How to Make a Cutting Saddle Into a Roping Saddle

Making a cutting saddle into a roping saddle would be a heroic and possibly very risky thing to do, as it would require altering the strongest and most basic part of the saddle, the tree. A Western saddle tree is usually a solid piece of wood covered with rawhide. This conversion would require you to subtract material, and therefore strength, from two different parts of it, the fork and the cantle. You would also need to reinforce a third part, the horn, and this is likely to prove even less satisfactory. It would involve adding material rather than removing it, and this would be unlikely to produce a horn strong enough for roping.

Things You'll Need

  • Leatherwork tools (knife, needle, thread)
  • Woodworking tools (mallet, chisel, rasp, plane)
  • Sandpaper
  • Rawhide
  • Wood strips
  • Wood glue
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Instructions

    • 1

      Begin by disassembling the saddle until you have isolated the rawhide-covered tree.

    • 2

      Soak the tree in water until the rawhide softens, and remove it.

    • 3

      Using the woodworking tools, reduce the undercut fork swells of the cutting configuration, so they will not interfere with the action of the rope or the rider's legs. If the saddle is to be used in competition for steer dogging or calf roping rather than team roping, you may want to take them all the way down to a slick fork to facilitate a rapid dismount.

    • 4

      Evaluate the height of the cantle, and either leave it high for support in team roping, or take it down for dogging or calf roping.

    • 5

      Using the same woodworking tools, carve and fit wood pieces around the tall, thin horn of the cutting saddle to increase its strength against the shock of stopping a roped animal. Glue these in place and smooth. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly.

    • 6

      Recover the converted saddle tree with rawhide.

    • 7

      Restore or recreate the leatherwork of the saddle, and reattach the accessories.