Choose The Right Saddle For Cutting Or Reining

"I want to do Reining or Cutting.  What saddle do you recommend?"

• Seat: Remember, you want a saddle that will allow you to sit the stop. First of all the seat of the saddle should lay close to the horse’s back. The closer you can get to the horse the better. Anything more than a couple inches above the back is too high.
  
  Also, the lowest part of the seat should be the "middle" of the seat. This low part is called the "pocket". If the pocket is too far back you’ll be forced against the cantle. Too far forward and you’ll slide up on the swells.
  
  Beware of too small a seat. You need enough room to slide forward and back a little. The average size woman usually needs a 16" to 16 ½" seat. The average man, 16" to 17". Also, I personally like a seat that is built up in front. This gives a more secure ride. However, the pocket should still be in the middle of the seat.
• Horn and swells: In reining your rein hand needs to be able to move unobstructed. Too high a horn or swells will get in the way. I’d want the horn no higher than 3". And the swells no higher than 7". I also like the horn to be small in diameter. In a cutting saddle, I like the swells to be a little higher, around 8". And the horn to be tilted a little forward. Actually, here on the west coast, a lot of folks will show their reiners in a cutting saddle.
• Stirrup Leathers: This is one of the most critical parts of the saddle, yet the most overlooked. You want the stirrup leathers hung as far forward as possible. Ideally right behind the swells.
  
  The reason is simple. To be able to stay balanced on a horse that stops and turns hard, you’ve got to sit down in the saddle. I mean way down. If the stirrup leathers are hung too far back, your feet will be behind your center of gravity and cause you to fall forward.
  
  The result will be a loss of your balance which causes the horse to come out of the stop. Also the stirrup leathers and fenders should be made of fairly thin, flexible leather. For precise leg cues, you don’t want a lot of bulk between your leg and the horse.
   
• Cantle: Don’t buy one of those buckaroo saddles with an 6" high cantle. It’ll hit you in the back. Quite a few of the "trail" saddles also have a steep, high cantle. Stay away from them.
   
• Rigging: How your saddle is rigged is extremely important. And no compromise on rigging should ever be made when choosing a saddle. The saddle you want should have a full-double or a 7/8th rigging, period. Never, ever buy a saddle that is ¾ or center-fire rigged.
  
  I also prefer the rigging Dee to be either in-skirt or dropped 3 or 4 inches below the swells (called a dropped rigging). Both will be less bulky and give you closer contact with your horse.
   
• Tree: Make sure the tree fits your horse’s back. If it’s too narrow or too wide your horse won’t be comfortable. Double check to be sure there is enough clearance between the horse’s withers and the gullet (a minimum of 1").
  
  A big problem with a lot of saddle trees, is that the bars don't have enough curve to fit the horse's back. If your horse is a little sway-backed and the saddle tree is real straight, your horse is going to get a sore back.

Good luck,

Larry Trocha