That is another thing about the Kuda I LOVE LOVE!!!! It does not interfere with any of the horses shoulder movement at all!!! You can stick your whole hand under the front of the saddle and touch your leg on any horse. And that TWH in the picture is actually very wide and hard to fit, fits him like a glove!

I know, us horse people are happy about sweat patterns and good looking poop!

Here is a pic of me and Amigo with the Kuda taken today.

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Amigo-Paso gelding
Coot-TWH gelding
Pie-APHA gelding

what a pretty boy and the saddle looks great too.

what you're going to do IN the saddle really does make a huge difference though because some of the saddles that fit well and are quite comfortable will not stay in place during speed events

Big Horn barrel saddle synthetic with flank set and mohair cinch and bootie stirrups


cheap dressage for parade



stueben all purpose and expensive REAL James saddlery Aussie on hunterpace ride



Orthoflex Aussie and BigHorn western for photoshoot - I had to switch the saddles to ride the buckskin in fast turns because it was just too flexy.



training a green horse - Abetta western style synthetic endurance saddle with flank set.

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One can disagree without being disagreeable

Riding a paso fino is like being strapped to a bullet you can guide with your mind

I tried one of Tony's "In Stock" saddles when I first got my Paso.

Unfortunately it didn't fit, but Tony was great to work with and the saddle was very nice for the price. I'd heard to be wary of Colombian made saddles, but these were good quality. They will custom make a saddle/tree for you.

I wound up buying a Black Forest treeless, but if I was going to buy a traditional or western style saddle I'd get one made.

I've been looking around, and it seems there is some debate about whether or not a treeless saddle is the way to go or not. I've heard and read about opinions both ways.

I've got to say, the CTK western style saddles look pretty neat, and they have many styles to choose from. I'm educated now that the angles of a paso are different from the angles on a QH, and it makes sense to find a tree (or don't use a tree) to fit the unique back of gaited horses.

So to summarize what I've learned: find the right tree (or go without) to fit a paso because their backs are different, use a 3/4 or centerfire rigging to allow freedom of movement, minimize the length of the skirt to allow freedom of movement, go with a padded seat since we "sit" the paso in its gaits, and measure your horse well because some are wider than others and might require a wide tree (especially if you're considering a Colombian saddle that tends to be narrower that trees from the US).

Did I get it right?

Also, it seems to me that the tendency to pitch a rider forward in some of these saddles comes from the 3/4 or centerfire rigging common to paso saddles. I've ridden my QH and paso in full, 7/8, and 3/4 rigging, all in the same Circle Y saddle, and I definitely felt differently balanced in the 3/4 rigging. Having said that, when I changed to the 3/4 rigging from the full to ride my paso, I felt much more "seated" in the saddle and felt that the paso performed better and was smoother in his gait. Riding my QH or paso in full position, I never felt like I could pitch forward, but how could I with the pressure on the saddle and the center of force so much more in front of me, versus when it's in the further back position, like the 3/4 position, when I'm basically in line with the force of the pressure on the saddle. Did anything I just said make sense?

Yes, what you've said makes sense! The 3/4 rigging, in essence, ties both the front and the back of the saddle to the girth spreading the pressure over a wider distance which is more comfortable for most horses. With the girth attached to the front of the saddle only and tightened, the back of the saddle has a tendency to come off the horse's back. Saddle fit also plays into the equation. Take a saddle that's a little too wide and strap it down only in the front and you're going to feel like you're riding downhill.

Regardless of the rigging or style of the saddle, proper fit is CRUCIAL! I've got a Wintec Isabell dressage saddle with the changeable gullets, which allows for adjustment of the tree width at the front of the saddle. I was AMAZED at the difference in the ride when I found the properly sized gullet for my horse. If the saddle is too narrow for the horse, you will find yourself fighting a "chair seat". If it is too wide, you will be fighting to ride upright and will have a natural tendency to pitch forward (feels like riding downhill).

The website at Sycamore Creek Saddles explains how to measure the horse's gullet width, for proper saddle fit. I would hope that if I were to get the measurement right, it would go a long way to being the correct fit for the horse.

