I’ve tried many, many saddles. At least a hundred.
Seriously.
It was kinda my mission for a while there…
At one point, I was so good at demoing saddles that I could package one up in about 5 minutes flat – tape gun in hand!
And, after all of that –
I continued to come back to my Boz Saddle (NO AFFILIATION).
The top row (left to right) Gwen, Finn, Rojo. Bottom row: Remi, Me with Aladdin, BG. All of them in my old Boz saddle.
I have had my Boz saddle since 1999. It is my favorite. Most all of my horses use it well. It fits me wonderfully and once it is warm, it fits just about all of my horses, even Bodhi (the draft cross).
Why do I love it? Well, I like the ‘balanced ride’ seat. I can stand in my saddle and no matter what the horse is doing underneath me, I’m good. I like the way the stirrups don’t swing and I like how the rigging stays put. I’m never sore – no matter how long I ride. The tree is unique in that it is hard enough to keep a form but it will settle to the horses’ back once it is warm. I rode Aladdin in this saddle all the time for very long rides and he was never, ever sore. It has lots of places to hang things and it is only 12 lbs.
This is Boz making one of his saddles.
When I went to the Cowboy Camp at Varian Ranch, I rented a horse but I took my saddle… that’s how much I depend upon it.
This is me during Cowboy Camp at the Varian Ranch a few years ago. I rented a horse but brought my trusty Boz saddle. I felt confident on a foreign horse. She felt free with such a light saddle!
I’M CRAZY BUT… I THINK I CAN BUILD ONE!
BOZ saddles aren’t cheap. Having said that, I’ve had mine for 14 years and it still looks great… So, when you buy one, you buy it for life..
Even though I purchase new saddles for just about all of my horses… and I always end selling them and using my old Boz.
Anyway, I wanted a new Boz so that I wouldn’t have to change out the cinch and attachments every time I changed horses.
(Maybe, I just wanted a new one…)
But, I couldn’t afford a new one. So, several months ago – when I had time and money – I ordered the ‘kit’ from Boz.
The kit is a do-it-yourself simple Boz saddle that you put together yourself. I loved the idea! Boz created the kit as an entry level saddle that was totally affordable and kinda cool that you make it yourself!
For me, since the kit builds basically the saddle I’ve had for 14 years, it was a win-win!
These are the pieces that come with the Boz kit.
When Boz first came out with his kit saddle, this woman was the first one to order it and put it together. If she can do it, I can do it!
IT ARRIVED!… A LONG TIME AGO.
The saddle took about a month to arrive – and just about the time it came, Tess got sick and I was awarded two huge jobs at once.
So, I had the kit but no time.
It sat in my laundry room, in the box.
For months and months and months.
Literally.
We started to use the box as a place to fold laundry…
Here sits the box, for months, in my laundry room. We started using it as a folding surface.
THIS WEEKEND HUBBY IS GONE AND I AM NOT WORKING!! SO…
So my challenge to myself this weekend is to put this baby together!!!!
Here is where I am starting. ;)
I finally opened the box… and here is where I start!
I wish I could make this one… I really like it.
Morning Star Glow – down. Click to help our Navajo 12 and this sick little one.
Congratulations, what a wild thing to do! So very, very cool. I’m fascinated by Boz saddles, but there’s no way I can afford one, even a kit. I can’t wait to see pictures, so I hope you’ll take lots during the process!