Posted by admin | Posted in tack | Posted on 31-10-2010
Tags: art, diy, leather, saddle, saddle tooling, saddle tooling designs, saddle tooling patterns, western saddle tooling patterns, wholesale
Alamo Barrel Racing Saddle - Your thoughts?
I am going to a nearby western tack place to try on an Alamo basket tooled Barrel Racing saddle. Does anyone have experience with this saddle? Is it a good one, does it last, is it comfy, etc?
I would love to hear anyone's thoughts who has experience with this saddle!
Here is the link to a picture in case you don't recognize it by the name.
http://www.windstormranch.com/images/1285lg.jpg
It has full QH bars (which is good for my guy), and a Ralide tree.
Can you also tell me what a Ralide tree is?
Thanks guys
I have 2 of their saddles (both Elite models) and am getting ready to order another one (just like the one you have pictured!). I really like their saddles and you cant beat them for the price. I bought 1 new and 1 used a few years back and the new one did take awhile for the stirrup leathers to soften up and break in. I love using mine for trail riding as well. Pretty comfy. The tooling is nice, stitching is neat and strong and over all the saddle holds up really well to my daily riding...and Im pretty rough on saddles.
As for your second question, (copied and pasted from Ralide site)
Why RALIDE Trees?
In the U.S., saddles have been built on trees made of wood for over 100 years. Some are covered with cheesecloth or canvas. Others are covered with fiberglass or rawhide - called "rawhide covered" or "bullhide covered" trees. They all have one thing in common: seperate ground seats that are nailed or stapled to the wood pieces.
These trees lack consistency and uniformity in size and shape. They also vary in workmanship,depending on the experience of the individual maker.
Ralide saddle trees take a completely different approach - a better approach. Ralide trees are formed in one solid piece, with a rugged, unitized body and a consistent, uniform shape. there are no separate ground seats, horns or cantles. No joints to work loose. No wood to warp, split, mildew or rot.
Ralide one-piece polyethylene saddle trees revolutionized the saddle-making industry. And every one comes exactly as the saddle-maker ordered it.
This consistent quality allows more precise, efficient use of leather patterns, clicker-dies and other precut saddle parts. Each component fits precisely, reducing the costs of labor and of alterations necessitated by inconsistent saddle trees. The result is a better tree for the saddle maker to build on - and a better-shaped, better-built saddle for the buyer.