is Red a horse with a HIGH withers or average? If he is average, the Crusade saddle should be a GREAT fit for him. IF he has the measurements for it! To fit the horse: If you follow the instructions online to measure your horse and send
in photos of the horse we can usually get a good fit without too much fuss!
http://crestridgesaddlery.com/measurements.shtml And send me the measurement there.
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|
| Q: Hello,
What type of tree is in the Ovation (D or J)? I have a hard to fit, mutton-withered arab mare. Everything seems to pinch her shoulders and bridge her back. Thanks,
|
A: The Ovation is on a modified McClellan and works well for this
type of horse if their back does not have too much of a "Dip". It was designed
for a short backed horse and because of the modified McClellan tree works
exceptionally well for horse with mutton withers or small withered. The
bars on the saddle are 19 inches, 1 1/2 inches less than any commercial
saddle on the market. The actual skirt is 21 1/2 inches. Perfect for a
short backed horse!
I would need more information and measurements (and Photos) which
you can find the instructions to do on this page:
Tanya |
| Q : Dear Sirs;
I have just recently bought a half Rocky Mountain Half Kentuky Saddle horse. I found your webpage through a link and I was wondering if you could answere a few of my questions? Is the synthetic saddle a good investment? Can I ride a non-gaited horse in it? When you buy the saddle is there a certain package that you recomend? Is there a certain saddle that the seat is deaper in? I'm new to the gaited horse world and I was wondering if you could help me with these questions. Thank you very Much,
|
A: Hi Danita,
We manufacture our synthetics to the same standards we do our leather saddles and we have the best Cordura on the market for the synthetic portion, a much higher grade then other companies. It should last you for years, so at the price would be a great investment! We style our saddles after the 1880 saddles in an "A" fork, which were used on all breeds of horses, the modifications we have made in our tree will help both gaited and non-gaited. We HIGHLY recommend that you at least get a breast collar, as the saddle needs to STAY where it belongs to be a good fit! Both Synthetics are based on the "Guffey" series and these are our deepest seat saddles. Tanya |
| Q: Regarding color... Is the mahogany
real-real red?? It's difficult to tell in the photos, some of them
make the saddle look VERY red. The photos all differ on the brown
saddle as well... What is the true color of the brown saddle? Is
it a deep oil brown or a lighter brown?
Kathleen |
A: The Mahogany color is a DEEP red, like dried blood in color, BUT it has a unique quality where it is different colors in different lights. Sometimes it appears very red. The Brown is a medium to light brown. |
| Good afternoon,
I recently purchased my first gaited horse (Tennessee Walker), and I am in the market for a saddle. I have ridden Quarter horses along with western type saddles, but have never purchased a saddle for a gaited horse. I subscribe to the Gaited Horse magazine and ran across your add for saddles, etc. for gaited horses. I was impressed by the amount of information you supplied on your web site. This is especially helpful for novice gaited horse owners such as myself! I am interested in the Sonata SR05 Series saddle. I like the high cantle and overall look. I was reading on how to measure your horse for the best fitting saddle. Do I need to get these measurements and order the saddle at the same time, or do you need the measurements before hand? Also, I was reading the seat size needed by body weight, etc. I was alarmed to see that I would need a size 16 seat. I usually ride a 15. Is there a difference in these seat sizes? Could you also recommend a bridle, breast collar, etc. that would go with this saddle? I was very delighted to see that you offer package deals on these items. Do you also have saddle pads that go along with these saddles. Thank you once again for the great information you have given me on your web site. I look forward to hearing from you. Doreen |
A: Yes we do need a measurement, and a description or photo of the
horse prior to determining suitability of our saddle for your horse. He
may be OK in the SR05 or he may not be a good candidate for it and need
one of the other models. ABOUT 80 % of TWH are fine in the SR05 though!
Our seat is a really DEEP seat, and it does "measure" different, so do not let that alarm you! Or I guess I should say it accommodates different size people than the "regular" sizes. All our accessories are designed to work with all our saddles, so which ever package you find the most to your liking will work great! We DO recommend at the least that you get a Breast collar, as a well fitted saddle needs to STAY where it was designed to be! As to pads, pads are like socks. Some of your shoes work best with thick socks, some with thin, some with nylons. AFTER you get your saddle you are to place it on the horse in the THINNEST blanket you can find and send us a photo. We will then advise you as to the best thickness of pad for the optimum fit. You MAY have it or you may need to purchase. We are coming out with a pad line, so we may be able to accommodate your needs VERY soon, if not we will advise you as to what you need to get to work best. Please do send me the measurements, and the photos from our measurement
page http://crestridgesaddlery.com/measurements.shtml
if you can, I will be happy to assist you in getting a great saddle for
you AND your horse!
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