Any Quality Production Saddles?

[archer55]

I apoligize for taking so long to get back here. I decided to go with a McCall for now. I really appreciate everyone's advice....except now I've been buying a bunch of leather/saddle tools and am set on making a saddle myself. So here I go down this long and expensive road....

Thanks again!

[Billy H]

Glad to see you found a saddle! I hope it fits you and your horse well and you can get some good riding in---- in the end that's what it's all about. Regards Billy

[ChrisMajoue]

I think you will LOVE your McCall archer. My father-in-law just got one and he LOVES it. So do a few other cowboy friends. They swear by them.

For everyone else, not to bash, but I'd stay away from Billy Cook. It's not the same company it was years ago. My first saddle was Billy Cook. The saddle felt great to me. After 1.5 years of new pads, changing a bunch of stuff around, and in general a lot of frustration, it continued to cause multiple sores (white spots, swelling, and non-sweat spots) on my horse at the time. It caused the same things on my wife's horse, and my next horse as well. So, called to deal with them, they were not nice, told me I didn't know how to use a saddle and wrote me off. So much for their "100% satisfaction guarantee". Luckily, the saddle shop I bought it from returned some of my money, took it to a saddle class, they tore it apart and found a few defects in it. Moral of the story, I will NOT ever look at a Billy Cook saddle again. Just my .02.

After returning my Billy Cook, I got a Saddle Barn saddle. It's alright (no problems on either horse or me), but it's tiding me over until I can build my own.