Saddle

Soooo - I'm having a new saddle built - gotta love waiting 6-8 months for something! Been waiting to have it made since I turned 16 so I guess another 6-8months isn't TOO bad

Anyway - I'm trying to figure out if I forgot anything...
-15" ground seat
-low cantle
-moderate swells
-3" horn
-tree is wooden (reinforced - it is awesome!)
-semi-square skirts
-dropped rigging
-sanded roughout seat and fenders
-2" Laminated wood stirrups (just like Nettles except Nettles is really expensive AND they let their patent expire so I have Nettles on my cutting saddle but a different brand on this saddle)
-Tooling is everywhere but seat and fenders - looks almost like a flower, saddle maker has never personally used it on a saddle and I've never seen it, stamp is from 1862
-Conchos are browned with brass and silver (very small little single flower)
-NO padding in the seat!
-Length of stirrups is NUMBERED AND about 1/2 inch apart

I wanted a saddle I could do ANYTHING in - I should be able to do just about anything in this from rope to break babies to all sorts of other stuff, just a "USING" saddle...
sooo - what did I forget?!?

Long time to wait.. But, if you order something special then it is worth the wait..

When he orders the tree, if you're where you can actually see it and sit in it - I'd do so!

Uh, make sure you can pick it up and throw it over the horse. I know any saddles that Rick has made, Lordy, they're heavy!

When he orders the tree, if you're where you can actually see it and sit in it - I'd do so!

Uh, make sure you can pick it up and throw it over the horse. I know any saddles that Rick has made, Lordy, they're heavy!

Yeah - I'll go sit it when it comes in just to make sure! It will be a little while before it comes in though.

He was very understanding when I told him that I wanted to be able to throw it up on a 16 hand horse if I needed to and I wasn't going to get ANY taller and probably not much stronger - he laughed and said he would try to keep the weight down - the other saddles in there weren't bad at all!

Lucky you. I'm soo jealous. I've wanted a custon saddle for ages. Now that I have kids, it'll be a long wait till I can actually get one. Doesn't sound like you forgot anything. A friend of ours got a saddle made. Guy did all sorts of measurments on him, but still managed to make nice long fenders for a short little guy. He was on the shortest hole and still looking a little long for his legs. He ended up taking it back for the guy to fix. But otherwise he loves it.