Specialized Western Horse Saddles with Bare Tree Saddle Fitting

Saddle Fitting, What's More Important, Horse or Rider?

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

I am always surprised at people when they purchase a saddle it seems like their biggest concern is if the saddle will fit them. I see all these used saddles for sale on line in the descriptions they say 16" seat and go on to describe the saddle color, tooling, maker, and more. What they seem to fail to mention is what are the measurements to the parts that meet the horse? The size gullet, the spread of the bars, the skirt length. These are very important factors as to if the saddle is going to work for you and your horse. If your horse is uncomfortable he won't be enjoying the ride like you, and our fit can usually be adjusted, stirrup length and even seat size can be made smaller with a tush cushion. I agree seat size is very important and proper stirrup length is very important but other than that it has to fit the horse. So many horses are suffering in quiet pain, some are acting out and misunderstood, some are just nervous, sweating profusely and chomping at the bit. Then I hear, "I don't have white spots so my saddle must fit". I want to tell you a personal story about white hairs. When my saddle did not fit and what it took for the white hairs to show. No amount of saddle pad can correct a poor fitting saddle and in some cases can make the fit worse. Consider when you purchase your next saddle you try a bare tree fit, with this you can see for yourself how the saddle will fit. If you want to know more about saddle fitting and the bare tree fitting process just click on the links for additional information. To leave a comment click here. UVBG9B5VB239

Muzzle Fungus Stopped My Horse Training

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

My horse came in from the pasture one day with her muzzle bright pink. I remember noticing it and thinking it was not real sunny out for her to get a sunburn but it sure looked as though it was burned. A few days later it was broken out slightly in small sores. I could tell it was tender because she did not want me to touch it. I started putting some ointment on it but it continued to get worse. A few days later it was coated with a brownish red scab. The scab was all over her muzzle, under her lower lip, in her nostrils and solid coating of this brownish red scab. Poor thing, she did not want to even put a halter on because she did not want the halter strap to touch it. She would dive into the halter nose to try to get past her muzzle with touching it. The scab started to crack and almost bleed at the bottom of the cracks. I called the vet to see if there had been a reaction to a plant that was blooming and if she had been having this problem. She told me that it sounded like a fungus that is caused by a lot of dew on the morning grass. I thought that was quite strange and somewhat did not believe it. But when my yearling’s nose started to break out with small sores, I agreed it must be a fungus. She informed me that they treat it with the same ointment that they make up to treat “scratches”, another fungus that is found mostly on the legs. I picked up some of this ointment and when I put the first swipe on her nose she showed signs of instant relief. She lowered her head and acted like she wanted me to apply more. My yearling did not get it as bad because I started applying the same ointment right away. Everyone I talk to has not heard of this so I just wanted to put it out there. If you see a horse with this condition now you will know and possibly get it some relief. If not treated I’m not sure what it would do. To leave a comment click here.

Training Your Horse to Trailer Load

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

Training to Trailer Load

I have tried a new method for trailer training that I really love and works great. The problem I have always had with trailer training is that I eventually win and they go in but its not like they really want to, they do it because I bug them enough that they go in so that I will leave them alone. The problem with the trailer is that it resembles a cave and caves are where a horse’s predator lives. Horses are basically claustrophobic and it is against all their instincts to go in a trailer. If you have ever ridden in a horse trailer (an experience I think everyone should do once) you would wonder, if they ever went in once, why would they ever go back. It is not a fun ride, noisy, rough and hard to keep your balance on easy turns. So the challenge has been to make it a place where they want to be, a place they will willingly and eagerly go into. So here is the best method I have ever tried and one I will always use from now on. It makes it their choice and the trailer becomes their sanctuary. Here is what to do.... Horse Trailer Training Let me know if you have any great methods. Click here to leave comment. - by Horse Girl

Your Horse Deserves the Best Fitting Saddle

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

How do you know your saddle fits correctly? I rode in my saddle for quite sometime always thinking it fit my horse well. It wasn't until I went on a 4 day camping trip with some Tennessee Walker riders and had to do a posting trot to keep up. On day three I started noticing an area on my horse's back that looked swollen. When I got home the hairs started turning white and I knew for sure my saddle did not fit right. It is very hard to tell when all the leather is covering the tree and with a template fit over the withers you only get the wither measurement and you don't know how the bars are laying on the horse's back. Most of us never ride long enough and hard enough to really tell by riding if we have the right fit either. Our horse have a hard time telling us because we interpret that they are acting up or they just suffer in silence.

