Chi Stockyrd Saddle Tree

Sure. Here's a pic of the Billet System and the Lock Collar. The Collar is adjusted using and hex head and the Billet is adjusted by the buckle sitting under the latigo hanger. In both, the latigo rests on the wear leather. The wear leather acts as a grip for the latigo and protects the plastic from rubbing down to the wire. We've had saddle makers decide just to let the rigging "free swing". Gravity will bring the latigo to the lowest point. When cinched the latigo never moves from this spot. Water can't run upstream. The latigo can't move up on the cable. It's always in the same spot. Gavity in this case is actually the pull of the cinch. the horses ribs are a barrel and the cinch pulling around it will always find the smallest part of the rib cage. Therefor, the cinch pulls from the same place on the horse being ridden and the latigo "falls" to the same point; no matter what ground the horse is on.

I see that there is some confusion here about cable riggings and composite trees. Everybody does somethings different than everyone else. But here's what I do and do know. The Double H Cable Rigging™ has two ways that the latigo is locked into place. One: the 1/4" lock collar that goes in a wear leather under the latigo. This is not much smaller than any piece of leather that normal rigging are made of and the latigo would have to go around. Two: a billet system that creates a compound curve in the cable using an adjustable strap of nylon webbing and a buckle that acts as a backer to the latigo. Both systems limit bulk under the jockey's and legs. I make a urethane saddle tree. Sure it's molded, but I made those molds by hand. I know the shapes work. I make the materials too, like a cook with a very accurate recipe. And when the saddle trees come out of the molds; I shape those to the all possible shapes for all horses and their backs, BY HAND. The bars are a standard 22". How much longer do they need to be? The material is strong. Used for ballistics shields. If it couldn't take a bullet and keep it, I don't use it. That means the screws, nails and tacks, stay. And they'll stay forever. They won't walk out like the nails in older saddle trees. Hamley made the cable rigging back in 1918 and used it till 1924. The cable was wire an inch thick, of braided wire that would rust. Fencing wire basically. The technology wasn't up to the task. It took the industry this long to see a great idea come back. It was a good idea then. Now, it's just better. They weren't the only ones to use it either. Go to the King's Saddlery in Sheridan WY. Go upstairs in the back of the room this year, ( since they rotate their collection) there were two other companies saddles there that had cable rigging. From the same years.

The use of the Cable rigging isn't about knowing what you're doing or about the triangle every saddle maker uses to find the spot of rigging. What if, when the saddle maker is finding the position of the triangle, finding the point of the rigging they could stop there? No More work. No more wasting their time on what kind of rigging it's going to be. The cable rigging allows them to have all rigging positions available to the rider for what ever horse they are riding depending on if the horse's back runs downhill or up hill. Not only, finding the position of rigging is easy, but now they have also cut down on the bulk under the riders legs, relieving pressure on the knees and the hips. As the rider gets older they will tell you this is an amazing feeling.

That's my brother Shawn Howes. He makes the Poly-Tuff Tree™ with the Double H Cable Rigging™. We're finally getting on these chat sites so if you have any questions just shoot them out this way. I also make trees for light arena work roping, reining and equitation riders if you ever dabble in those areas. Heath

On a strip down you can get the weight around 18 pounds while using a LST cable rig tree. I've got a couple of pictures if ever you want to see them.