Two saddles can carry the same famous name, and only one of them comes from the shop the man himself chose. We ranked 12 western saddle brands on what they put in writing: where they build, who builds the tree, and how long they stand behind it.
Advertising disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, this site may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Hoof & Honest was not paid by any brand named here, and no brand was given advance sight of this article. A full seat breech at around $200 is supposed to…
Advertising disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, this site may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Hoof & Honest was not paid by any brand named here, and no brand was given advance sight of this article. A horse can go a whole winter without his water…
On September 19, 2026, jockey Martin Garcia went down in a six-horse spill at Churchill Downs. A horse stepped on his face, his back, and his helmet. He came away without a head injury, and told Thoroughbred Daily News, “That helmet definitely saved my life.” He also came away with six broken ribs, four cracked…
Five lightweight saddle brands checked against published weights, from TW Saddlery’s 17-pound Trail Light to Setzi’s 800-gram Contact Carbon.
A saddle can go into a tack room in November and come out in spring with a stiff, cracking seat, a gray bloom of mold along the flaps, and a wool pad underneath it chewed down to felt at the corners. None of that takes neglect. It takes an unheated room between a manure pile…
A rider who steps on the bathroom scale at 160 pounds does not put 160 pounds on the horse. By the time the saddle, pad, girth, bridle, and the boots and helmet the rider is wearing are on board, the horse is carrying closer to 200. The 40-pound gap is not a rounding error. It…
Advertising disclosure: this article contains affiliate links, placed only on the six brands that passed. If you buy through them, this site may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Hoof & Honest was not paid by any brand named here, and no brand was given advance sight of this article. A Shires…
Advertising disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, this site may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Hoof & Honest was not paid by any brand named here, and no brand was given advance sight of this article. In 2015, a research team led by Rachel Murray laid…
Advertising disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, this site may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Hoof & Honest was not paid by any brand named here, and no brand was given advance sight of this article. A Lucchese cowboy boot typically carries about forty-five lemonwood pegs…