RidersChoiceSaddleCo

We used 100% neatsfoot oil on thousands of saddles over the last 40 years and found that it works great as long as it is applied evenly and allowed to dry between applications. Also, note that we only use 100% and not compound. Many makers of the compound use all types of oil to mix in with the neatsfoot and even add baby powder. We haven't had great success with the compound as it brings mixed results. Also, since the neatsfoot oil is made from cattle hooves, it is already used to being part of the animal, and part of keeping it looking good for years to come.

We have used many products to do this including closed cell neoprene. Most of it works fine but as pointed out earlier if they are using a good pad they are protected anyway. Once of our best projects included a woman whose horse was so short backed that she couldn't use a bottom skirt on the saddle so we used a new product called Sil-Cush that is made nearby. It is a silicon based pad that looks like a sponge and is highly responsive. We used that on the bars of the saddle and covered it over with suede so that the bottom of our western saddle looked almost English.

Generally we carve the entire saddle before it goes onto the tree. But of course this is according to the shape of the pommel and just how radical the stretch will be. Then you may have to just touch up the lines on the front but normally the process doesn't distort the carving.

As someone who has been around hundreds of thousands of saddles built on Ralide trees, I can say there is a market for them because they work for the consumer that buys them. There are good and bad points as brought up by many on this question. However, I think the worst advice anyone can ever give, is advice that is outside of ones realm of personal experience. The best person to ask is a person that has had plenty of experience with those trees. Yes, like any tree they can break. Yes, being a molded product, the seat is uncomfortable in most mass produced saddles, and there is only a one size fits all proposition. However, I would never judge a tree by the stupidity of a person loading a horse in a trailer with the barrel saddle still on the horse. Of course the horn is gonna pop of as soon as he jumps. I knew that is what happened as soon as I saw the photo. I know this because I see the tree's that are returned as defective and it is a very small percentage of the tons of trees that have gone out. In 10 years I have never seen a broken Poly Roper tree returned. The only small saddle trees that I have ever fixed have had the horn snapped off like this one or the horse rolled on them and broke the cantle. In fact we see more mass produced wooden/fiberglass roper fronts broke than Polymer trees. And your probably talking less than a handful a year out of thousands. I am not shouting the praises of Poly over wood, I am just stating that it does have good points as well. If a wooden tree is not cured correctly it can change shape over time. You have to worry about wood rotting. Wood is heavier...and the one thing I hear most about building custom saddles now days from the ladies especially is, "I want a super light saddle." We have been using the Ralide type trees in production since the 80's and have found them to hold fasteners well. When they first came out they did have a problem with pulling out but that has been solved. With all this being said I do much prefer to build on wood and will only use that on my higher end saddles. Ralide in fact made wooden trees as well but sold the operation to a friend nearby because it wasn't making any money. My family also makes your so called "knock off" tree and they are just the same quality as Ralide. However, I think all of this is becoming a mute point because the American saddle maker is going to have to transition into higher end saddles and custom fits which are going to kill off the days of the mass produced American saddle. In short, they are a good product for an inexpensive saddle that you are going to build a WHOLE lot off. This is why many of the builders here don't like them and this is also the reason they will become a thing of the past.

Still for sale.

We have had this Osborne splitter in the shop since the late 60's. It is fully functional with a very sharp blade. It has gone unused since the 1990's but I kept it coated in a gel to prevent rust. All you need to do is spray off the coating and buff the blade a bit. 600.00 and I will ship anywhere in the 48 US. 256-597-2424 Jerry

This item is sold

This item has SOLD!

Yes I still have it for sale. Same price. The shop is open M-F 9-4 EST if you want to call 256-597-2424 or we can just work through Email. Thanks, Jerry

This item is sold.

This item is sold.

I have this super tight hard to find tool. I have had it in the shop for about 30 years. I am asking 175.00 and that includes shipping in the 48 US. 256-597-2424 Jerry

This is a great splitter that we use in the shop daily. We need the room now more than we need the splitter. It runs off single phase 220. It comes with an extra blade. You can see in the photo where we have been splitting with it the day of the photo. It has a 28" blade. Price is 1800.00. Pickup up at the shop or I can help with getting a shipping quote. 256-597-2424 Jerry

This is a great splitter. I have had it in my shop working with it for 5 years. I purchased a band splitter so I don't use it now and just need the room. It is mounted on the table and comes with the 110V motor ready to plug up and run. You can pick up at my shop or get a shipping quote. $750.00 256-597-2424 Jerry

I am cleaning around the shop and selling the machinery we really don't need or rarely use. I have this very nice hand crank strap cutter. It comes with extra bushings and blades so that you can adjust it for the size of strings or straps that you need. I used it to cut 13 oz latigo tie straps and it did a great job. It screws to any table top. The nylon roller is approx 4" long so it will cut 4" wide straps down to whatever size the bushings are. It would be simple to make more bushings if you needed different sizes. It comes with several sizes. It looks smaller in the picture than it actually is. It is about the size of a large car battery. 400.00 256-597-2424 Jerry

I have a very nice 6" American Leather Splitter for sale. It is a hand crank model that I have had in the shop for about 6 years. We have larger splitters so we hardly ever use it. It works fine. 256-597-2424 Ask for Jerry. 700.00 or best offer.

