Blog – Page 13 – Trail Saddles by Steele

BEST PHOTO CONTEST, MEET THE WINNERS

We asked our riders for their best photos of their Steele on…a Gaited | Non-Gaited | Mule with the prize our new Custom Steele Leather Saddle Bags. Our point? Steele Trail Saddles fit 85% of ALL breeds! It was a hard choice! We want to thank everyone who sent us great photos and testimonials. We read each of them and once again it wasn’t easy so we have 5 winners instead of the 3 as planned but couldn’t be happier. Meet our winners!

GAITED HORSE WINNER LAURA HARK-PLUMLEY who rides twice daily 6 days a week on rough mountain trails! Read Full Story Here

NON-GAITED HORSE WINNER MICHAEL MURRAY who trains horses “and his grandson” to ride with his Steele, competes in cowboy mounted shooting contests, and simply enjoys riding! Read Full Story Here

BEST GAITED HORSE WINNER, KERRI HUMPHREYS who rides all over the country and competes in obstacle course competitions plus is known to let people just “hop up” into her Steele saddle to try it on the trail! Read Full Story Here

BEST NON-GAITED HORSE WINNER, MICHELLE AUTRY one of our new Steele saddle riders who loves the fact that she no longer needs a gel set cover! Read Full Story Here

BEST MULE PHOTO, FLO BRIMSTEIN happy mule – happy rider! Flo competes in her Steele saddle and trail rides with two mules and sent us photos of both! Read Full Story Here

Best Photo Winner Gaited, Laura Hark-Plumley

I have put at least 25,000 miles on my mountaineer since getting it in September 2011. I ride at least twice a day 6 days a week on rough mountain trails, I do have several different horses (Rockies Mountains, Paso Finos, Peruvian Horse) that I alternate between riding. I have also used it on Drafts and Draft crosses as well as Quarter Horses.

This saddle fits them all great and is the most secure and comfortable saddle of any type I have ever owned.

I compete in ACTHA on My Rocky Mountain Horses and also my Paso Fino; Zoey de Apache Pasador who has competed in 20 ACTHA events since February 2015 and has placed in every one, winning 7 out of the 20 and already has 109 points, which has earned him the bronze, silver, and gaited medals.

I always ride in my Mountaineer at competitions and have had fellow competitors ask to try it on their horses to see how it feels. They always get off wanting to know how they can get one just like it!

I have several Steele Saddles so that my friends can ride with me and I switch up, but the Mountaineer is my favorite!

– Laura Hark-Plumley
Shady Spring, West Virginia

Best Photo Gaited, Kerri Humphreys

We go everywhere! The Ozarks of Missouri, different area’s of New Mexico, and in Tennessee where I compete in an obstacle course competition where we won 1st place in Novice division. I always have people asking me about my saddle, everywhere I ride. I even let people hop up and try it out.!

The snow picture was taken more than 11,000 feet in elevation. We could not go any further on that trail due 10 and 12 foot snow drifts, one of which we are standing on top of in the month June. That’s my horse in the picture with my Steele Saddle.

Did I mention, I Love my Steele Mountaineer Saddle. This Photo was taken in Pagosa Springs, Colorado June 14, 2014. Some lady friends and I left Tennessee at the end of May on a 3000 mile journey with final destination staying in Colorado for a week then back to Tennessee. Trailering the horses through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado camping and riding different trails in each state along the way. This is a saddle you can ride in all day and never get sore.

I ride this saddle on my TWH (Dumas) pictured and my Rocky Mountain horse (Raider) who I bought in January. In a few weeks my Rocky and my Mountaineer will be doing another trip. I’m logging some miles in this saddle and still able to walk after the rides.

This photo is up in Tellico Plains, Tennessee on top of Bob’s Bald riding in my Steele Saddle. – Thank you both, Kerri Humphreys

***Thank you Randy Speegle for letting me know about Steele Trail Saddles!

Best Photo Non-Gaited, Michael Murray

My Steele Classic, what I love about it. Well, just about everything. I have had it now for about ten years or so. With a couple of different pads I have had no problem fitting it to any horse I put it on. I train horses and have 12 of my own, so that is saying something. I have had clients with horses that had bucking issues that were caused by the saddle they had and or the fit. I put mine on placing it correctly and all of a sudden, no more bucking.

