Mule saddle

[Bdog]

I purchased a wyoming outdoor mountain saddle on "horse bars" with all the bells and whistles. I have tried every possible pad known to man and still scarring my mule. Love the saddle but just doesnt work on my mules.

Looking for : a good mountain saddle on mule bars, want the extra D's for bretchen/crupper/stuff. What works for you guys and or saddle makers your happy with?

Thanks
Bruce

[Big Mike]

I ride a mule saddle from Colorado sadderly. Been using it for about the last 5-6 years. They definitely fit a mule much better than a regular saddle. They are a nice mountain saddle with D rings for everything you want to hang on them. They come with a 3/4 and 7/8 rigging. The 3/4 I keeps the cinch back never galled any of my mules. Not quite the quality of a good custom saddle and there heavy (i guess most good saddles are). Think they run about $1000- $1300

[Mike Leonard]

Dang good advice Big Mike. Yes a lot of good saddles are a little on the heavy side, but that is better than having them fall apart. Several top saddle men like R Severe are making a lightweight hunting saddle that still has the top quality material and construction to it to be suited for heavy roping but you don't buy these for $1300.

Here is another trick I use at times when have to ride a mule or a mutton withered horse that has them bench legs set back like a mule. Most of my saddles are built with a 7/8 double rig and this is fine for most horses but the front cinch may still be a little too far forward for some mules and may gall that pocket right there behind that front leg.

Here's the trick. Jerk the back cinch off , and then using your front latigos centerfire your front cinch back by using the front dee and the back dee and sling your cinch between them and using a wrap around and thru cinch knot as you would without a buckle on your cinch. This is a little hard to explain but I think most know how to do this. After taking your latigo thru the cinch back up over the dee with two wraps you come back up from the bottom placing the free end of the latigo in the left side of the upper dee then bring it over the top and tuck it up under the right side of the dee and then feed it back thru that loop you made from the top sort of like a neck tie and you have a secure cinch. You can do this on both sides and you will have your saddle rigged center-fire and in no way will you gall your animal. Using a good breeching secured your saddle will ride secure. In reality the rear cinch gives little stability for up or down hill riding and it is the fron cinch that secured the bars of the saddle to the critter's back. The rear cinch was a feature introduced to most west saddles for roping cattle.

When riding those 3/4 rigged saddles you will be ok, but Pat Wantland and old Arizona lion hunter showed me to pick up the mule's front leg and pull it forward just be for you do the final tightening of the cinch to pull that loose hide down there in front of the cinch so it isn't bunched up under the cinch and this really helps as well.

[coldnosed1976]

Bdog wyoming saddles are good but they copied the design from Rick Ericksen in enis Mt. you will also would have paid less for it I just had one made for me lion tracks all over it and a hound with a lion treed on it. Saddle bags and custom breast collar. by far the best saddle I have ever owned I will try to post some pics of it later.

[bryan]

Bdog,
I have a saddle from Justin Salcido here in az, by far the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden, I would recomend him or scott Derringer for a custom saddle, my cousin really likes herron saddles too, all arizona saddle makers. give me a call
Bryan

[Dads dogboy]

Michael Teskey @ Teskeys Saddle Store in Weatherford Tx. sells a nice Mule bar Saddle in several styles that are affordable( under $2,000.00) come with all the right rigging options and very nice Britchen. He also makes a very nice pulling style breast collar that will not choke you mount!

The Saddle that I ride uses a 3/4 inskirt rigging. This keeps the saddle down tight, keeps the girt out from under the arm of my mule and keeps all that extra bulk out for under or in front of my left leg!

Google Teskey's and you can see their Catalog! Just remember to order the Mule Bars as they are the real deal not a sales gimmick that some so called makers use!

CJC