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 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | As I was reading the Pozzi saddle thread there were a lot of different personal options on what height they prefer and what they don't like.
My last treed saddle was a 5 inch cantle and I have to say I think the extra inch was unnecessary for me. Probably would've been pretty good working with colts, and I never got bucked off our past broncy gelding  that in the past has sent me to the hospital; but for barrel racing I was happy with it and it never threw me forward. Noted, I was riding in a 15 inch seat too.
My current saddle, which is a treeless in a 15 inch seat, has a 4 inch cantle (I think) and I feel more forward in this saddle but not enough to feel unbalanced, just enough to ride more on my crotch than my butt. My stirrups don't get behind me and I feel pretty confident in it with my horse. Reminds me of riding more English. Idk if I'd want to use that saddle though for a colt.
My saddle that I had in college breaking colts was 15 inch and a 3 inch cantle. Fell or bucked off a few times with each colt probably (4 colts in total) and maybe a higher cantle would've been better, maybe it wouldn't have? I also barrel raced in that saddle too but my horse at the time wasn't real fast or a super hard turner so it worked out fine.
I think personally 3 inches is the lowest I'd go for a barrel saddle, and that would be with a hard seat instead of cushioning underneath. |
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 The One
Posts: 7998
 
Location: South Georgia | 4". I feel trapped in 5" |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 784
Location: USA | I like 4".......... I was wondering with a 5" does it make your seat size run smaller? |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I think less of it is cantle height in and of itself and more of the combination of front and back height, ground seat, and position of the cantle, as well as balance on the horse.
I just sold a Triple Creek with a 5” back because i was getting thrown forward. Ordered a Jeff Smith c3, which also has a 5” cantle but a completely different front end and seat design. Zero issues when I tried it. Also sits better on the horse, even though the triple creek appeared to fit and wasn’t soring him up, he’s much more free in the C3 and when he doesn’t drop his front in the turn as much, I don’t go forward.
I know some folks who felt thrown forward in the C3, but if you watch their style they want to get very far back in the turns through their upper body, which is not the position the saddle wants to balance you in - therefore to keep that riding style it would not be a good fit.
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 The best bad guy on the internet
Posts: 3519
Location: Arizona | i just bought a Pozzi Pro and it has a 4" cantle, my cactus which I was riding in had a 3" cantle. So far I really like the 4". It keeps me more in the middle. I also notice the C3's have a 9" swell, that's tall along with a 5" cantle...I guess your'e not going anywhere in that saddle. |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | 4" I had a 5" and it just felt like it was too much |
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Member
Posts: 37
| I prefer 4" or below, to me the swells and how the seat is made is more important. I like a flat seat and swells I can lock my thighs into when needed. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| All depends on the horse.
I have one horse leaving a barrel in a 4' she will blow me out of the seat onto the cantle. A 5' I can actually ride her. (I have tried many different saddles on her, she just has that much torque and acceleration)
All my other horses I ride in a 3' or a 4" again depending on the saddle either a 13.5 or 14" seat.
For my colts, I do like the deep seat, but can get by in different saddles if need be. |
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| Cantle height deals with how big your butt and thighs are ...
it keeps everything from spilling over the backside of the saddle ..
and keeps legs with big thighs from swinging backwards ..
or even forward depending on how much you stuffed into a saddle
seat that is too small for your current weight.
Mass produced saddles are built on average weight and height ..
if you are short, tall, overweight or skinny, you can feel the fit
is not there in most bought off the rack saddles ..
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| BARRELHORSE USA - 2018-01-06 12:31 PM
Cantle height deals with how big your butt and thighs are ...
it keeps everything from spilling over the backside of the saddle ..
and keeps legs with big thighs from swinging backwards ..
or even forward depending on how much you stuffed into a saddle
seat that is too small for your current weight.
Mass produced saddles are built on average weight and height ..
if you are short, tall, overweight or skinny, you can feel the fit
is not there in most bought off the rack saddles ..
I was sent a wonderful video that demonstrates and uses different words than
I did ....
Only thing she did not mention was narrowing the tree or building up the seat to
fit your crotch >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> OR >>>>>>>>>>
for thicker thighs so your legs will fall down the horses sides rather than sticking
outwards away from your horse making your legs almost useless ..
TAKE A LOOK ...
I like this cranky old lady ... she tells it like it is !!
https://youtu.be/-gMDNmK5jqc
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2018-01-07 9:19 PM
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Favorite cantle height