I have a Singer 144W long arm that is in working condition. I have a nice boat foot and a nice collection of spare parts in a storage chest that I would part with. Email if interested.

I have a few extras if anyone is in need or wants to switch to an electric USMC Model A 7" Sole splitter -110V on a table...using it in my shop now. 750.00 USMC 28" Summit Splitting Machine Model P 220V...using it every day in shop. 1800.00 Manufacturers Supply Company 12" Splitter 220V on table. I have two of these. 850.00 each

Tom, If you can send me a photo of the saddle and/or the makers name. I can quote you a price on replacing the tree. More than likely the saddle was made here locally. We may even have a tree in stock to fit it.

The machine should be able to do it. Just get some scrap pieces of leather to practice on and before long you will be an old hat at it. The machine will tack the thread back in the same holes and lock the stitch. You really don't need over a couple of stitches.

I loved reading this post. So much of it rings true with day to day operations in saddle making. I may have done this wrongfully but I took Dusty to be saying, "Buy a good quality FQH bar saddle that feels good to you and if it don't fit the horse then trade horses." I get dozens of calls a week from people about this same problem. And yes I understand that most people who ride for recreation have no idea what the horse needs, and it can be dangerous to give them any information..lol. My calls always come with mass confusion because they have been online reading and generally their "so called" trainer has recommended X-brand which he or she happens to represent. The calls are from people who sometimes have purchased a dozen saddles of all bar types and makers. Generally we start with a simple withers tracing and like Denise said you look for the nearest standard because the horse will be changing anyway. I have had withers tracings that look like tee pee's and then I have had them to look like the flat land where the tee pee was sitting. Just how would a single saddle fit both these type horses? I don't know if it is just me or do you other makers feel like you are ending up with all those "Freak" horses? If an owner loves the animal and wants to share a bond with it, then as a business person and saddle maker shouldn't I do my best to give the horse and rider the best ride possible? Not just call it a freak horse and tell them to buy a cow pony. I can seem to agree that all the fitting talk may make our job harder in that the buyer may need more education if they have been studying up on saddle construction. Dusty's post did make it seem pretty simple and I wish it was. But I tend to get the calls like, " I have an extremely short and sway backed horse that can't use over a 23.5" skirt." Then when I ask, "What seat size?" or Tell me about your plans on riding, I get..."Well I am 5' 2" and weigh 420 pounds and I am not sure about the seat size." lol Do you feel my pain, fellow builders? I can say that through the years the production end of saddlery has relied heavily on what I will say is "quarter horse bar or semi bar" in such brands as Ralide. I know most of you don't deal with the lower priced saddles but let me pick your brain about this. It is my personal opinion that with the influx of the recreation rider and the explosion of the "training movement", better quality feed and supplements, the horses of today seem to be outgrowing the old standard molds. I bet we build 50-100 saddles a year for folks with 15 hand quarter horses that end up using a draft bar because they are so wide. Any thoughts on this or have you noticed changes?

We get that color with our golden tanned saddle skirting by laying it out in the hot sun for 4-8 hours. Of course now in the winter you may need to use the tanning bed like I have done several times. Just watch out for the wife's right hook!

Getting a tax ID is not a big deal. Generally you won't get a break on leather costs unless you buy more or pay a membership. Some information that I haven't seen listed is that states also have a manufacturers ID number. It works like a tax ID and makes you exempt but you don't have to keep up with sales tax. This is only good if you are selling through wholesalers. For instance if you mass produced belts to sell at truck stops. It would be the truck stops duty to pay the sales tax. Just a thought.

Tan Kote is a little harder to work with but if you like the "not so glossy" look it's the way to go. We also had problems with the Tan Kote making some types of edging dye bleed onto light leather.

We normally use a lock blade utility knife for cutting rounded saddle parts, but for straps and strings I found a small 2-3 blade manual hand crank cutter that is adjustable. It works just like our big electric models but it's perfect for small jobs or just cutting out a couple of tie straps. I know Weaver has a larger one for 1295.00 and if you were cutting out several belts it would pay you to go that route.