I love the way it fits me. I have a rule, and that is I do not ride in any other saddle. Period. Ever. It is like an old friend or a pair of jeans. It fits perfectly and has since day one.

It looks good, and I look good in it. I am not one who is into flash and carving. There is nothing wrong with it, but it isn’t me. When I ordered my Steele Classic, I got to choose the color combination and hardware, and have never regretted my choice. Mine is starting to show some wear, and I like that. It has easily been on over 100 horses and seen some hard rides and use. I get a lot of compliments on how it looks. I will be the first to admit it makes me look good when I ride, or helps.

It is tough. It had to be made out of the best stuff, because in ten plus years I haven’t had to fix anything. I am still using the original cinch strap, and it is still in good shape. All of it is. I dust my saddle off when I ride and when I am done and about once a year or so I oil it lightly. I like minimal maintenance.

It is versatile. I use mine for trail riding, playing cowboy and used in in Cowboy Mounted Shooting. In my experience and opinion, if a saddle fits you and the horse, you only need one, not one for every type of riding that you do. Oh, I also use it to give my 4 year old grandson riding lessons.

Last, I like the life time warranty on the tree. I doubt that I will ever have to use it, but it is a real comfort knowing that it is there.

Anytime anyone asks me for a saddle recommendation, the only one I can give is to get a Steele Saddle. I knew as soon as I sat down in the demo Classic that Steele sent to me over ten years ago that I was going to buy one, and since then it has been the only saddle I use. I really have no interest in trying any other saddles as I am still completely happy with mine. If you want to buy the best and last saddle that you will ever buy, get a Steele.

– Michael Murray

Best Photo Non-Gaited, Michelle Autry

It’s been about three months now since I received my Mountaineer saddle and it is absolutely the best saddle I have ever owned! This is the first saddle that I didn’t have to put a gel cover over the seat for the long hours of riding. I can ride in the saddle all day without becoming sore.

I even have a bad ankle and hip and in my old saddle, I always had discomfort after riding for a couple hours, but with my Mountaineer I haven’t had any problems! My horse Ms. Mattie moves extremely well in our Mountaineer and she is never sore after long rides. The quality and craftsmanship super exceeds any saddle maker that I have come across!

I definitely will be contacting you guys again when my filly becomes of age to be fitted! In the mean time, I’m enjoying my trail rides with Ms. Mattie and our Mountaineer! And I’m putting the word out there to people that…….it’s just not a comfortable ride until you ride in a Steele saddle! – Thanks & God Bless, Michelle Autry

Best Photo Mule, Flo Brimstein

LOVE LOVE LOVE my Steele saddle. I purchased my Frontier Steele saddle 3-4 years ago. I have used it on several different mules of all sizes and shapes, it fits all of them perfectly. I also use the pad from Steele saddle company which is great, it cleans up very easy. My Steele saddle is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden in. I love the deep seat and the pommel on my saddle it really keeps me in place and it stays in place on my mule there is no rolling, slipping or movement at all. I do use a crupper with my saddle but I really do not need it. We ride some very steep Southern Ohio terrain and we ride all over the country. Generally we ride 6-7 hours at a time and I don’t have any soreness at the end of the ride. Just recently we were at French Creek horse camp in Custer State Park and rode on the toughest trails we have ever ridden on, there was a sign advising riders to dismount, it was very steep and had a lot of rocks to maneuver through. I did not have any problems with my saddle sliding forward on my mule.

I also compete in competitive trail and western pleasure classes using my Steele saddle. I would recommend a Steele saddle to any mule rider. Flo will be receiving new custom leather saddle bags to use when she sets out riding with her Steele saddle. Thank you for sending in such great photos for our competition!

*The final photos are from our recent North-South Dakota trip.

Thanks Eric & Fred for the great photo