Cindy Branham Competes in Colt Challenge

Cindy Branham is a Tucker Trail Rider and is competing at the Amercian Royal 1st Annual Equine & Ranch Expo Colt Challenge October 22-25, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. Cindy is one of three trainers competing. The trainers will have four sessions with an unbroke two year old, demonstrating their starting colt methods. Sunday afternoon will be a competition in the arena showcasing what their colts have learned. Cindy rides, trains, and competes in her 262 GEN II High Plains trail saddle. She has competed in the last three Extreme Mustang Makeover challenges. Read more at rockin-rc.com

Mexico to Canada Trail Ride Finished

The Best of America by Horseback team enjoyed tremendous success during the Mexico to Canada trail ride. The 2,200 mile, 5-month horseback adventure wrapped up Saturday, Sept. 5. There were riders from 43 states and also from all over the world. Tom Seay, the trail master of this expedition, began this ride in El Paso April 19th and arrived in Saskatchewan, Canada September 5 for the closing ceremonies. Be sure to check out bestofamericabyhorseback.com for the full details.

Mounted Patrol Work

Tucker Trail Saddles sponsors the Wyoming County Mounted Sheriff Unit in New York. Lt. J. Copeland and 1st Sgt. J. Copeland, and their horses Roper and Mr. Te, compete against other mounted units to improve their horsemanship and keep their horses the best police partners possible. Tucker Saddles is proud to sponsor them and their brave horses! Over the last month, we received some feedback about the competitions and how they like their Tucker saddles.

On July 4th, Lt John Copeland worked a concert security detail. This detail was 6 straight hours in the saddle patrolling parking lots & campsites. “I still can’t believe the comfort of my Tucker saddle, not only my comfort but the comfort for my horse. I know if my horse and myself were not comfortable, after a few hours of working in close contact with large numbers of party goers I would become a liability-not an asset.” John & Jackie Copeland also agree their Tucker Saddles have greatly benefited their performances when competing. "When you are uncomfortable, it is hard to concentrate on the task before you."

1st Sgt. J. Copeland and Mr. Te were pinned New York State Grand Champions on June 12 at the New York State Police and Fire Games in Ballston Spa, NY. The won for their high scores in Obstacles and Equitation. Congratulations!

Picture above: left to right is 1st Sgt. J. Copeland on Mr. Te and Lt. J. Copeland on Roper.

Tucker Riggings How-To

We get a lot of questions about the Tucker riggings, so we have updated our Rigging page on the site to equip our riders with directions for all of the riggings we offer. If you find yourself unsure of what to do, please print out these directions and keep them handy at the barn until you get the hang of it. Pretty soon rigging up your horse will become second nature! Don't forget to always rig your horse the same on both sides. Check out the Rigging Directions here.

Wacky Saddle Fitting

OK, all you folks concerned with saddle fit; it's time to get real. We here at Tucker Saddles dedicate much time, effort and discussion on fitting horse and rider with our saddles. We use riders and horses to fit the saddles. But some of you out there- you know who you are- think there are some other alternative ways to accomplish saddle fitting. I know these sound a little wacky, but here are a few we have seen in blogs, have been told to us, on chat lines, and from other sources. I apologize in advance if you have tried them, but believe us, these are not good saddle fitting techniques.
One horse owner feels that a good way to determine how the saddle might feel to their horse's back is to turn the saddle upside down and lay in it. They report that the fleecy lining of some saddles was the most comfortable. We suggest that if this is a good way to determine how her horse would feel in the saddle, she might want to put it on her own back, girth it up and have her heaviest friend sit in the saddle for a couple of hours. Now really, saddle trees are designed for the contours of a horse's back, not a person's. The fleece, or other lining, is not the determining factor to comfort for the horse. It is the tree.
Another poor soul put their new saddle on a 4-wheeler to see how it rode. We're not sure why she didn't choose to try it on the horse, but maybe its because the 4-wheeler is more broke than her horse.
We hear all kinds of well meaning suggestions for using no-slip pads, breast collars and the like for saddles that turn around the horse or travel backwards. Let's be clear about this situation- a saddle that turns around the horse while riding, no matter how tight the girth is, is just plain dangerous. The saddle is most likely too narrow for the horse, so get a saddle that fits your horse before you are injured. Not to even mention how the horse feels about being ridden in the poorly fitting saddle.
And now for my favorite: A horse owner spoke to one of our dealers about returning a saddle that she felt did not fit the horse. Further conversation revealed that she had employed a horse psychic to speak to the horse about some issues. According to the horse owner, and the horse psychic, the horse said that it preferred to be ridden only bareback. Now, you out there that have ridden horses for years know that any self respecting horse isn't going to suggest that he be ridden at all. I think he would say something more like, "I want to stay out in the pasture with my friends, never be ridden, and eat all the horse treats you can give me."
Sorry if I've gone off a little here. I know horse owners are passionate about their horses and it is very important to get a good fit with your saddle. We understand that completely- that's why we spend so much time on the subject. But, please try to use good sense.

New catalogs are being printed!

New Tucker catalogs are being printed as we type. We ran out about a month ago, so the catalog requests are not being ignored! We introduced two new trail saddle models back in January, and this catalog includes them and the new tack also introduced in January. There are some new additions, so please request a catalog if you haven't done so already. And, since it's spring tune-up time, be sure to evaluate all your gear and replace tie straps, latigos, halters, etc. if anything looks compromised. Spring is a great time of year. It's already in the 80s-90s here in South Texas, and the horses are all shedded off and looking gorgeous. I can't wait to spend more time in the saddle myself. Happy Trails!

Don't Just Look at your Horse-Evaluate

I recently ran across someone writing about how she made her beloved horse obese during the winter time. She blamed it on the fact the horse was blanketed, therefore making it difficult to detect how fat the horse was getting. She changed out the blanket twice a day-day blanket with night blanket- but never noticed how much weight the horse was putting on. So now she has to have a longing exercise regimen because the saddle no longer fits and slips to the side. As horse people, we love our horses. Sometimes too much! It's so important to touch our horses during the winter time when body condition is disguised by a woolly winter coat or a blanket. I feel down my horse's ribs about once a week or so to get an idea of body condition (he happens to be a very easy keeper.) It never gets really cold down here in South Texas, so I really don't up his feed even in the cooler months. Keeping an eye on our horses for body condition is as important as bringing them up everyday to give them a good look over for injuries. If you need help evaluating your horse’s body condition, click here to learn more. And for Pete's sake, evaluate your horse, don't just look at him!