The Show Saddle

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN—
OUT WHERE A FRIEND IS A FRIEND—


When I was a little girl listening to the radio, BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN, was one of my favorite cowboy songs sung by the great Gene Autry. My cousin Heidi was my age, and she loved cowboy music too. We’d play cowboys a lot using our cap guns. Oh boy did we have a lot of fun and a lot of caps. They were like golden treasure. I’d be Hopalong Cassidy, and she’d be Roy Rogers. We whooped it up in our back yards, climbed the apple and cherry trees and then pretended to jump onto our trusty steeds and take off for the bad guys.

Like most kids I went horseback riding once in a while either with family or a couple of friends. I just got on the horse that had been saddled for me and off we went, the horse often leading the way, of course. I had only a general knowledge of horses and equipment.

My great awakening came when I was asked to write the first book for the CODY’S FIRST FAMILY OF RODEO series. Did I ever have my work cut out! A ton of research goes into writing a novel at any time and a novel about rodeos and ranch life was no exception. Needless to say I came across so much fascinating information, I often got sidetracked and forgot to write. (It’s a hazard of being a writer.)

The guys in the Cody series are all headed to win at the World Championship Professional Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada. In Walker Cody’s case, he’d already won his World Champion Gold Buckle in steer wrestling before he left for military service. After coming back from the war, he starts training again for the Cody Roundup in Wyoming. When he goes to the tack room on the Cody ranch, the saddle he’d won is still hanging in there.

After doing so much research, I got to thinking about his saddle. It wasn’t just ‘any’ saddle.
Do you know I never realized how many kinds of saddles there are? I’m talking types for a specific use. You know, like a woman who needs black, brown, white, tan, pink or red shoes for that certain occasion.

Would you believe all these?
Western Pleasure or Trail Riding saddle—

Reining saddle—
Cutting saddle—
Roping saddle—
Barrell Riding saddle--
Flexible Tree saddle—
Show saddle--

Take a close look at a couple of these and you’ll see differences.

The Reining Saddle

The Roping Saddle

The Barrel Racing Saddle

The Pleasure Riding or Trail Saddle

The next time you get on a horse, take a look and make an educated guess. You’ll impress everyone!

Until next time, see ya at the CODY ROUNDUP for the next novel in the Cody Series!