Ranch Saddle vs. Roping Saddle: Which One is The Right Option for You

Imagine, you have been dreaming since your childhood to participate in a rodeo event with a horse for cattle roping. To make your dream come true, recently you have bought a powerful breed horse and are now planning to buy a saddle by which you can comfortably perform roping activity in a rodeo event. 

But a few days ago, your father created a cattle ranch near your house and gave you the responsibility to handle the cattle by using your horse. So, you need a ranch saddle to handle them. 

But you don't have enough money to purchase both of these saddles. You can just afford any of the two. Confused about which one to purchase? Don't worry my friend, we have brought a great solution for you here. 

If you read this article you will get the decision about which saddle will be the right option for you between ranch and the roping saddle. 

What are the key differences between ranch saddle and roping saddle?

The difference between ranch and roping saddles is mainly related to their intended use. These types of saddles are used to accomplish two different types of riding, which is why there are some differences in their features. 

Let's examine the key differences of ranch saddle and the roping saddle at a glance: 

What are the uses of ranch and roping saddles?

Ranch saddles are mainly used in activities that are required on the ranch such as herding cattle, repairing fences, and other ranch-related tasks. 

On the other hand, roping saddles are used in rodeo events where the rider throws ropes to trap the cattle for different purposes such as for breeding, providing medicines, or other reasons. If you want to know how to perform in a rodeo event, watch this video of the best rodeo from 2019.

Compare between ranch and roping saddle

Ranch and roping saddles both are used as western saddles and these are popular to the cowboys who spend most of their time with the cattle. Let's discuss the comparison between ranch and roping saddle in detail:

• If you consider the weight of these saddles, you will find the ranch saddle is heavier than the roping saddle. When you herd the cattle or repair the fencing you need to sit in the saddle for a long period of time. So, do you think the saddle can withstand the stress of carrying something for a long time? To tolerate this pressure easily, ranch saddles are designed with heavy weight.

On the other hand, roping saddles are designed with lightweight for the rider's convenience, because the rider needs to have a quick mounting and dismounting activity while throwing ropes to the cattle. 

But if you are concerned about your weight when mounting, read this article to learn the strategies of how to mount a horse if you are overweight.

• The horn and cantle of the roping saddle are considerably shorter and thicker than the ranch saddle. Do you know the reason behind this? When you participate in rodeo events such as team roping or calf roping, you need to perform quick mounting and dismounting. The shorter horn and cantle will not obstruct your flexibility in those activities, so you can easily dismount from the horse after a successful roping. 

But in ranching work, you need to sit over the saddle for a long time. As you have to perform diverse activities in the ranch it would be safe and comfortable for you if the ranch saddle horn and cantle is steeper than the roping saddle. 

So, this steeper horn and cantle can help you to keep balance and protect you from leaning forward and falling down accidentally while ranching with rope.

• Stirrups used for ranch saddles are bigger than the roping saddle because you have to sit on the saddle for a long time to do ranch work, if the size of the stirrup is large, you can comfortably step on it and work. Again, during roping activities, you need to move and jump repeatedly. So, if the stirrup is light in weight and smaller in size, you are able to perform roping efficiently. Read this article to know why stirrups are important in horse riding.

• Since the saddle skirt properly distributes the weight of the rider into the horse's back, it might be larger or smaller on the basis of riding requirements. For ranch work, the saddle skirt is wider and bigger to maintain the rider's weight distribution equally. However, the saddle skirt for roping activities requires it to be smaller in size because of obtaining frequent movements without any difficulty.
• When considering the price of both ranch and roping saddles, always look at the quality of material, recognition of the manufacturer, and whether the saddle contains any extra tooling or not. A good quality and affordable leather saddle for ranch and roping activities usually costs around $269 to $469. More expensive saddles are available as well, their price might rise up to around $1000 or $2000

What are the key considerations for choosing the right one from ranch and roping saddle?

Ranch and roping saddles both are designed to focus on the preference of the particular riding requirements. Ranch saddles are designed in such a way that you can securely work in rough terrain, which provides you stability and balance for working by handling the cattle with rope or maintaining the fencing for long hours.

Similarly, the roping saddles are mostly suitable for the riders, who want to perform in rodeo events by throwing the rope to the cattle after wrapping in a skilled technique, then dismounting fast. 

This is a highly skilled activity, where a comfortable saddle can increase the speed of your work without providing any kind of obstruction. So, if you use a roping saddle to perform this activity, it can give you convenience and enjoyment. 

If you have budget issues or due to some other reason you are unable to purchase these two saddles, there is another option for you. You can use any of the saddles to perform ranch and roping activities. But how convenient will it be for you?

Actually, this strategy will not bring enough comfort to you as both saddles are designed to fulfill particular needs. Although most of the riders use ranch saddles to perform both ranch work and roping work as well, we can suggest you use a roping saddle to perform both activities in such cases. But why are we suggesting this? 

You already know that participating in a rodeo event is a highly skilled activity, where you must use a comfortable and safe saddle to complete the task. 

If you use a ranch saddle in place of a roping saddle in this particular situation, you will experience a lot of difficulties when dismounting because the overall structure of the ranch saddle will give you obstruction, especially the horn, and cantle. 

But if you use a roping saddle for cattle roping in the ranch you will never experience this kind of difficulty. You just try to keep your balance firmly while sitting on the saddle. This will bring some discomfort to you, but you can manage. 

But the most wise suggestion is to purchase a ranch or roping saddle for carrying out individual activities. 

If you face any difficulties regarding the selection of a particular saddle you can take professional assistance as well. Read this article on how to find a reputable horse trainer.  

To Conclude

Choosing a saddle for a particular riding activity is a critical task if you don't have enough knowledge about it. In this article, we have covered the overall guidelines for choosing the perfect saddle to perform ranch and roping activities. 

If you have any opinions regarding this article please comment and share this with those struggling to choose between a ranch saddle and a roping saddle for performing desired riding activities.