How Estes Saddlery Approaches Custom Saddle Making

Estes Saddlery builds custom Western saddles around a simple premise: start with the best foundation and make no compromises from there. The shop, run by Ted Estes in Ball Ground, Georgia, begins every saddle with a top-quality saddle tree, then fits that tree to both horse and rider before finishing with premium leather and rigging. If you want a saddle built to fit a specific horse and rider rather than picked off a rack, this is the approach Estes describes.

The saddle tree comes first

Estes Saddlery treats the tree as the foundation of everything else. A true custom saddle, in this view, should have a top-quality tree — so the shop sources trees from makers it considers among the most respected in the trade:

• Warren Wright
• Rick Reed

Because the tree maker and saddle maker have to work from the same understanding of the horse, Estes emphasizes direct communication between the two. Those relationships were built over years, which matters when a tree has to match a specific animal.

Fitting a moving horse, not a static one

The fitting philosophy is the part worth understanding before you order. Estes notes that a horse's conformation is not static — it changes over time and changes as the horse moves. So the goal isn't to fit a frozen measurement, but to properly fit a type of build when selecting the tree. That distinction shapes how the rest of the saddle is built around the horse and rider, with the stated aim of keeping both as comfortable as possible.

Leather and rigging: a short, fixed list

Estes Saddlery doesn't present a menu of material upgrades. It names two skirting leathers and two rigging sources and uses them exclusively.

The shop describes both leathers as having distinct qualities but calls them the best being produced today, "no exceptions." On rigging, Estes states that Dale Harwood and HorseShoe Brand are the best choices and are used exclusively.

What this means if you're considering a saddle

• You're buying a fit, not a model. The process is built around matching a tree to a horse's build type and to the rider.
• Materials aren't a la carte. Leather and rigging come from the named sources above, so there's little to choose between beyond those.
• Expect a custom timeline. One customer review on the site describes a "very long and painful process" before the saddle arrived in Mozambique, and another mentions a Wade saddle still coming a month or two out. Plan for a wait.
• Workmanship is the recurring theme in feedback. Reviews from Steve (Mozambique) and Jonathan (Georgia) both center on build quality — "some of the best I have seen" and "my dream saddle."

Getting in touch

Estes Saddlery is located in Ball Ground, GA. Contact is by phone at 678-677-7332 or email at [email protected]. The site also lists pages for saddles for sale, custom saddles, saddle photos, and an about section on Ted Estes if you want to see prior work before starting a build.