The Horse Trails of America Association’s official saddle-making partner, Tucker Saddlery (TuckerSaddlery.com), revealed its Heritage Saddle Collection at this fall’s Western & English Sales Association conference in Dallas, TX. In this interview, Tucker President Darrell Nephew shared more about the new saddles made with HTA Director Heidi Nyland Melocco.
Darrell, tell us a little bit about the history of Tucker Saddles…
Tucker Saddlery has a rich history in saddle craftsmanship. Beginning in the late 1970s with performance saddles, Tucker Saddlery recognized a need for trail saddles. There weren’t saddles that provided both comfort and durability. The transition to trail saddles began when a field trial participant requested a more aesthetically pleasing version of the Trooper Saddle. This led to the development of the Endurance Trail Saddle, which was soon followed by the Cheyenne Trail Saddle, incorporating a horn to meet additional rider preferences. This laid the foundation for Tucker’s line of trail saddles. Tucker Saddlery shifted its focus from performance saddles to creating trail saddles that prioritize comfort and fit—for both the rider and the horse.
We’re excited to hear more about the new saddle line. What made you want to introduce these new saddles?
Years ago, Steve Tucker and I began exploring how to blend the time-tested attributes of Tucker Saddles with contemporary luxury. Our goal was to merge the enduring qualities of our saddles with today’s elegant styles. We achieved this by incorporating features like the leather lace hammock ground seat, providing comfort and a distinctive look. The use of heavy oil chestnut leather imparts a rich, classic appearance while ensuring durability. Additionally, we included hand tooling and traditional attachments designed to handle long rides and support the carrying of bags and other accessories.
What is the same on all Heritage Saddles?
The Heritage Tucker Saddles have consistent and thoughtful attributes, designed to enhance both rider and horse comfort. Here’s a closer look at what sets them apart:
- Leather Laced Hammock Ground Seat—Every Heritage Saddle features a leather laced hammock ground seat, which incorporates nitro gel core padding. This gel effectively absorbs impact, reducing stress on the rider. The hammock design further adds to comfort by mitigating the shock that would otherwise be absorbed by the rider’s and horse’s backs.
- Heavy Chestnut Oiled Leather—The brown leather used is a heavy chestnut oiled to perfection. This choice of leather ensures a rich, luxurious feel while also providing durability necessary for long rides in wilderness conditions.
- Three-Way Rigging— The saddle includes a three-way rigging system, offering multiple options for girth placement to accommodate different riding styles and preferences.
- Trail Glide Stirrups—Designed for comfort, the trail glide stirrups feature a wide cushioned tread. This design helps alleviate pressure on the knees and ankles, enhancing the rider’s comfort over extended periods.
- Wool Felt Skirt—The use of 100 percent wool felt skirts contributes to the saddle’s lightweight nature while ensuring a comfortable ride for the horse.
What makes each one different? Do they each have different names?
Currently, Tucker Saddlery offers six distinct models in the Heritage line, each tailored to different riding needs and preferences. Here’s a breakdown of each saddle and what makes it unique.
Heritage Endurance: This model is designed for those who prefer a no-horn saddle with a 3.5” cantle. It’s ideal for riders transitioning from English to Western riding or those who navigate through low-hanging vegetation where a horn might be obstructive.
- Heritage High Plains: Featuring the most popular tree design, this saddle has a 5” cantle and a high swell. Its secure seat and comfort cantle design make it a favorite for riders seeking stability and comfort on long rides.
- Heritage Old West: Revived due to popular demand, this saddle combines classic cowboy aesthetics with modern features. It’s a great choice for those who appreciate a blend of traditional and contemporary styles.
- Heritage Cheyenne: Currently the most popular Heritage Saddle, it has a 3.5” cantle and a low front end. Its design is particularly suited for riders who have difficulty mounting, offering ease of access and stability.
- Heritage Plantation: Known for its no-horn design and narrow twist in the seat (for rider comfort, not the horse), this saddle is especially favored by gaited horse enthusiasts. The narrow twist helps provide a more secure and comfortable fit for the rider.
- Heritage Big Bend: Designed for riders who prefer a bit more seat, this saddle features a 4.5” high cantle and a 13.5” wide seat. It offers extra security and comfort, ideal for those who enjoy a more substantial saddle.
By the end of the year, Tucker Saddlery plans to introduce two additional models to the Heritage line, expanding the range of options available to meet diverse riding needs.
What choices will riders have as it comes to fit for their horse?
We take pride in offering a diverse range of tree fits to accommodate various horse
conformations, ensuring a custom fit for every mount. Here’s a breakdown of our tree fit options and seat sizes.
- Medium Tree: Designed for high-withered horses, such as Thoroughbreds, this tree fits horses with more pronounced withers.
- Wide Tree: Ideal for traditional Quarter Horse conformation, this tree suits horses with a more average build and moderate withers.
- Extra Wide Tree: Perfect for horses with a broader build, including Foundation breeds and Draft Crosses, this tree accommodates larger, more substantial conformation.
In total, Tucker Saddlery offers eight different tree fits, catering to a range of horses from mules to narrow-bodied breeds to draft horses. Seat sizes range from 14.5” to 18.5”. Our seat sizes come in 1” increments, ensuring a precise fit for riders of all shapes and sizes. This extensive range of tree fits and seat sizes allows us to craft saddles that are tailored to both the rider’s and horse’s unique needs, providing comfort and performance for a variety of riding experiences. Visit:TuckerSaddlery.com
About Horse Trails of America Membership (http://hta.horse/):
HTA membership works hard for you. The association is the top resource for trail riders and all who travel with horses in the USA. HTA offers a free travel map searchable by horse hotel, campground, trail, outfitter, guest ranch and tack shop to make finding horse-friendly locations easy for all. HTA also offers a nationwide travel directory, listings of events in all 50 states and information about horse health and brand inspection requirements while traveling. See all the benefits here: https://www.horsetrailsofamerica.com/membership-benefits. Become a member here: https://www.horsetrailsofamerica.com/start-membership.
HTA Free Access: Anyone can get to the map and the new state forums for free. Login with a Free Access membership to gain access to the map and travel information as well as to comment in the forums. At the free level, you’ll also get our monthly newsletter.
HTA Trail & Travel: Sign up now to get free membership for six months. You don’t need a coupon code—the offer applies automatically. Read The Trail Journal Magazine monthly. Purchase US Rider roadside assistance at a discount. The Certified Horsemanship Association offers 10 percent off their Trail Manual. Access “Working Advantage” for discount entertainment tickets, hotel discounts, and more. Save on John Deere equipment, Big Ass Fans, Sherwin Williams Paint, and Farmer’s Insurance. Plus, get to the HTA map and forums.
HTA Comprehensive Membership: With the top level of membership, you can add excess liability insurance for you or your whole family. You can also access Julie Goodnight and Van Hargis’ online training libraries. This is the level where you’ll get discounts to our HTA Partner campgrounds and layover locations. Receive travel discounts, the magazine, product discounts, and offerings from the other levels. If you ride and travel often, this membership level has all you need and saves you money on the road.
About HTA:
Visit http://horsetrailsofamerica.com/ for membership information, the interactive map, and travel discounts and information for travel to all USA states (and many Canadian sites, too). Contact the director for sponsorship, advertising, and industry-partner opportunities: heidi@hta.horse.
Media Contact:
Contact: Heidi@HTA.horse
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