How To Pick The Right Cutting Horse Saddles
Cutting horse saddles are an important part of the sport of cutting.
Choosing the wrong saddle or the right one can mean the difference between winning first place, or going home in defeat.
Cutting is the fastest growing horse sport in the world today, enjoying popularity from the United States to Australia.
In 2006 athletes who competed in the United States NCHA Futurity did so for combined purses of 3.
7 million.
Today that number has risen to nearly four million dollars in prizes and money, and this does not factor in the purses that can now be earned at Australian, European or Canadian cutting events.
From cavalry saddles to English saddles, racing and cutting horse saddles, the past two thousand years have seen many changes in how we equip our horses.
The first known saddles were little more than pads of cloth held on with a surcingle dating back to 800 BC.
By 200 BC carven saddle trees were being used, and five hundred years later, in 302 AD, the first stirrups were introduced.
The early saddle was an important sign of the rider's status, heavily decorated and embellished.
As our understanding of the horse and what he could do evolved, the saddle became less about beauty, and more about usefulness.
In the sport of cutting, good cutting horse saddles are a vital necessity.
The cutting horse will be working low to the ground as it moves to separate one cow from the herd, and move quickly with many sharp turns and stops as it works to keep the cow from rejoining the others.
The cutting saddle must not only help keep the rider on the back of his horse, it must keep him perfectly balanced without interfering with his horse.
Cutting horse saddles have evolved from the familiar western saddle, also known as the cowboy saddle or the stock saddle.
This vital piece of equipment was developed for the comfort of the rider and horse - who spent long hours together in a variety of weather and conditions - as well as their safety.
While there are obvious similarities in shape and design, cutting saddles have a deeper, wider seat with wider swells that help the rider keep his balance during the sharp turns and stops of the cow horse.
The horns on western saddles are not merely decorations, but on cutting horse saddles - unlike western saddles - they are primarily used as a handle.
Taller and more slender than the horns on the typical western saddle they are there to help brace the rider against the unexpected shifting of his horse.
The stirrups are more narrow than on a western saddle and are positioned more towards the heel of the boot rather than the toe as, in the sport of cutting, leg contact is not the primary form of communication.
When buying cutting horse saddles, make certain it was built specifically for cutting, not reining or trail riding.
People who make saddles are craftsmen who are skilled in the art of making saddles rather than riding them, and very few have ever competed in cutting events.
If you don't know your exact seat dimensions or how long your stirrup leathers ought to be, ask your trainer to help you choose the right one.
Using cutting saddles that suit neither you nor your horse is only asking for trouble.
Choosing the wrong saddle or the right one can mean the difference between winning first place, or going home in defeat.
Cutting is the fastest growing horse sport in the world today, enjoying popularity from the United States to Australia.
In 2006 athletes who competed in the United States NCHA Futurity did so for combined purses of 3.
7 million.
Today that number has risen to nearly four million dollars in prizes and money, and this does not factor in the purses that can now be earned at Australian, European or Canadian cutting events.
From cavalry saddles to English saddles, racing and cutting horse saddles, the past two thousand years have seen many changes in how we equip our horses.
The first known saddles were little more than pads of cloth held on with a surcingle dating back to 800 BC.
By 200 BC carven saddle trees were being used, and five hundred years later, in 302 AD, the first stirrups were introduced.
The early saddle was an important sign of the rider's status, heavily decorated and embellished.
As our understanding of the horse and what he could do evolved, the saddle became less about beauty, and more about usefulness.
In the sport of cutting, good cutting horse saddles are a vital necessity.
The cutting horse will be working low to the ground as it moves to separate one cow from the herd, and move quickly with many sharp turns and stops as it works to keep the cow from rejoining the others.
The cutting saddle must not only help keep the rider on the back of his horse, it must keep him perfectly balanced without interfering with his horse.
Cutting horse saddles have evolved from the familiar western saddle, also known as the cowboy saddle or the stock saddle.
This vital piece of equipment was developed for the comfort of the rider and horse - who spent long hours together in a variety of weather and conditions - as well as their safety.
While there are obvious similarities in shape and design, cutting saddles have a deeper, wider seat with wider swells that help the rider keep his balance during the sharp turns and stops of the cow horse.
The horns on western saddles are not merely decorations, but on cutting horse saddles - unlike western saddles - they are primarily used as a handle.
Taller and more slender than the horns on the typical western saddle they are there to help brace the rider against the unexpected shifting of his horse.
The stirrups are more narrow than on a western saddle and are positioned more towards the heel of the boot rather than the toe as, in the sport of cutting, leg contact is not the primary form of communication.
When buying cutting horse saddles, make certain it was built specifically for cutting, not reining or trail riding.
People who make saddles are craftsmen who are skilled in the art of making saddles rather than riding them, and very few have ever competed in cutting events.
If you don't know your exact seat dimensions or how long your stirrup leathers ought to be, ask your trainer to help you choose the right one.
Using cutting saddles that suit neither you nor your horse is only asking for trouble.
