Slone saddles in Cuero?

[12 point]

http://www.slonesaddles.com/new-in-stock-saddles-1

Anyone own their saddles? Seems like they're pretty popular.

I've only seen the factory on tv and don't know much at all about the company or products.. Mainly interested in the ranch saddles.

[bowfishin fool]

I stopped in to talk about a custom saddle as a wedding gift for my fiancé. Way too far out to be reasonable on a custom rig. Great looking stuff, but from what I remember the production saddles are made out of house somewhere like Laredo. The custom is still made in Cuero.


That's what I remember but I have been wrong before.... Just ask my woman!

[Ruark]

I use to make saddles for Circle Y, then up in Amarillo. It's hard to judge the quality of those saddles from looking at a web site. I'd want to check, among other things, how his full double rigs are attached to the tree. This tells you a lot about a saddle. Then check the seat for uniformity and rigidity. I'm not too happy with the flank straps - they look a little flimsy. I personally don't care for the big cutouts under the stirrup leathers; they reduce stability. I'd also check the skirt blocking. Some shops even use cardboard under there.

In any saddle, especially down here in Texas where your horse gets hot and sweaty real fast, I would NEVER have a saddle with synthetic woolskins, and those are really common, even among very expensive custom saddles. They save on cost. But they slide around more and are twice as hot on the horse as real woolskins. And when you see real woolskins on a saddle, be SURE they put them on butt-forward.

Also, be careful about any saddle made "somewhere in Laredo." There are huge numbers of junk saddles made in Mexico, and I've seen some "major" Texas saddle shops that actually have wetbacks making their saddles, real junk I'd be embarrassed to have in a barn, and would never torture a horse with.

Saddles are not something you want to do cheap. If you just want to ride up and down a trail once a month, or trot in Western Pleasure in an occasional horse show, a production saddle like a Circle Y will be fine (but again, no synthetic woolskins!), but if you're doing heavy horse work and want the real deal, be careful.

I can think of three shops where I wouldn't hesitate to buy a good working ranch saddle: Oliver, Pernokas, and Big Bend.

Oliver (in Amarillo) is up there in cowboy country, where they talk about ranches in square miles, not acres. Poorly made saddles won't survive up there. Oliver's been in business for generations, and their saddles are as tough as tanks, about as good as you can possibly get, at any price.

http://www.oliversaddle.com/OliverSaddleShop.html

Another good saddle maker is Nick Pernokas, up in Stephenville. I haven't been through his shop, but I've emailed with him many times and studied his work and I can personally vouch for him.

http://pernokassaddlery.com/main.htm

Last is Big Bend Saddlery, another place that's been making tough desert cowboy saddles for ages. Lots of cowboys on the 6666 ride their saddles.

http://www.bigbendsaddlery.com/home.html

Sorry for the long essay; you got me going on one of my favorite subjects...

[12 point]

I stopped in to talk about a custom saddle as a wedding gift for my fiancé. Way too far out to be reasonable on a custom rig. Great looking stuff, but from what I remember the production saddles are made out of house somewhere like Laredo. The custom is still made in Cuero.


That's what I remember but I have been wrong before.... Just ask my woman!

Thanks for the input.

I use to make saddles for Circle Y, then up in Amarillo. It's hard to judge the quality of those saddles from looking at a web site. I'd want to check, among other things, how his full double rigs are attached to the tree. This tells you a lot about a saddle. Then check the seat for uniformity and rigidity. I'm not too happy with the flank straps - they look a little flimsy. I personally don't care for the big cutouts under the stirrup leathers; they reduce stability. I'd also check the skirt blocking. Some shops even use cardboard under there.

In any saddle, especially down here in Texas where your horse gets hot and sweaty real fast, I would NEVER have a saddle with synthetic woolskins, and those are really common, even among very expensive custom saddles. They save on cost. But they slide around more and are twice as hot on the horse as real woolskins. And when you see real woolskins on a saddle, be SURE they put them on butt-forward.

Also, be careful about any saddle made "somewhere in Laredo." There are huge numbers of junk saddles made in Mexico, and I've seen some "major" Texas saddle shops that actually have wetbacks making their saddles, real junk I'd be embarrassed to have in a barn, and would never torture a horse with.

Saddles are not something you want to do cheap. If you just want to ride up and down a trail once a month, or trot in Western Pleasure in an occasional horse show, a production saddle like a Circle Y will be fine (but again, no synthetic woolskins!), but if you're doing heavy horse work and want the real deal, be careful.

I can think of three shops where I wouldn't hesitate to buy a good working ranch saddle: Oliver, Pernokas, and Big Bend.

Oliver (in Amarillo) is up there in cowboy country, where they talk about ranches in square miles, not acres. Poorly made saddles won't survive up there. Oliver's been in business for generations, and their saddles are as tough as tanks, about as good as you can possibly get, at any price.

http://www.oliversaddle.com/OliverSaddleShop.html

Another good saddle maker is Nick Pernokas, up in Stephenville. I haven't been through his shop, but I've emailed with him many times and studied his work and I can personally vouch for him.

http://pernokassaddlery.com/main.htm

Last is Big Bend Saddlery, another place that's been making tough desert cowboy saddles for ages. Lots of cowboys on the 6666 ride their saddles.

http://www.bigbendsaddlery.com/home.html

Sorry for the long essay; you got me going on one of my favorite subjects...

No, I greatly appreciate all the info as well as your time to respond.

I'll definitely check into the brands you posted.
A relative owned a boot and saddle shop in another state, but unfortunately I didn't get to learn his trade secrets before his passing. His kids weren't interested in the business or learning from him so it closed decades ago.

Thanks so much for the very informative response.

[HunterBug]

Slone has a production saddle called diamond s it's a cheap built saddle and I don't care for them but the tod slone saddles are handmade and are nice saddles that usually fit horses well

[bowhunterchris]

I don't know about the saddles but I drive by the place at least a dozen times a week

[12 point]

Slone has a production saddle called diamond s it's a cheap built saddle and I don't care for them but the tod slone saddles are handmade and are nice saddles that usually fit horses well

Good to know.

I don't know about the saddles but I drive by the place at least a dozen times a week

Are the chicken fried steaks in town as good as some say?