aquinnell - 2014-02-24 10:24 PM

Jeff Smith is much more known for producing quality cutters/ranch cutters/work saddles.  I worked for a shop that carries his saddles, I have had a few of his barrel saddles (Cowboy Collection as well as Jeff Smith) and they are not great quality.  They are average, don't fit a variety of horses IMO.  I would spend my money elsewhere unless you have a pretty easy horse to fit.  There are definitely more quality saddles out there for the money.  If you're looking for a cutter or work saddle though, I'd go for his for sure!! 

aquinnell - 2014-02-24 10:24 PM Jeff Smith is much more known for producing quality cutters/ranch cutters/work saddles.  I worked for a shop that carries his saddles, I have had a few of his barrel saddles (Cowboy Collection as well as Jeff Smith) and they are not great quality.  They are average, don't fit a variety of horses IMO.  I would spend my money elsewhere unless you have a pretty easy horse to fit.  There are definitely more quality saddles out there for the money.  If you're looking for a cutter or work saddle though, I'd go for his for sure!! 

dinero7783 - 2014-02-25 5:31 PM I had a high-end one that was a "custom" saddle and it wasn't worth half what I gave for it...it was no different than a Cactus, Martin or any other saddle. In fact, I was very disappointed. ALWAYS remember, just because someone famous endorses it, that doesn't mean it's a QUALITY product. You can buy saddles, trailers, tack, supplements and every other horse item that someone "famous" endorses and it doesn't make it a quality product. They'll ride, wear, drive or pull whatever is free!! I finally sent mine to Fousts/Coolhorse in Amarillo to sell because I had it on BHW for months with no interest. I'd ride a Shiloh, Martin, Cactus or nearly anything else first...they're just another saddle.

Bug Is Alive - 2014-02-25 6:27 PM Did you buy a custom barrel saddle?  How long ago was it, and are they different now than when you bought yours?  Someone on here said the barrel saddles were different from the cutting and ranch saddles. 



Do you think Mary Walker endorses them because she was given a free saddle, or do you think she chose Jeff Smith because he makes a quality ranch saddle and she wanted him to make her barrel saddle the same quality as those, and not the type of barrel saddle that you had made?  Just curious since someone suggested he was not that familiar with barrel saddles until Mary came along so that might be why you  got one you were unhappy with.  Not arguing, just wondering if the Mary Walker one will be better than the one you bought because he knows more about them now.  I agree with a previous poster that Jeff Smith is famous for his cutting and ranch saddles.  I don't think I would have ever even thought of ordering a barrel saddle from him.  I ride a custom Coats.  I don't even know if it's endorsed by anyone.

WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2014-02-24 12:59 PM

Are the stirrups forward hung, under a person...? What about the seat? Is it a flatter ground seat or more cup your butt style?

I've seen them and thought they looked really nice, just wondered how they rode:) 

dinero7783 - 2014-02-25 7:18 PM My father in law and sister in law are friends of Jeff's...I bought the saddle personally from him, not from someone who worked for him. He claimed to know a ton about barrel racing saddles and he's been making them for several years...not like he just started because of Mary. I liked the looks of the saddle, it fit 1 of my 3 horses good. He said it had the Buster Welch tree/front like my Coats does and his cutters are supposed to have. I've got custom Coats...they fit 3 of the 3. I like Mary, respect her a lot, but I am not going to buy a saddle just because she (or anyone else) endorses it. My father in law has cutters & rides a bunch of Jeff's saddles. Most (I'm not saying all!!!) cutters don't give a darn about saddle fit. If they are on their back when the 2.5 minutes is over, that's good enough. They aren't particular about how a saddle fits a horse, they show up with 20+ head to ride...they'll ride anything. His cutting saddles didn't fit near good enough for me to call them a "good fit" on their cutters. Barrel racers and ropers can't keep a horse winning like that. We had a calf roping saddle that he wanted us to try that Jeff built- I finally told my FIL to come get it...we had a Coats, Whorton and an older Trophy Tack and it didn't fit half as good as them. It was collecting dust. Calf ropers and people that require a horse to keep working year after year are who I look towards when it comes to saddle fit. Howard Council, Billy Hogg, Rick Whorton and Larry Coats make a saddle to fit a horse...that's what is important to me personally.



Are they a good saddle? Yes, comparing them to a Cactus, Martin or any other line made saddle...they are fine. Would I give a "custom made" price for them like a Coats, Stoney, Caldwell, etc...not a CHANCE.



I've gone up and down the road with many of these guys and girls...they'll ride whatever someone gives them or pays them to ride. They have no "loyalty" as far as brands go. Trailers, saddles, tack, trucks...you name it...they'll switch for a little more money. Some of them have been sponsored by two or three seperate trailer companies...loyalty lies nowhere. It all comes down to who has given them another dollar or two!



