Seidel’s Saddlery is first and foremost, a Saddlery. Making saddles is our mainstay, and our passion. But at Seidel’s, we believe anything worth doing at all is worth doing to the best of our ability, whether it is a saddle or another product. We thought our website browsers might have some interest in how we approach what we do. Therefore we are offering our business philosophy:

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Mission Statement: It is our intention to offer products that exemplify the absolute pinnacle in leather work and cowboy crafts.  We pledge to set industry standards for producing saddles that fit rider and horse, offer tremendous durability, and which stand out aesthetically.

We want each and every customer of Seidel’s Saddlery to genuinely feel a product we make for them is the absolute best of its kind; and if they do not, we will do what is necessary to bring that about.

We believe that only in this way can we achieve the success we seek–the complete satisfaction of each and every customer.

Our Guarantee: The trees and riggings (except for ring rigging types) of our saddles are guaranteed for the useful life of the saddle under normal usage conditions. Ring type riggings are guaranteed for a period of 5 years.

Saddles:

Keith Seidel of Seidel’s Saddlery specializes in building custom saddles by hand, the old fashioned way.

To View Keith’s Artist Statement, click here

Keith’s philosophy is to be absolutely certain we produce a saddle that works for both rider and horse. No matter what the level of decoration on the finished product, from plain to fully carved with silver ornamentation, a saddle has to work for both rider and horse. If it fails that test, then appearance makes no difference. At this time our saddles are in use by working cowboys all over the West.

Saddle Trees

The foundation of a great saddle is the tree upon which it is built. The best quality trees are still made of wood with a rawhide covering (with metal for the horn in many cases). Some volume manufacturers of low end saddles are incorporating trees made of synthetic materials, but plastics have not been developed to the point of acceptance in high grade saddles.

All saddles from Seidel’s Saddlery are built on custom made trees individually ordered for each customer. Instead of merely having the pieces cut on a mechanical duplicator, the pieces for the trees are individually hand finished with a drawknife. This allows the rock in the bars of the tree to be specified within inches.

The tree dimensions we use that allow us to fit our modern horses so well came about as a result of a three year trial and development process. Our research efforts involved riding bare trees on a variety of horses to determine needed changes. While this entailed a lot of time and work, we believe the results were worthwhile. Our customers assure us it was, on a daily basis.

(One interesting, and generally unknown, tidbit is that some saddle makers do not, themselves, ride horses, let alone go to the trouble of creating their own tree specifications. They simply take whatever their tree maker supplies them and build a saddle around it. The customer is then left to figure out if the saddle fits them and their equine partner well. If a problem is brought to their attention, they’re likely to suggest different padding which, if it helps, merely masks, but does not solve the problem.)

Seidel’s Saddlery believes a non-rider has some built-in difficulties translating customer wants or needs into a good saddle. Incidentally, all the folks in Seidel’s shop are riders engaging in ranch work, mountain trail riding, and other equine activities.)

Other Material

We use Hermann Oak tannery saddle skirting to make our saddles. In our opinion, that company offers the best saddle skirting in the industry. We still individually inspect each hide delivered to our shop.

Even the best raw materials must be incorporated into a saddle correctly to produce a high quality finished product. This means that the density, weight, grain, and texture of each single piece in one of our saddles must meet our standards even if that means picking our way through several different hides to get exactly what we want.

An example of the need to be selective is in having to cut the pieces for the stirrup leathers from a location in a hide based on an entirely different set of qualities than those for the swell cover. Only by having a known set of characteristics to work for and being unwavering in our selection can we offer the highest quality finished product

Ornamentation

While our saddles must meet our strict criteria for fit of horse and rider, and adhere to extremely minute details in construction, once those requirements are met, the opportunity exists to take a saddle to a whole new level with stamping, tooling and silver adornment.

Any ornamentation with which we associate ourselves must remain consistent with our other material and construction standards.

Each saddle receiving some amount of tooling is treated to an individually drawn pattern that is a one of a kind. Once drawn and tooled, the patterns are destroyed. No two are repeated. Every one is a unique work of art.

