Saddle question.

My personal favorite trail saddles is the Duett Trail Companion:http://www.duettsaddles.com/trail.htm
Also many brands of western saddles come with a hornless model. I know Tucker makes one (definitely not a favorite brand of mine), and I'm sure many others do also.

If you are looking for more of a western styled trail saddle:http://www.cheshirehorse.com/Details.asp?ProdID=5077&category=341

Harley, We have been riding in Tarpin hill saddles since 1995(the same ones) that are made like the tucker but not so expensive. Larry Heskett started this business in Salem Il as he was a field trail rider, judge and trail rider. He sold the business and retired and the guy who took it over ended up with problems and over his head. Larry has passed away but his nephew Russ Heskett is now in charge of the business and I think you should at least check them out. There is no horn and you sit down in the saddle so when you jump or your horse spooks or side steps you dont feel like you are coming off. Check them out at www.heskettsaddleworks.com and see what you think. We ride all day long and have rode in 15 states and have had minor repairs only. I am taking ours over there Tuesday for him to go over them. They are great people and work very hard to make a great saddle and then stand behind them.

I myself am not a fan at all on the way the Tucker saddles are built. I owned one for a while and my horse could not gain muscles in his back because of the way the tree was shaped. It's made to fit the slop of a horse's back, but it doesn't give the horse any room if they want to round their back and collect themselves.

I'd never ride in a Tucker because of that. For trail riding the horse needs to be able to round their back if they have to go up a steep hill or down one. The Tucker would not allow my horse to do that so I couldn't go on the trails that I wanted to.

That's my personal experience with the Tucker saddles. So  I'd say stay away from them or anything that is made like them, but that's just my opinion.


I'd say if you do alot of trails, get something with a flex tree or a Wade styled saddle. So the horse has enough shoulder clearance.

We have rode in the tarpin hill saddle (now heskettsaddleworks) since 1994 and never had an issue. The field trial guys ride in them all the time and they are up and down hills and etc. We ride all day when we ride and have never had any problems with mtn trails, hills, mtns trails switchbacks,etc. We have ridden in 15 states and ride out west every summer and they worked great. One time,in Colo., we missed the trail sign and went down switchbacks one thousand feet and then realized we were wrong so turned around and went back up them(used gps). Our horses have been up 15000ft and never had a problem. Knock wood ,they have never made a sore or the horses sore. Had an orthoflex that did that. We have also used them on our other horses with no problem. They are comfortable for them and for us. Just my opinion as everyone has theirs and their likes and dislikes. I took them over yesterday to have them checked over and ready for this yr. Havent found any I would like better but to each their own. We do ride gaited.Russ stands behind his product and works to be sure you are happy and your horse is happy.