Cantle Dish

[aermotor]

I know that a lot of trees are ordered with 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" cantle dish measurement for cowboy saddles. I would like to get the opinions and/or preferences of the makers on this forum for these two measurements.

Thank you,

Aermotor

[spur2009]

Aemotor: In ref to your question. I never us 1 1/4" dish and rarely do I use a 1 1/2". I really like 1 3/4" and if a padded seat many times

I will use a 2' cantle dish. The reason I utulize these measurements is that I like a real good pocket in my cantle after I lay in the

final seat. I am sure other makers will respond with their preferences. Take care. Boomer

[AndyKnight]

I almost always build my trees with 1 1/4 and figure on them finishing around +-1" The slope of the cantle will also have a bearing on this and I generally like a cantle with good slope. ( not too vertical as the rim of the cantle can bight) Most of my customers want to sit with their feet underneath them and tend to ride long. . I have found that-the rider Sitting back into a deep dish seat in a vertical riding position will be susceptible to having the corners of the cantle rubbing the back of the thighs and then the rim of the cantle will be more prone to biting there spine. .and if you set them ahead of the points of the cantle the deep dish is redundant. the main purpose of the cantle is to keep them from blowing out the back.

Now if you are riding broncs and want to stick your feet out front to spur the shoulders then the deep dish is an advantage.. eg. rodeo association. ( IMHO)

This is what works for me.

Andy

[TroyWest]

My standard is 1 1/4" also. Same reasons as Andy.

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Generally I adhear to the 1 1/4" measurement, unless the customer specifically requests different.

Bob

[jwwright]

My standard is 1 1/4" also, for the same reasons as Andy. Occasionally, 1 1/2" for a rider who specifies that they ride back against the cantle.

Not to high jack the thread, but it is relevant...........what do you like as far as cantle width? I use mostly 12 or 12 1/2" wide. Thanks, JW

[kseidel]

As JW has interjected, the cantle dish is largely relative to the height and width of the cantle, as well as shape and slope angle. Also, how the maker puts the strainer into the cantle dish. If the strainer is not shaped into the dish of the tree, then much of the dish will be lost.

Andy, I am a little confused by your post. If you use a tree with a flatter cantle angle (less vertical) then you would be more apt to sit the rider over the points of the cantle then if it were stood up straighter. You would, however have less tendency to feel the top edge of the cantle. If stood up straighter (more vertical) you would have more tendency to feel the top of the cantle, but less at the corners. In order to feel both the corners of the cantle under your thighs as well as the top of the cantle into your back, there would have to be a lot of dish in a very flat cantle. Maybe I am reading it wrong.

respectfully,

Keith

[D.A. Kabatoff]

My preference is the same as Andy's as well. I also like a cantle that is laid back some like the tree pictured. Keith, I don't find the points of the cantle bite me at all... that said, I'm fairly skinny through the legs and butt and like a long seat length (6'1" 178lbs and I like a 16" seat). I don't like to be against the cantle unless as Andy put it, I'm at risk of being blown out the back. I only build all leather ground seats and the strainer tail always goes through the cantle gullet so it doesn't affect my cantle dish at all. My finished groundseat ends up with about 1" or dish or slightly more. My cantles are always between 12-13 inches wide.

Darcy

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

As has been stated before, the height of the cantle really affects the actual slope of the face of the cantle. To illustrate, here are two cantles with the same angle relative to the bars. One is 4 1/2" tall and the other is 3" tall, both with 1 1/4" dish. Quite the difference in slope. Take home message - shorter cantles need less dish to get the same slope as taller cantles, all else being equal. We have tried to explain more about this on our Cantles page if anyone cares to delve into their complexities... http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/understanding-tree-measurements/cantle-conundrums/