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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
  
Location: Bastrop, Texas | I'm interested in hearing from anyone who runs in a cutting saddle. I'm told that they are actually nice for barrels. When I think about it, I wonder if barrel saddles are almost designed to trap the rider and force them to maintain the same seat, hindering the pelvis from moving correctly. I'd like to try one out sometime. I'm afraid if I like it, I will be stuck with the task of selling my other saddles. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1898
 
| I rode with a cutting horse trainer for several years and he always tried to push it on me, the stirrups are free-er, they keep you back better, blah blah. His wife who was a very good friend of mine ran in a caldwell cutter so I thought what the heck, I tried it. I HATED it! I felt like I was always behind my horse, sloppy in the turns and was not able to get the seat I wanted. I tried it for several weeks and decided it was not for me. I want a deeper seat and I felt like I was riding a board.
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Yes, they are, but typically hard to find in anything smaller than a 16" seat. Caldwell is a modified cutter, as well as PSC. |
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Veteran
Posts: 296
| The guy who made my cutting saddle is now custom making barrel saddles for some of us girls, simply because we do like our legs to have more freedom - BUT...to just go run in my cutting saddle right now, there's no way. It's a 15", seat isn't deep at all, and it's a slick seat. I'd be all over the place for sure! They aren't typically built up in the front the same either. While I prefer to ride in my cutter vs my barrel saddle because I like the freedom for my legs, when it comes time to make a run, I'd never even consider running in the cutter I have. Now, if I had a custom one that was built up to provide a deeper seat, that's a different story =) |
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 Pork Fat is my Favorite
Posts: 3791
Location: The Oklahoma plains. | Bo Hill only rides in a cutting saddle. They do make them smaller than 16 but like most barrel saddles are 14" most cutters are 16. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | I think it COULD work but you would have to ride in a few different saddles. I think if they made some smaller seated cutting saddles then they could sell well in the barrel racing industry. I personally like a higher back on my saddle though so I would probably have to custom make my cutter saddle with a 4 inch back. |
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 MEOW!
Posts: 4477
Location: High heels in the air... | I ran in a cutting saddle before I got my first barrel saddle...I rode the stirrups very short and stayed over the top of my horse...nowadays, I sit deep on my pockets and use my legs more...I think if the seat was small enough I could get by, but then again, the better cutting saddles are heavier... |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1118
Location: The South | One of my mounted shooting friends swears by her ranch cutter, she says she can't make herself ride in anything else. I've sat in some, and we bought my husband a used NRS ranch cutter for Christmas, but I feel like I need/want a higher cantle to hold my butt in when my horse pushes off the rundown barrel. He's so powerful, and I don't have a free hand on the saddle horn to hold on with because it's holding a gun! I need all of the help I can get lol. |
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 Hero of the Year
Posts: 10767
Location: Haslet, Texas | The 2 saddles that I had made were on modified Buster Welch trees and I really like them. |
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 Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | Since I've been team penning and ranch sorting, I jumped out and bought a new custom Jeff Smith cutting saddle from RS Saddlery because they had what I wanted in stock in a 14 1/2" seat, which is too big for me in a barrel saddle, but ok in a cutting saddle because you want them a little roomier (I wasn't going to ride in a big 16" cutting seat).
WOW is all I can say.....I got the half breed model, not the slick one.....but it felt broke in right from the start, great quality and free swinging stirrups and a deep seat....I love it....my only complaint is it's heavier than my Caldwell to lift on my horse....Here's similar to what I got...they sell for between $2500 and $3000.
 (saddle.jpg)
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 saddle.jpg (43KB - 278 downloads)
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Cindy Hamilton - 2014-01-22 10:59 AM
Since I've been team penning and ranch sorting, I jumped out and bought a new custom Jeff Smith cutting saddle from RS Saddlery because they had what I wanted in stock in a 14 1/2" seat, which is too big for me in a barrel saddle, but ok in a cutting saddle because you want them a little roomier (I wasn't going to ride in a big 16" cutting seat).
