Broken Horn saddles offer a close contact saddle with more feel and better leg control. The only way to achieve a closer contact saddle is to have less saddle and softer leather between you and your horse, period. We have all witnessed the ever changing look of today’s saddles. Many claims have been made about these changes. Number one among them is a closer contact saddle with more feel and better leg control. Has this really happened? In most cases not as much as you have been led to believe.

Most saddle makers simply cutout the skirt under the fender, and pronounce that you are looking at and riding in the very latest in a close contact saddle. Partially true but you can do a lot better. Many of today’s deep skirted saddles are as much as 19” deep. Allowing for a 2” cutout you still have a 17” skirt. Broken Horn saddles typically have a 15” or 16” deep skirt. And, with a 2” cutout, you end up with 13” or 14” of skirt under your leg. Larger cutouts are available upon request.

There are, however, other very important components to consider. They are the saddle pad, rigging, saddle tree and the saddle making process itself. With every custom Broken Horn saddle, we offer a custom saddle pad that traces the saddle shape to take full advantage of the cutout. If you are serious about having a close contact saddle, this is an absolute must. Why cut out the saddle and not the pad?

Your rigging choice can make a world of difference also. Most of our competitors use only the traditional In Tree “Dee Rigging” which is also available from Broken Horn. While it is great for roping and stopping a 300 lb. steer, it is over kill if you are looking for a close contact, leg sensitive, show saddle. The Dee Rigging’s disadvantage is the bulk it creates under the thigh. That bulk produces the “sitting on a barrel” feeling. If however you are convinced an In Tree Dee Rigging saddle is the only way to go, then you might consider the Drop Dee Rigging. It differs from the original Dee in that the Drop Dee sits in the recess of the cut out. The advantage is less bulk under the thigh and freer swinging fenders.

The next logical step is the total elimination of the rigging material under the thigh, i.e. between the side jockey and the skirt. This can only be accomplished with an In Skirt rigging. We have made, literally thousands of believers and satisfied customers over the last 25 years, utilizing an In Skirt Rigging. With or without the cut out, the In Skirt is simply less bulky than a Dee Rigged saddle. We offer four In Skirt Riggings. First the Single In Skirt, a proven performer and to date our most popular rigging. This rigging is not available with a cut out. The Double In Skirt, similar in style to the Single In Skirt, is a favorite among horseman who are fitting several horses with the same saddle. Whether the latigo is rigged front, rear or in combination, the horseman has at his disposal a valuable tool. This rigging is also not available with a cut out.

The “J” Rigging is an important variation of the In Skirt Rigging, in that it is designed to accommodate the cut out, therefore providing the horseman with the best of both worlds. The elimination of bulk under the thigh, yet the close contact associated with a cut out skirt.

The Futurity Rigging is an exclusive design, created by Broken Horn, that also allows for the cut out. This is a newly created design that we expect will become very popular. Todd Sommers has already made this choice for the brand new Broken Horn, Todd Sommers futurity saddle. Riggings are shown on page 11.

Broken Horn is able to make an extremely comfortable, close contact saddle because of the expertise of and care taken by our Master Saddle Makers. Allow our knowledgeable Sales Staff to help you choose the right combination of saddle tree, rigging, tooling, and silver design to produce a one of a kind custom saddle for any level of competition.