I am convienced that the only way you can get the right fitting tree for your horse is to fit the bare tree first then have the saddle built. When you can see the bare tree on your horse's back you can see that the bars are laying flat and the gullit is high enough and that the spread is correct so as not to pinch the shoulders. That is why we developed the bare tree saddle fitting process. You can ride with confidence knowing your saddle fits your horse. You can't get a better fit than when you fit the bare tree first. Click here to leave comment.

Horse Camping, An Experience You Won't Forget

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

Do you enjoy trail riding? Do you enjoy the outdoors? Do you enjoy camping? Then why not combine all three and experience horse camping? With horse camping you will cover more trails, see more sites, enjoy more of the outdoors all on the back of your horse.

There are many horse camps available to the public in every state. Some are privately owned and operated and others are set up and maintained by the public parks departments. They are set up to accommodate trucks, trailers and horses so the campsites are spaced farther apart than in people camps.

Most horse camps provide hitching posts or highline post along with water and a place to dispose of manure. I find the campers are all fellow horse people, easy to get to know and lots of opportunity to make new friends. Camps are usually less crowded, trails are great and the scenery is superb.

If you have never been horse camping I am sure you have lots of questions. You are probably wondering what to pack and what to do with your horse while camping. There are different options to choose from as far as how to contain your horse. Also, you don't want to forget something, which could ruin your trip completely.

I have put together a few articles to get you started. First you need to be sure and pack everything for horse camping. You will also need to decide how you will contain your horse while camping. These will get you well on your way to a great experience horse camping. Please, leave a comment.

Fix Your Spooky Horse

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

Correcting the Spooky Horse

I have been a horse nut for as long as I can remember. I had owned a number of horses which I had some training to do on each horse after my purchase. But it wasn't until I purchased a totally untouched horse, raised in the wild that I had the challenge to correct a horse that was prone to flight. It took me a while to correct and thankfully my horse, myself and others around him never got hurt in the process. I hope this article will help you correct this problem in your horse, quickly and without injuries.

I was tired of retraining horses and tired of trying to fix a problem that someone else had created in a horse that I purchased for my own. So in order to fix this problem I found a yearling that had been field bred and spent the first year of his life in the Cascade mountains. He was untouched and totally wild. I negotiated his price, and an agreement to get him to the sellers home and the understanding that I have the use of her round pen for 2 weeks.

The first four to five days it seemed as though there was little to no progress made, but on day 6 I started to see improvement and by day 14 I had him in a straight load trailer without a fight. I was truly amazed that an animal so wild just 2 weeks before could be transformed in 14 days with just 2 to 3 hours a day of slow gentle work on my part.

This was just the beginning of many years of training. He is now 12 years old and is a wonderful trail horse and a true companion of mine. He is not fully trained as I don't think any horse, at least any of my horses ever are. I believe in the saying, "always be training", and I always will be. He is smart and gentle now but he was a problem to get the flight instinct out of him and make him use his brain. I would work with him and think I had him fixed until a turkey would fly up on the trail and suddenly I was without a horse under me!

A flighty horse has to be fixed and until he is, the horse will be dangerous to handler, rider and the people that are around him as well as dangerous to himself. The final straw was when I was camping, I got two horses saddled and ready to go for a ride, I tried them to a hitching post and went to the outhouse. When I came out I noticed that something was bothering my horse, I don't know what, could have been a horsefly or something. I started over to him at a quick walk so I could untie him and find out what was going on. As I got to him, and before I could get the quick release knot untied he exploded. Now this is a big horse, about 1400 pounds, at a standing position he sprung off the ground like he sprouted wings. He came down on the hitching post which broke off at each end and was now a log tied to him which scared him more and he took off. Now my other horse is still tied to the log and as he takes off she has no choice but to follow. There I was watching my two horses running off in the camp with a log between them. What a wreck!