Whether the customer wants border stamping, corner tooling, ½ coverage, ¾, or full coverage we can accommodate their desires. We incorporate the philosophy of the ‘3 D’s’ in our tooling, using unique Design, great Depth, and intricate Detail. Seidel’s Saddlery believes our customers deserve nothing less.

We enjoy incorporating tasteful amounts of silver on a customer’s saddle. We are always pleased to make suggestions from the array of products made by several western silversmiths. We will do our best to offer selections at the best prices obtainable.

Please note that if we supply the silver, we limit ourselves to the use of heirloom quality sterling silver (or silver and gold) pieces to remain consistent with the other construction aspects of our saddles.

In some cases a customer wishes to supply their own decorative items. If the pieces are of high quality in material and workmanship, we can, in most cases, mount the pieces for them.

Configurations

Our finished saddles normally weigh between 34 and 38 pounds. The variations that occur in tree types, riggings, stirrups, and accessories are primarily responsible for the variations. We will occasionally have a customer who will request that we build their saddle using skirting leather in a thinner or heavier than normal thickness. We can, within reason, accommodate those requests.

Our saddles, built with our custom trees and in our normal weights of leather will offer the customer unmatched strength and an unequivocally closer contact with their horse than any others, including English saddles.

We realize some saddle shops specialize in a particular style or type of saddle, such as ranch, reining, roping, or cutting. When asked to step outside their specialty the changes tend to be only superficial, and do not include the fundamental structural and construction differences that are appropriate and necessary. This accounts for why a reining saddle produced by a show saddle specialist tends to look a lot like a show saddle without the corner plates, and a ranch saddle from the same shop resembles a show saddle without any decoration and strings added.

Keith Seidel is comfortable making the saddle that the customer wants, whatever the specifics. Period.  Keith has extensive experience in making a variety of show, reining, roping, pleasure, ranch, and cowboy saddles, while incorporating the needed construction differences as well as the cosmetics.

We frequently hear from customers, particularly those with a lot of different saddle ownership experiences, that our saddles are fitted together better than all the others they’ve owned. We also get numerous comments about the design of our saddles.

Customers find the lines of the seat, jockeys, rigging, skirts, fenders, and other components all in proportion in size and flow and therefore very pleasing to the eye. The difference is frequently dramatic in contrast with other saddles customers own.

At our base price the customer has a choice of tree, rigging types, either inlaid or regular padded seat, hard seat, straight up cantle or Cheyenne roll, covered stirrups in the customer’s choice of style, strings, front and back cinches, rope straps, horn wraps, hobble holders, and Nevada Twist* fenders.

All of these options are INCLUDED in our base price—the options that are cost additionally are tooling, silver, leather lined, inset swell, and other specialty high end custom treatments.

We work hard to find what the customer wants, then integrate numerous design elements, including the way the tree sits on the horse, the seat rise and seat pocket, the rigging type and position, fender style and length, and a number of other considerations. This allows us to supply the customer with exactly what will work best for them and avoids problems later.

For those folks who have experienced knee problems, please note that a Nevada twist on the stirrup leathers, which permanently turns the stirrups to hang in position for ready access, is included in the base price. Incorporating this feature alone saves rider aggravation and discomfort in most cases. We will, of course, make the saddle without that feature if the customer prefers.

Notes on Rigging Types

Every detail of saddle construction has its’ proponents and opponents. Rigging types are no exception. The following information represents our findings on rigging types based on years of riding and experimentation, and a considerable amount of repair work. We will approach this section using both our specific construction techniques and generalities about the various types in the industry.

In Skirt- One of our favorites for many reasons. Its’ benefits include close contact with the horse for a good feel and communication, light weight versus flat plate rigging by eliminating several pounds and ½” of leather under the rider’s leg, and, as executed by Seidel’s, uniform support for the rigging from both the rider’s and horse’s side of the tree bars, and an even, consistent pull downward front and rear on the bars.

In addition, it offers the rider a smooth surface under the leg and free movement of the stirrup leathers and fenders through a full range of motion. The rigging hangs low for a better wrap around the barrel of the horse so that the saddle will remain in place without having to cinch the horse so tightly. The rider is more comfortable and secure and your horse is happier.

