Description
- Pommel (Fork): has a fairly straight-up orientation with 13″ // 33 cm wide swells and provides good wither clearance. Horn: a small 2-1/2″ // 6 cm “reining” horn, our standard horn. This is not a “roping” horn for “tying hard” to heavy animals or things, but you could have plenty of fun roping with breakaway hondas or dragging up to a few hundred pounds.
- Cantle: 3.5″// 7.6 cm tall with with significant “dish” that hugs rider securely. 1.5″ // 3.8 cm Cheyenne roll.
- Seat: Choice of suede (for extra grip) or grippy soft smooth textured leather, and between a fully padded seat with build-up in front (cushfoam padding) or inlay seat (acor padding), seat pocket is deeply defined. Dark brown or black color.
- Leather: #1 Quality veg-tanned leather hides used exclusively. Roughout or smooth leather choice for seat jockey, incl. fender, available, smooth leather on other leather parts. Select from our color range as indicated. Color variations (particularly noticeable in light to medium oiled saddles) are to be expected due to the differing porosity of individual hides. Some “grab” the oil more deeply and will appear darker than others. Oftimes, leather hides may tone to more reddish or orange but become darker brownish over time with exposure to sun and loving care via cleaning and oiling. We have no way to predict exactly what shade of lightness or darkness your saddle may be in the beginning, but you can count on it looking more and more handsomely seasoned with age.
- Skirts: Small, rounded back skirts offer the horse contoured flexibility in the loin area.
- Tooling: Hand stamped border patterns or floral toolings selected from NHS Tooling Collection. Spot Floral on fork, rear skirt and cantle, Full Floral on fork, front skirt, seat jockey, rear skirt, cantle and fenders. Cheyenne roll has bead line or small tooling combo, depending on tooling selection. Horn tooling if selected. Individual leather surface textures (due to heredity, environment and tanning processes for each hide) result in unique properties effecting the appearance of individual saddles. Possible irregularities offer opportunities for our tooling artisans to be a bit creative in disguising texture differences of various areas. Adding some extra floral carving or slight alterations of a pattern are among ways to insure best mirroring of design from one side of the saddle to the other. Our toolers are excellent craftspeople. You can count on a beautiful result and celebrate your saddle’s individuality!
- Hardware: brass or stainless steel
- Conchos: Leather rosette or selection from NHS Concho Collection. Slotted conchos will be applied with tie strings, domed conchos will have drop D-rings, where the tie strings attach.
- Main cinch rigging: Flat plate, In-skirt.
- Rear cinch rigging included: Billets and back cinch are stitched and hang from a die cut half moon slot in the single back skirt so that they swing forward easily. Apparatus includes a longer cinch hobble (compared to most of our models) for connecting to main cinch and leaving room for use of spur for quick response maneuvers. When such room between cinches is not necessary, we recommend shortening hobble and rear cinch being buckled snugly for best stabilization of the back of the saddle. Short hobble enables pressure to be located in the horse’s sternum area and not impact the soft abdominal region. Choose between single ply or doubled and stitched leather. Standard back cinch length is 36″// 91.5 cm, which fits most breeds. If your horse is very small or very big, please let us know and we can arrange for a custom length.
- Fenders: Free-swinging for optimum rider leg flexibility and communication. Stirrups are connected via a ‘Texas twist’, which sets them in perfect position to accept your foot with no strain on your knees. Cut to size for Rider inseam length. 5 basic leg length sizes available, with numbered adjustment strap holes at 1/2” // 12.7 mm increments.
Stirrups: Please see stirrup choices available on this model. - Latigos on both sides: for main cinch rigging, no off-side billet.
- Tie strings: 6 sets
- Breast Collar D-rings: Set high for freedom of shoulder movement.
- Bucking Rolls: Can be added for extra security. Leather pillows will match seat color, leather frames will match saddle color. Detachable if you want to remove.
- Cinch keeper installed on right side off concho at base of cantle.
- Underside: Durable felt or suede-covered memory foam
- Seat sizes 15 – 17.5 available.
- Length of saddle: From front of saddle to back of curve at widest point: 23.5 – 24.5” / 60-62 cm
- Weight of saddle: Average weight is 28 lbs // 12.7 kg, depending on final choices.
Handcrafted in USA
SMARTFLX™ TECHNOLOGY
“Welcoming” the horse’s back in motion requires that you MANAGE THE INTERFACE – which is the space between your horse’s body and the underside of the saddle. After incorporating a good saddle, this is the next most important factor for successful saddle fit when you want to give your horse the opportunity to enjoy the journey with you. With SmartSaddlePads.com saddle pads and tapered foam shims you are best equipped to custom fit the interface of your horse to adapt to individual age, top line shape and state of training.
SMARTFLX´S EXCLUSIVE, UNIQUELY SHAPED TREES ARE THE SUBSTRUCTURE AND MAJOR KEY TO SUCCESS OF ANY OF OUR SADDLES.
The very special SMARTFLX™ shape provides room needed for the horse’s back to come up in performance of any athletic maneuvers, especially ones requiring significant engagement or “collection”. Also sculpted into the SMARTFLX™ shape are the ergonomic considerations built in for the rider which enable feeling close to the horse´s body and it´s movement while securely balanced and unstressed in hip, knee and ankle joints. The “bars” and “groundseat” of the SMARTFLX™ western tree are a one-piece molded shape based on years of research and development incorporating thousands of horses worldwide. This molded piece is formed utilizing a particular, extraordinary elastomer compound material that is solid enough to support the rider and protect the horse’s back yet flexible enough to allow the horse to move as nature intended and the human to feel connected in harmony. It is amazingly thin and keeps you close to your horse. Our wooden forks and cantles provide the base stability to hold the bars at the attitude and angle that our research proved was optimal. Our english saddles are constructed with the same principles regarding the spacious, welcoming shape we know is necessary for healthy, comfortable movement. English SMARTFLX™ trees are handcrafted by Master Saddlers in England utilizing digitally sculpted, laminated beechwood bars reinforced by steel head plate and thin diagonal steel bands that support appropriate diagonal flexibility. Because the SMARTFLX™ trees are sculpted to welcome the expanded “moving” horse body, there is room to accommodate an enormous variety of horse breeds and sizes.
SmartSaddlePads.com unique shimming concept provides a simple way to offer dynamic custom fit. The welcoming “hug” of our saddles’ undersides provides for a physically and mentally un-restricted equine athlete capable of enjoying full physical potential under saddle.