From this story you can see that something very slight can create a terrible situation and a flighty horse needs to be corrected before these things happen. This was the hardest thing to correct in this horse and I attribute it to the first year of his life when he had real predators like bears and mountain lions. It took a lot to get him to think before flight but I did get that result and so can you.

Here is the horse training lesson in my online library that will fix this problem and a few others in the process. As with most things in horses, fix one thing and it will have an effect on other problems and other benefits to your horse training.
Click here to leave a comment....

A Great Story -

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

This is a great story and well worth the read. I am sorry it is referring to the womens point of view, I am sure there are many men that feel this way, enjoy!

~ I ride ~

That seems like such a simple statement. However, as many women who ride know, it is really a complicated matter. It has to do with power and empowerment. Being able to do things you might have once considered out of reach or ability. Pushing yourself so much farther than imagined.

I have considered this as I shovel manure, fill water barrels in the cold rain and snow, wait for the vet/farrier/ electrician/ hay
delivery, change a tire on a horse trailer by the side of the freeway, or cool a gelding out before getting down to the business of drinking a glass of wine after a long ride.

The time, the money, the effort it takes to ride calls for dedication. At least I call it dedication. My husband calls it 'the sickness.' It's a sickness I've had since I was a small girl bouncing my model horses and dreaming of the day I would ride a real horse .

Most of the women I ride with understand the meaning of 'the sickness.' It's not just a sport. It's not just a hobby. It's what we do and, in some ways, who we are as women and human beings. Some people are defined by their country clubs, personal possessions, or parents, I am defined by one statement...

I ride.

I hook up my trailer and load my gelding. I haul to some horse show somewhere, unload, set up stalls and tack rooms, whistle up my dog, and I ride. I breathe in the air, watch the sunlight filter through the trees and savor the movement of my horse. My shoulders relax. A smile is worn proudly on my sunscreen smeared face. I pull my helmet down and let the real world fade into the tracks my horse leaves in the dust.

Time slows. Flying insects buzz loudly, looking like fairies. My gelding flicks his ears and moves around the ring like the melody of a symphony. I can smell his sweat and it is perfume to my senses. Time slows. The rhythm of the walk, trot and canter, and the plan for my course become my focus. My saddle melts to my horses back and the leather reins in my hands soften with the warmth. I consider the simple statement;

I ride.

I think of all I do because I ride. Spend countless hours caring for these beautiful animals that cannot take care of themselves, jump over obstacles almost as tall as I am, ride with a dear friend through the trails in the back acres all the while laughing and feeling my heart in my chest. Other days just the act of mounting and dismounting can be a real accomplishment. Still I ride. No matter how tired or how much my seat bones, inner thighs or any of the numerous horse related injuries hurt.

I ride.

And I feel better for doing so.

The beauty I've seen because I ride amazes me. I've ridden out to see the nature and skies that surround my beautiful farm. I've trail rode down to the river and just sat there to watch the water slowly move, the fish jump and the birds fly. I've spent hours discovering the 15,000 acres of the Kentucky Horse Park- all in the saddle on one of my beautiful four legged friends, I've seen the most beautiful sunsets while cantering on my sweet gelding.

I think of the people, mostly women, I've met. I consider how competent they all are. Not a weenie amongst the bunch. We haul 40 ft rigs. We back into tight spaces without clipping a tree. We set up at the shows. We carry 300 lb trunks full of all our equipment. Groom and clean, tack and ride. We understand and love our companions, the horse. We respect each other and those we encounter on the trail. We know that if you are out there riding, you also shovel, fill, wait, and doctor. Your hands are a little rough and you travel without makeup or hair gel.

You do without to afford the 'sickness' and probably, when you were a small girl, you bounced a model horse while you dreamed of riding a real one. Now you are there.

I ride.

