The majority of the saddles I build are "Stockmen's Will James," which is a swell forked working Cowboy's saddle. I also build a "Homestead Wade" which is a slick fork working Cowboy's saddle. All my trees are custom made, so people can choose any option they desire, mix and match, etc...

I enjoy building fancy full floral tooled handmade saddles, but find just as much enjoyment in building a "Plain Jane" roughout saddle. I simply like to build cowboy saddles for people who will "put them to the test." When I build a saddle for a working cowboy, I put a seven-eighths, flat-plate rigging in there. To me that's the king. It offers enough forward movement with stirrup leathers, and I can get that rigging balanced for different leg lengths, so the latigo's not right underneath the rider's knee.

My saddles are all over the United States, as well as South America, Canada, and South Africa. But the majority are scattered among ranchers, cattlemen and women who work and live in the Great Plains states.

Shawn Kramer

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