Dick likes to tell the story of the very first saddle he ever owned. He was 8 years old when his dad bought him a McClellan army saddle at an auction for $15. Sounds like a great deal, right? Well, as Dick says, "It was the worst thing I ever rode in." Apparently McClellan army saddles are designed for the comfort of the horse, not for the rider and you just had to tolerate it. Sounds like the horses were pretty happy with the fit, but the poor riders! Dick only rode twice in his McClellan, then it hung in the barn after that.

(photo taken from Wikidpedia)

Dick goes on to say that the most comfortable saddle he ever owned was a hard seat, ranch saddle, very typical of the working ranch days. In our 1956 Hamley's Cowboy Catalog you see that all the saddles were basically the same: hard seat, swinging stirrups, and a seat that would help hold you in. There was little difference as they were designed for only one thing: ranch work.

(photo taken from Wikipedia)

In the shop we have an old Lichtenberg saddle, dated back to the 1930s. At the time it was made, it was a top of the line saddle from one of the country's most prestigious makers: Litchenberger Ferguson Co. This is a great collectors item as well as a marker in saddle history. Make sure you check it out while you're visiting the shop and be sure to ask Dick some questions about saddle history! Also ask to take a look at the Hamley's Cowboy Catalog! It's a fun insight into saddles back in the day.

(photo by Saddle Up)

Western saddles were mainly used as working ranch saddles. Times sure have changed! No longer is the Western saddle just a working saddle it is now used as a sports saddle for a variety of different disciplines; barrel, reining, show, trail, roping, ranch, cutting and the list goes on and on!. Which means wide variety of differences for horse and rider. It is true that there was basically a "one size fits all horses" back in the days of the working ranch saddle. Today you're lucky if your saddle fits just two of your horses. What changed? Because of the diversity of Western disciplines and the physical demands of each, breeders have been breeding horses to match the physical needs of each discipline. Between that and the "backyard breeders" and the introduction of new breeds over the years, we're dealing with way more breeds and cross breeds than cowboys had to deal with back in the day. With such a diverse variety of breeds, we equally have a diverse variety of shape and size differences, which leads to more difficult saddle fitting. However, do not let this discourage you! Once you find a saddle that fits your horse, you'll be set for quite a while! Here at Saddle Up we can't emphasis enough the importance of finding a good fitting saddle for your horse and we want to help you as much as we can!

Yes, saddles may have changed drastically, but the love of horses and of Western riding hasn't. Saddle Up is dedicated to assisting you find the perfect saddle for you and your horse, whatever your preferred discipline is. Whether you're a hard core barrel racer, or prefer reliving the past as a working cowboy, a saddle is you and your horse's best friend.

(photo taken from TEMP on tumblr)

"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle." -- Winston Churchill

~ Saddle Up