As executed by Seidel’s, the skirts and the rigging are fitted together around the front and rear of the tree bars and stitched together so strongly that the saddle could be ridden with the rigging pieces in place but without any screws or nails driven into the tree. Of course, there is no reason to want to do that, and we certainly do secure the fitted pieces with screws and nails during assembly, but a peek at just how we do things will illustrate the point.

Note: As we make this rigging type, it is our strongest, but our method of construction should not be confused with that of inskirt riggings from other makers. While Keith has generously shared details of this rigging type and other construction aspects of his saddles with other makers over the years, few go to the trouble to make it as we do.

This is, incidentally, a rare case of form driving function at Seidel’s. While more time consuming and complicated to make than other methods of inskirt construction, Keith developed the method initially while building show saddles.

He was seeking a way to improve the looks of the tooling pattern along the bottom edge of the saddle by avoiding the normal seams and joints most makers and customers tolerate when this rigging is done the easy way.

In his search, he started using a single piece of saddle skirting on the exterior to provide a smooth, unbroken field for the tooling pattern. When he did, the result was a rigging that was functionally improved by being stronger since it was minus the seams and joints normally associated with this style of rigging. Unfortunately, making and assembling the saddle became much more difficult for the maker, but the benefits in strength and appearance justify the trouble and expense.

Since the rigging essentially encases the tree bars by wrapping around them front and rear, each must be individually fitted to each saddle. No patterns or pre-cutting allowed. It is also difficult to get into place during construction since all stitching is done with the pieces off the tree, but once fitted on the tree, it is secure even before fasteners are put into place. When the pieces are glued and stitched together, they’re essentially unitized. The improved looks are an added bonus.

Flat Plate- Functionally similar to our inskirt rigging in providing a good wrap around the barrel of the horse, unhindered range of motion of the stirrup leathers and fenders, and tremendous strength. Its’ name derives from the fact that a leather ‘plate’ or pieces of doubled, glued and edge stitched saddle skirting in which the rigging dee (or dees in the case of the back cinch attachment being a metal ring instead of an oblong slot in the leather) forms the connection of the saddle to the horse. As in our inskirt rigging, all flat plates are not created equal. The line drawing below shows some of our design features that differentiate us from other makers.

Unlike most saddle shops, we extend the rigging plates beyond the tree bars front and rear far enough to stitch the flat plate and skirt firmly to one another in addition to the plate being attached to the tree. The stitching forms pockets around the ends of the tree bars front and rear, and the flat plate itself is fastened by screws and nails into the bars.

This type of rigging differs from the inskirt style by incorporating the pieces that make up the flat plate itself as shown in the illustration. In so doing, it adds the thickness of the flat plate, approximately ½”, under the rider’s leg, but like our inskirt rigging, it is very smooth and without bulges or lumps in that area. It works fine for the folks who don’t demand the narrowest width in that area, but may be a detraction for shorter or smaller riders by making the saddle wider at a fairly low point.

Ring Rigging and Dee Rigging- These are the easiest, least expensive ways to attach rigging to a tree, and are the most common types. The pieces can be precut because they are adaptable to all seat sizes and tree configurations. Both types endure because of their traditional use and the ease and economy of making them. Most bronc saddles are still made using an EZ ring rigging since the large opening makes it easy to get the latigo through when cinching up any horse, but a particularly important feature for cinching up a saddle bronc.

Unfortunately, the very simplicity, minimal connection points to the saddle, and lack of integrity between front and rear rings, makes it predictably the weakest type of rigging used. The pieces of the rigging have edges that restrict stirrup freedom of movement. The stirrup leathers and the rigging will have wear points where they abrade as they move across one another. Some makers try to include various little flaps of leather here and there to minimize the problem, but this is just a coverup of the underlying problem.

While the Dee ring rigging style, too, has its advocates, it is a paradox of saddle making that in many shops, roping saddles which will predictably undergo considerable stress in their useful life are commonly made using the weakest of the rigging types. This type of rigging makes the saddle fairly wide high under the knees of most riders. If it is set fairly high on the saddle it gives the least wrap around the barrel of the horse, requiring the tightest cinching to keep the saddle in place. There are actually some slight differences in ring rigging and Dee or EZ rigging, but they each generally share basic functional characteristics.