--Julia Dake--(many of us feel she is our sister)

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Horses Take Some Special Care

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

Horses can be fairly inexpensive to keep unless they get sick or hurt. Here are some things to consider for keeping your horse healthy and happy. From providing shelter for bad weather areas, if you should blanket your horse in winter months, worming, vacinations, hoof care and more. I hope you find it here, but if not just leave your questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability. Click here to leave comments

Beta, Beta Biothane vs Leather

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

In recent years they have come out with new materials to make horse tack. It was always made with leather but now they have come out with Beta and Biothane which are both synthetic man-made materials. For the most part they are easier to care for. No oiling or soaping as with leather, just a damp cloth and little effort is usually all it needs to get it clean and shinny. How does it last and wear? The look is different but nice. But I am rather partial to leather. It certainly does not smell like leather. Having not tried Beta or Beta Biothane I cannot comment if it holds up as well and lasts as long as leather. It is soft and pliable and feels good in your hands. Here is an article on my site that will tell you a bit more about these products. If you can tell me how it wears and if it lasts as long as leather I would really like to know. Click here to leave comment

Custom Western Horse Saddles and Tack Made in USA

Sugar River Saddlery and Tack

I had no idea that most of the saddles, tack, harnesses and horse supplies sold in the US are actually made in India or Pakistan. As Americans in these tough financial times, more than ever before, we need to support American made products. But when doing my research I discovered the surprising reality that very little of the horse tack we buy is made in this country. I soon could see it would be hard to find a manufacturer of quality products made with craftsmanship and fine materials right here in the US.

At Sugar River Saddlery and Tack you will find that all the materials we use and the manufacturing of our saddles and tack are all made in the U.S.A. We pride ourselves in quality saddles and tack for our customers.

Along with quality you need a great fitting saddle and with our unique saddle fitting process, you will be able to see for yourself before the saddle is made how we get the best fit possible for your horse. All our saddles are custom made to your specifications which we build for you once you get the tree size.

You'll find that our custom saddles are not custom priced. You will pay about the same price for our saddles as you would one that is not custom made or custom fit. These saddles come with whatever feature you may want, from tooling to silver, custom stirup length and much much more. Check out our wide selection of choices you will have to choose from. Your saddle will be unique, you won't see another like it on the trail or in the show ring. Leave Comment

Links for 2009-11-25 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Specialized Western Saddle
When purchasing a new saddle is it more important to fit the horse or fit the rider. I think that it is both but when saddle fitting there are a lot more things to consider for your horse than for you. So many riders are on horses that are suffering in pain silently or are acting up and we interpret it to be bad behavior from the horse. Consider this when purchasing your next saddle, fit the bare tree to your horse then build the saddle. This way you will know for sure you have the proper fit for your horse.

Links for 2009-11-18 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

How To Care for Your Horse
This site will help you care for your horse, train your horse, teach you how to saddle and get the best fit, what tack you need and why and how to adjust it to your horse. A custom western saddle maker with USA materials and workmanship. Get a great fit with our bare tree western saddle fitting process.
Muzzle Fungus Stopped My Horse Training
Everyone I talk to has never heard of this fungus that is caused from a lot of dew on the grass. If you ever see it you will know what it is. Read the complete blog to find out what it looks like and how it was teated.

Links for 2009-04-22 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Your Horse Deserves the Best Fitting Saddle
How do you know your saddle fits your horse correctly? This is truly the only way to know for sure. With this process you will get the best fitting saddle possible.

Links for 2009-01-12 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PST

Horse Camping, An Experience You Won't Forget
If you enjoy camping and the great outdoors then the next trip you make take your horse along. This will be an experience you won't forget and a great next step in your horses training. Find out how to get started and how to tie your horse overnight. This will put you well on your way to your first horse camping trip.

Links for 2008-12-24 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST

A Great Story - "I Ride"
A short horse story that will really hit home.

Links for 2008-12-17 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST

Beta, Beta Biothane vs Leather
New man-made products, are they a good substitutes for leather. What are they? How do they hold up and wear? They are easy to clean and care for compared to leather. Horse tack is being made with these products. Reins feel good in your hands made with Beta Biothane.
USA Horse Tack Manufacturer Able To Preserve High Quality Standards
I had no idea that most of the saddles, tack, harnesses and horse supplies sold in the US are actually made in India or Pakistan. As Americans in these tough financial times, more than ever before, we need to support American made products. But when doing my research I discovered the surprising reality that very little of the horse tack we buy is made in this country. I soon could see it would be hard to find a manufacturer of quality products made with craftsmanship and fine materials right here in the US.