Changeable gullets on your Wintec Isabell dressage saddle let you do that for every different horse you ride. But since I've just got the one paso (so far), I think the CTK western style saddle might be the route for me, since they'll match the tree to the gullet width provided.

Which rigging do people favor: 7/8, 3/4, or centerfire? Why?

7/8 or 3/4 seems the most versatile to me. I worry centerfire rigging in a western saddle would be too far back for rigorous trail riding, team penning, or ranch sorting events. Thoughts?

Here is a pic of mr. Nashs saddle. gayle had this one custom made and actually combined two saddles. It came out heavier than she wanted so I inherited it.I may have to take another picture.

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I've been riding my guy in a Wintec All Purpose. It has the changeable gullet. I was concerned about it's fit because I was getting dry spots. My geldning was a little on the thin side when I brought him home. It's been almost 2 months & he is filling out. I rode yesterday & had a nice sweaty back at the end of the ride.

I was thinking of getting a new saddle, but after yesterday, I may hold off. I guess it helps to have "meat" on your bones!

I'm still going to look at the Barefoot treeless. I meeting someone this afternoon to look at it.

The amount of "meat" on the horse's bones will affect the saddle fit as well. I've found that I have to change the gullets depending on my horse's level of conditioning. If you can't find a good fit with the gullets, though, a different saddle might be in order. Even with the changeable gullets, the Wintecs don't always fit all horses.

I bought a saddle in Jan. 2009 from Tony with Sycamore Creek Saddles. I had met them at Mundial in Jacksonville a few years ago prior and kept their card. I LOVE MY NEW SADDLE!!! Tony was great to work with and Daniel, in Colombia (CTK), who made it was also great to work with! It is a gorgeous saddle and fits me like a glove. And, the prices, I think, are very very reasonable!

I bought the saddle as a working (or training saddle) specifically for my Colombian Trote and Galope stallion who has a very short back. He turns on a dime and is lightning quick. I wanted to do more "versatility" things outside the show ring so I was looking for a working-type saddle. I haven't felt good riding him in the "typical" Paso Fino Show saddles. Here's what I learned:

The Colombian Paso Fino Show saddles seem to put the stirrups further forward (thus, the 'feet on the dash boards' feel). That's fine for riding the paso fino gaits and I use my Colombian Paso Fino Show saddle when I ride paso fino. However, I don't feel secure and balanced and I don't feel like my feet are 'under' me when I ride trote and galope. The Paso Fino saddle "pushes" me out of the seat. I have an Isabel Dressage Saddle which feels "correct" and I really like it, but I wanted a Western-style saddle for working and training. I also wanted the western-style fenders to keep my jeans drier and cleaner instead of the short flap of the Dressage saddle.

I tried a Tereque/Endurance saddle, but I felt it was too "roomy" and too wide. It would be great for a Trail ride but not for training/working, etc.

I worked with Tony at Sycamore Creek and I tried out many saddles. He was great about letting me return a saddle and exchange it to try another. I just had to pay the return shipping. I tried 4 saddles. Two of them had bridging problems on this particular horse, (he is really hard to fit) or the skirts were just too big (he's a little guy). Daniel in Colombia even made me a custom saddle. It was one of his Mexican-style western saddles but without the horn. I loved it but it was the wrong seat size, too big for me! So, I actually went back to the original Mexican-style saddle with the horn that I had tried out already. It is a great saddle!

Apparently, the Colombian saddles are measured a little differently than English saddles or Western saddles, so if you are 'mail ordering', make sure you are on the same page when it comes to the seat size and measuring.

Also, I like the breast collar that attaches to the cinch. That way, I know the cinch has less of a chance of sliding backward on the horse. I even use one now when I ride the Isabelle Dressage saddle because the synthetic girth kept sliding back.

For a pad, I am using a Cavallo pad and really like it. I had been using a traditional Colombian pad, the one with the leather under the wool felt and it got stiff and hard. My horses seem to like the Cavallo.

Hope this helps. But, yes, I highly recommend Sycamore Creek Saddles!!!