When saddle makers attempt to make any of these types stronger, it is done by adding folds of leather around the rings at contact and wear points. This has the effect of making the lump under the rider’s leg at the forward ring even more prominent, and in addition to discomfort, causes isolation from the horse and the ability to feel his movements.

Each of these types in some variation may be necessary when recreating certain ‘old time’ saddle styles, such as those from Meanea, or ones with Sam Stagg rigging just to remain faithful to the original design.

Rigging Positions

Many customers have a rigging preference in mind at the time a saddle order is being finalized. If not, we will make recommendations on rigging position based on information gathered from the customer. The information will include questions about seat size, rider size, seat pocket, type of tree desired, specific information about the horse if one horse in particular will be using the saddle, and the primary use of the saddle.

Rigging positions essentially control where the front cinch wraps the horse. In any case, it is NOT relative to the type of rigging. Therefore, any rigging type may be set in any rigging position, although certain choices make more sense and are more commonly found than some others.

(1)
The drawing generally illustrates the standard rigging positions. A full rigging position is the one that sits furthest forward on the saddle, therefore locates the front cinch closest to the front leg of the horse. Other positions; , ¾, and center fire are placed progressively further toward the rear.

That is, moving the rigging from full to center fire incrementally moves the front cinch further from the horse’s front leg when the saddle is sitting on the horse in the position where it best fits.

Changing the rigging position does not change where the saddle sits on the horse’s back. (All saddles have one place where they tend to want to sit on a given horse. This is affected by the horse’s withers, shape of their back, slope of the shoulder, etc.) The drawing shows five positions, but obviously, the position of the rigging can be set at any fraction desired. Using smaller increments than those shown is usually unnecessary. The use of a single or double rigging will affect which rigging position might be most appropriate. On a single rigged saddle, with only one cinch, in order to more nearly equalize the downward pull of the cinch, front to rear, a ¾ or ‘center fire’ rigging position might be used.

On a double rigged saddle where both front and rear cinches will be utilized(saddles with a rear cinch provision, i.e. show saddles, do not always use the rear cinch since it may not be needed) will generally be found using a full, or ¾ rigging position. There would be little use in having a rear cinch on a ‘center fire’ rigged saddle, although they occasionally appear.

The most common position is because it seems to fit the widest variety of horses well. This setting will put the cinch about 3″ to 5″ behind the front leg on most horses. We will be pleased to discuss any aspects of this that the customer wishes to pursue in greater detail when a saddle order is being placed.

Additional Notes

We by no means believe the text here will do more than scratch the surface of some of the questions someone might have before placing a saddle order, but we wanted to offer a few general thoughts and starting points for visitors to our website.

Neither do we wish to throw too much detail toward a person who may be unfamiliar with saddle terminology or construction specifics. We work hard at being able to discuss saddles with people ranging from beginning riders to seasoned horsemen in the terms with which they are comfortable.

We will be happy to discuss a saddle order with someone wishing to do so either for specifics of pricing or just the details needed to build what the customer wants. We believe a custom saddle requires some discussion to make sure the customer and maker are thinking in similar terms.

We offer basic pricing information for the shopper’s general reference, but specifics beyond a basic saddle are best discussed on an individual basis. This applies to tooling styles and coverage. The same is true for pricing on custom silver work or other ornamentation.

Firm saddle orders require a non-refundable $5000 deposit.  We will contact the customer approximately 2-3 months before beginning construction of an ordered saddle to go over the order one final time. The saddle price will be locked in at that time. Upon start of construction, an additional amount is due that brings your total deposit to 50% of the price of the saddle, and then the remainder will be due when notified of completion.  All deposits are non-refundable.  Freight charges are not included.

Many of our customers want to visit our saddlery to take delivery of their new saddle. We encourage that, since it lets us watch a smile spread from their seat to their face when they sit in their new saddle for the first time. 

Please feel free to call (307-587-1200) or email us with any questions you may have.

1. Drawing by Verlane Desgrange. Copyright 1993. Used by permission. From ‘Saddlemaking in Wyoming’.