Larry Coats does "sponsor" a few people, if you'd call it that. They get a free saddle and can trade it in for a new one once in awhile. Those people are more concerned about their horse and the true fit of the saddle than the almighty dollar.

TurnLane - 2014-02-25 3:41 PM I honestly think there is a sweat shop in south texas that makes the majority of saddles and then they put "brand X" on the tag.... 

Canchasr1 - 2014-04-11 3:05 PM Ding Ding Ding...
You would be correct.
Jeff doesnt make ANY of his saddles.....
Neither does numerous other saddlemakers in our area.  

dinero7783 - 2014-02-25 3:31 PM

I had a high-end one that was a "custom" saddle and it wasn't worth half what I gave for it...it was no different than a Cactus, Martin or any other saddle. In fact, I was very disappointed. ALWAYS remember, just because someone famous endorses it, that doesn't mean it's a QUALITY product. You can buy saddles, trailers, tack, supplements and every other horse item that someone "famous" endorses and it doesn't make it a quality product. They'll ride, wear, drive or pull whatever is free!! I finally sent mine to Fousts/Coolhorse in Amarillo to sell because I had it on BHW for months with no interest. I'd ride a Shiloh, Martin, Cactus or nearly anything else first...they're just another saddle.

luckygirl04 - 2014-04-11 9:37 PM


AMEN !! ??????????????????????????

dinero7783 - 2014-02-25 5:18 PM


My father in law and sister in law are friends of Jeff's...I bought the saddle personally from him, not from someone who worked for him. He claimed to know a ton about barrel racing saddles and he's been making them for several years...not like he just started because of Mary. I liked the looks of the saddle, it fit 1 of my 3 horses good. He said it had the Buster Welch tree/front like my Coats does and his cutters are supposed to have. I've got custom Coats...they fit 3 of the 3. I like Mary, respect her a lot, but I am not going to buy a saddle just because she (or anyone else) endorses it. My father in law has cutters & rides a bunch of Jeff's saddles. Most (I'm not saying all!!!) cutters don't give a darn about saddle fit. If they are on their back when the 2.5 minutes is over, that's good enough. They aren't particular about how a saddle fits a horse, they show up with 20+ head to ride...they'll ride anything. His cutting saddles didn't fit near good enough for me to call them a "good fit" on their cutters. Barrel racers and ropers can't keep a horse winning like that. We had a calf roping saddle that he wanted us to try that Jeff built- I finally told my FIL to come get it...we had a Coats, Whorton and an older Trophy Tack and it didn't fit half as good as them. It was collecting dust. Calf ropers and people that require a horse to keep working year after year are who I look towards when it comes to saddle fit. Howard Council, Billy Hogg, Rick Whorton and Larry Coats make a saddle to fit a horse...that's what is important to me personally.

Are they a good saddle? Yes, comparing them to a Cactus, Martin or any other line made saddle...they are fine. Would I give a "custom made" price for them like a Coats, Stoney, Caldwell, etc...not a CHANCE.

I've gone up and down the road with many of these guys and girls...they'll ride whatever someone gives them or pays them to ride. They have no "loyalty" as far as brands go. Trailers, saddles, tack, trucks...you name it...they'll switch for a little more money. Some of them have been sponsored by two or three seperate trailer companies...loyalty lies nowhere. It all comes down to who has given them another dollar or two!

Larry Coats does "sponsor" a few people, if you'd call it that. They get a free saddle and can trade it in for a new one once in awhile. Those people are more concerned about their horse and the true fit of the saddle than the almighty dollar.

BamaCanChaser - 2014-04-09 1:49 PM




Having worked for a very well-known and successful cutting trainer, I couldn't agree more with everything you just said! We had approx 20 saddles, various brands/fits, to throw whichever one was available on whoever was next in the working order. As long as it didn't roll off their back when you stepped on, it was good. As a barrel racer, I could never get over this.

The saddles that consistently fit nearly everything were the Coates. Others, which cost just as much, came from just as big of "names" just didn't ride as good on such a wide variety of horses. 
 

RaNdI sUe - 2014-02-25 6:08 AM


Jeff hasn't YET been known for barrel saddles like he has cutter/working cow horse saddles no, but Jeff and Mary Walker have put a lot of time and energy into creating this new saddle and having rode and ordered one this saddle is NICE. So even though you have seen his first barrel saddle doesn't mean you have to hold all his barrel saddles to that same standard, after all I don't think any one mastered anything their first time. I don't think Mary would put Latte in anything that she doesn't consider 'quality' nor would she put her name on it.