"Mule Saddles", what a mystery right???? Well there is as much discrepancies in "What fits my Mule" as there is in methods of training your mule or horse, maybe more.
The facts: Mules are different than horses, there body types, comparably, differ in a lot of ways. Plus their body style makes a bit of a difference in the way they travel.
Is there really something out there that is a Mule Tree?, "Yes" They vary greatly from a Horse Tree, so therefore can be in a classification all their own.
Are all Mule Trees or Mule Saddles the same? "No" just as there is several different types of Horse Trees, there are getting to be several different types of Mule Trees. With the growing popularity of mules, there are so many saddle companies, saddle makers and trainer/clinician/authorities jumping on the bandwagon, it is hard to keep
things straight.
Are there Horse Saddles or Trees that work on Mules? "Yes" we have
ran across a "Few"..........these tend to be the real old, QH type, that were
made for those old fashion wide, flat backed horses, some work for light
riding just fine, with some different methods of blanketing they will get
you by if you haven't got an extremely sensitive mule. A lot of
"Mule Saddles" on the market now do not have a "Mule Tree" in them, they have a "Horse Tree" that has been "MODIFIED" to hopefully work for your mule, and they just add all the traditional,
saddlebag rings,(packing rings) and strings to give it that "Mule Saddle" Look.
(There Are Reasons Why Horse Trees Don't Work). We have worked with a "LARGE" number of different mules over the years, and we are not "liesure" riders, we spend a lot of time on our mules, and we have worked with a lot of saddle makers, and saddle tree makers over the years. We have put things to the test!!. (Our herd always ranges around the number 20, for some reason). Our mules travel well, work hard for you, are not cold backs, if they have white marks on there backs or bellies, they were there when we got them, and usually in time, disappear, with use of well fitting equipment. I could go one about this subject, but will leave that for a visit, a cook out, a nice glass of tea or a good cup of coffee., or a long phone call.
And by the way we use our "Mule Saddles" on our horses too, and they work wonderfully!
NNR Recommended Saddles
C
.
We do have a tree of our own that we have developed with a local man that used to live here,
but he is no longer in this area, so until we find another saddle maker who can also make his own
trees (tall order) we can not offer these.
But we have worked with some other saddle makers. and here are our recommendations. These saddles are made to our specifications.
If you want a "Handmade Saddle" made by a Mule Man, that knows his stuff and has all the bells and whistles to go along with it, (britchens, breast collars, etc) you can't beat, Nick Reed, with Reed
Tack in Washington, Iowa. We have three of his handmades, they are durable, well made,
gorgeous, Nick is truly a gifted artist in his craft. They are expensive and there is usually a waiting
list, but well worth it. Don't forget to mention to Nick that you heard about him from us, he will love to know we are thinking about him:)
Another route, we offer a special version of a "Dakota Saddlery Mule Saddle".
These are production saddles, they come several different styles, our
popular ones are "The Ranch Roper" and "The Trail Rider"(a lighter weight saddle)
They are reasonably priced starting at $985. We have
about 5 of these is our arsenal and they are at least 15 years old
we have ridden some long hours moving cattle in the Rockies,
on these saddles, and they are still going strong.
TBM Saddles
Our newest addition: We are now dealers for "TBM Saddles" (Three Bells Mules)
These offer the best of both worlds, reasonable price for a
custom made saddle with a variety of trees made specifically
for Mules. They are high quality saddles starting at
$1695. We have been using three different models that our
customers have ordered for the mules we have trained for them and they are meeting all the standards and passing all the
test.
We have all the tree variations in stock and can try them on your
mule or send them to you so you can follow some specific instructions
and find which one will suit the best.
Once again if you talk to Terry directly, please let him know
where you heard about them.
"The Gambler"
Please give us a call on anyone of these saddles and we will get everything going and get
your mule custom fitted for the best comfort. We can recommend what kind of padding
to use. (That is another topic that is highly misunderstood, and not thought through, but
we tackle that in our DVD and in our "Mental Edge Club" editions.) We also have bits and
breast collars, britchens, you name we can outfit you and your mule.