WOW is all I can say.....I got the half breed model, not the slick one.....but it felt broke in right from the start, great quality and free swinging stirrups and a deep seat....I love it....my only complaint is it's heavier than my Caldwell to lift on my horse....Here's similar to what I got...they sell for between $2500 and $3000.
Nice saddle. Part of my problem is I think I should be riding in a 14.5 or 15.0", and my saddles are 14.0. I'm going to try a cutting saddle out sometime, just to see how it feels. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: Kansas | I rode in a flat seat cutter for many years and love them. They were to big for me 16 and I rode a 14.5, but I loved the flat seat and tall saddle horn. That is why I have always liked the older Josey saddles. To me they sit like a flat seat cutter, but I don't swim in the seat size. I recently found an older Josey which I love and it's a 15 so it's fits better now that I am more mature (bigger behind). If I still had a cutter Iove them for general riding and slow working. |
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| IMO just riding in a cutting saddle is great because the seat is flatter with no padding which allows you to feel your horse better, and for your horse to feel you better.
For example, my horse kept running past the first barrel. I went and rode with a cutting friend who felt that my horse actually couldn’t feel me sit down when it was time to rate because my barrel saddle didn’t allow for much movement. I rode in a cutting saddle for a while and worked on rolling my hips back and my horse immediately started turning the first better.
I'm not sure that I would want to run in one because of the large seat size but I love to just ride in them when working my horse or riding a colt!
Edited by LAC 2014-01-22 11:41 AM
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 Forever Young
Posts: 6768
Location: relocated to Texas | I love riding in a cutting saddle. The one I ride in is borrowed from a friend and is a 16 1/2 inch seat. Too big for me to make a run in, but I love to work my horses in it. I just ordered a 15 inch seat of the same saddle and will see how it is to run in. I know I will love working my horses in it though. The thing I don't like about most barrel saddles is that they just don't fit correctly. Most barrel racers ride too small a saddle, IMO and it does not allow them freedom of movement with their pelvis. If you are so wedged into a saddle that you cannot drop your pelvis to ask for collection, how can you expect a horse to respond and drop his rear? You see photos of people who are crammed in so tight, I swear they must have used a large shoe horn to get in there. Then their ass is on the back of the cantle in the turn. Hate to tell them, but that cantle which they think is holding them in, becames a launch pad for the rear end at that point. It throws the rider forward and actually gives a less secure seat.
But back to the original question, cutting saddles will help you in riding with a deeper seat. You may or may not like running in one, but if you choose to run in a barrel saddle, get one that fits the horse and fits you. When I say fits you, I mean gives you room to move in the saddle. I am 5' 4" and weigh 115 lbs. I run barrels in a 15 inch saddle. |
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Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | If you go to RS Saddlery page, they have lots of pictures of both flat seat cutters and the one like I got with the deep pocket seat and a rise to the front.... |
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 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | My daughter runs in a Coats ranch cutter with a 15" seat and she loves it. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 501
| The ranch cutters or cow horse saddles might be a happy medium. Still has the higher front but a little higher cantle and deeper pocket as well. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | This is a good picture showing how I fit in my saddle. I've been riding in this ever since I started. I think I look like I'm poured into it. I don't feel confined, but that's probably because that's all I've known. I guess I need more room! LOL
 (PrimeTime1StateFinals13.jpg)
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PrimeTime1StateFinals13.jpg (48KB - 281 downloads)
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Porta Potty Pants
Posts: 2600
| One of the best saddles I've ever owned was a Shiloh on a Buster Welsh tree. It was the only tree that would fit my horse at the time. Comfy, no problems … would probably have to try it out for comparison sake. |
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Location: MT | I ran in an old Carter Cutter many years ago. It worked fairly well for me, but I definitely prefer my barrel saddles to make runs in. It was super comfy for long rides and, of course, cattle work. |
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