So you've decided you want a custom made saddle...now what? Hopefully this page will help to guide you through the basics of ordering.
Ordering Your Custom Saddle
(as written by the webmaster)
A saddle starts on the inside, with a proper-fitting tree. Custom saddles are designed to fit you and your horse.
Measurements
There are several measurements on the saddle tree which can be adjusted to achieve a correct fit:
If you are close enough to Midvale, Idaho, the best option would be to allow Brian to measure your horse. If this isn't possible, we highly recommend the use of a measuring device such as the Equimeasure, which will produce an accurate replica of your horse's backline, and can be shipped to Brian for him to fit the saddle. Without seeing the horse in person or having accurate measurements, it is impossible to guarantee that the saddle will fit.
Your own measurements will also be taken into consideration to ensure that the seat size and stirrup length will fit you properly.
The Saddle Tree
When deciding what kind of tree and horn style you prefer, consider what the style of riding that you do, and what sort of "look" you prefer. Any tree can be made with any style horn, though some combinations might be a bit strange. Do you like a slick fork saddle, or one with rounded swells, or one with more pointed wide swells? There are many types of trees to choose from. And how about the saddle horn: a traditional dally horn, the thicker post horn, a thinner cutting horn, a Mexican-style horn... Go to your favorite search engine and type in "saddle trees." There are several tree companies with websites that can help you decide what tree and horn style you prefer. These may not the companies that Brian uses, but tree styles don't vary much between companies. Also, browse through the saddle galleries on this website to see examples of what some of the different trees look like. Not sure what type of tree is best for you? That's ok, Brian can help you figure that out. :-)
The Saddle Skirts
This decision pretty much comes down to what you think looks best! Any saddle tree can be made with any skirt style, though some styles may be better suited for some horses than others. Here are some examples of different styles:
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regular skirts
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regular skirts with rounded seat jockey
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old-style square skirts
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rounded skirts
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You can find numerous examples of tooling patterns in the saddle photo gallery. You may also want to take a look at these sample tooling patterns. This is a pdf file, so you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it. Don't have that? Get it here. It's free. Do keep in mind when viewing that file that the tooling patterns are represented by a couple of not-too-accurate "Photoshop patterns." Here's a key to what they mean. Saddle pricing can be found here.
Extra Stuff
What else will your saddle need to make it perfect for you? Custom silver? Rawhide binding? Elk hide horn wrap? Silver "dots"? What kind of stirrups do you like? Inlaid seat? Et cetera... See the accessories here.
Got Questions?
If you need some help deciding what will be best for you and your horse, or if you are ready to order, contact Brian at 208-355-1234 evenings, or 208-550-2982 any time.
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