Rejoneador

Here you see the brand new saddle in the shop of Detlef Wilhelm, the saddle maker: And here the tree of Rod and Densie Nikkel:

Sorry folks, it took some time to take the pics. Here they are: My old, selfmade saddle I used on this horse for about 18,000 miles during 14 years The new saddle after about 100 hours of service: Both saddles - old and new - shown from underneath. Unfortunately the difference in bearing surface is not too well visible. A direct comparison of the naked trees woulf be way better. And here you see the Wannabe-Buckaroo using that rig, in front of the house we live in (that house was built whenn Louis and Clark crossed the Great the Divide, in 1805) I still enjoy this saddle very much, and I start to forget about the old one....

Please excuse me for scaring you, Rod. I admit that I probably have a peculiar sense of humor. Well, I enjoyed working with you as well. I recall a longer email-discussion with Denise concerning bar length (my horse has a pretty short back), seat length and what you call thigh length. It took a little time to convince me. But now sitting in your tree and looking at it on the back of my horse you are proved to be right in all aspects. The seat length of 15 inches with a 4 and a half inch high cantle is pretty short for a guy like me being 176 cm tall and having about 85 kg of weight. BUT I am in a perfect upright position having my feet well under me. In Germany we call that kind of sitting a horse a dressage seat. Somebody ridng Reining or Barrel Racing would probably like a different postion on his horse. These folks like more sitting on the loins and having much horse in front of them... I do not and my horse as well as myself we both feel very comfortable with this seat position during long hours of trail rinding in very rough country. My saddle maker made the skirts of the saddle pretty short on my request. The end of the skirts as well as the bars tips give ample of space to my horses loin area. Even when I got the tree and put it "naked" on the horse's back I was a little concerned at that point. But the finished product proves that you've been right again. Everybody who ever walked a while with astone in his shoe can imagine that little things can create a lot of pain. Looks like it is the little details as well that make good saddle tree and a good saddle. Of course it is much more than only details. But only one little detail wrong and you can throw the whole thing into the creek (as Ol' Tom Dorrance once said...). Thank you again for your good work and your dedication to the well being of our silent pardners, Denise and Rod....

Folks, I warn you: Do NOT do it!! Well, in late spring last year I was tempted. I ride Quarter Horses Western Style since 1971. My late father was a founding member of the German Quarter Horse Association. Beside good horses we always had good saddles. I still own two made by the late John "Jack" Carroll of McNeal AZ, made after the ideas of Ol' Ed Connell. In 1996 we imported a new horse from Washington State that needed a new saddle cause he was fairly wider in the withers than our older horses. I was short of money at that time and quite curious, therefore I built a saddle myself, bases on a cheap Ralide tree. I was aware of the fact that this kind of tree does not offer too much bearing surface due to short bars. Therefore I made efforts to block and plugs the skirts very well. About Eastern 1997 I first used that saddle. And did about 3.500 hours (or about 15.000 miles) of riding in rough country on it during 13 or so years. I checked its fit to the horse regularely but the horse never ever complained or showed any signs of incovenience in his back.... When that horse turned 18 last spring I said to myself "He still seems to be in his prime, he merits a real good one..." I admit that I always dreamed of one of these nice Wade saddles. I contacted a German saddle maker named Detlef Wilhelm. He came out to our place and we discussed all aspects of the project and first of all - of course - the brand, dimensions, shape of the tree. Detlef proposed a Bowden-Ritter tree and had some specimen with him. He got the order but I obligated him to view the 4 hours of saddle making film turned bey Peter Campbell with Ol' Dale Harwood. A week later I gave hima call and told him "Don't order that Bowden tree, I want something else, I'll order the tree by myself". I got in contact with Denise Nikkel - by phone and by email - and 6 weeks later I owned a Rod-Nikkel-Wade-Tree. Detlef the German saddle maker came to fetch the tree and to look after his fit on the horse. We both had to agree that we never ever saw ´such a well made and good fitting tree (It is an entire little story how I got the shape of a horse in Germany over to Alberta). To make an already long story not too long..... Right after New Years Eve I got my new saddle based on that Rod-Nikkel-Tree.... Detlef Wilhem did a real nice job, the hard seat of the saddle is so well shaped that I feel comfortable with it even after 4-5 hours of rough rding..... BUT, the most important, my horse, my ol' pal of many many miles, feels a lot better with that saddle. For the first hours of riding i did not feel much difference but that was probably due to the fact that we had lots of snow and riding was a little limited. After some longer rides of several hours I can feel pretty much difference in the attitude of the horse to show even a nice head set with an arced back after a long days. And you might imagine that I know this horse to the bone (like he knows me...) The only possible reason can be a better fit and a larger bearing surface of the new saddle which is of course due to the tree... So folks, again, do NOT do it.... because every time I ride the new saddle I am getting angry on myself! Why? Well, because I did NOT buy a saddle or at least a tree like that 10 years or so EARLIER..... To be serious: The Nikkel Tree has cost me about 500 Euro more than a Bowden. And he is worth every single cent of it! This cannot be proved with an Excel Sheet! But if you know horses they will tell you, clear and loud, in their own lingo... Best regards from the Old World!