"Back when i was a kid", from where I'm lookin you still are!

Good morning Something i find interesting for myself is I ride oxbows. The reason I do is comfort. I have less knee and back pain at the end of a long day. My horse shoer turned me onto them 40 years ago. I have over the years tried going back to flat bottoms and i end up with real sore knees and back. I enjoy your Frank honesty and you don't get all duded up. May the wind always be at your back.

I suppose the interface between the thigh,seat,and swell is what is important. The more high and pointy the swells, the more likely all you get out of them is a thorough whipping and thigh bruising on the way off. The fun of being bucked off, but still floating around in the seat. Kind of like a really high steep cantle, fine until you're loose, then the cupping action bats you over the shoulder. When swells are right, they are low and out of the way, but right there when needed. The seat and how the stirrups hang all play into it. Bucking rolls were invented a really long time ago for good reasons , like you point out, comfort in steep country being one of those.

Thanks so much for the great knowledge . Lots of points that I had questions about. Riding western here on the east, coast it's tough to get real western knowledge ,,, surrounded by pleasure horse riders and weekend warrior ropers and penner's etc.

Great story fun opinion! Now I'm needing to try Bucking Rolls. Never had the pleasure. Those of us that only dream of experiencing some of the stories you tell appreciate it immensely.

Great timing for me....I grew up with swelled saddles too on the California Coast. First saddle was a Keston made in San Francisco in the 50's..Almost a "Beartrap" with a 15 inch seat. Outgrew it by age 12 or so...I was in my 40's before I actually invested in a Slick fork Post Horn Rig. Just last month I saw Hickman's at a show and bought a set of S.T.'s but haven't put them on yet. I hadn't considered the standing and bracing while roping. I'm curious about oyur Oregon roots as well. have friends and fond memories in Adel, Plush , Lakeview, KFalls Enterprise, Joseph and spent a Summer in the Eagle Cap at Wallowa Lake,

Very good explanation.

I´v never had a problem riding up and down mountains on my Slick Fork. Do a lot of trail riding and it´s nice to have a pair of saddle horn bags with on a day trip, they fit better on the Slick Fork than on Swells. Going down hill I put the weight in my stirrups, that´s what they are there for. Maybe it´s just the way I sit, I like to Fork My Horse.

I'm from swell fork saddle and ox bow country here in the Colorado Rockies. Then I went and rode with Martin Black to learn how to start colts. He told me one reason he liked wades and flat bottom stirrups, is they make a guy learn how to be a better rider. From then on that's all I've rode ( no buck rolls) and I ride for a living. My goal was to make myself be a better rider. Everyone has to do what's best for them and their horses(s).

Known two fine horsemen who wanted to ride their slick forks with no bucking rolls. Had their horse blow sky high, go to bucking BAD. Both guys couldn't stick it, both ended up riding that horn & breaking their pelvis (Post/Paulina & Terrebonne areas). Both were laid up for months, not able to work & said they were literally black & blue down there from their junk to their toes for months.

That’s cool you’re from the rogue valley. I live here myself what ranches did you work for? I’m at C2

I ride with rolled so.long in Arizona that now back in okla but feel almost naked without. They are a gods send in the sky Islands and catching them maverick cattle. Sure hard to use a 60 foot rope without have to be able to use all your body. Never liked oxes bows myself prefer the 4 inch or 5 if I can get flat bottom bells

Terry Adams told me about a guy he rode with in Nevada that cut his swells off.

100% personally Second your opinion

Why the bigger stirrups for roping?

what part of southern oregon?

Objectively,.oxbow stirrups are better to keep your feet locked in on a bucking horse. Bucking rolls have all the same benefits as swells but they are soft and low. In wide open area roping fast animal with long lines you don't strike you knuckles on the swells to stack dalys deep. Most slick forks have longer seats. In long line roping the extra space between your butt and horn is really nice.

I heard of a guy screwin 2x4 pieces to short swells and shaping them up with a rasp

Funny how a knowledgeable fella can read a saddle and formulate an opinion of the type of person who rides it. Swells vs bucking rolls, oxbow’s vs flat bottom, taps?, cantle height, rubber vs mule hide, even round or square skirts all help identify the fella climbing up

If a really bad coyote s.o.b. (the kind that gets stronger with every jump til ur gone) wants you off then you are leaving your slick fork, squaw tits, swell fork or bear trap. You might ride them for 8 but most of us are leaving shortly there after. I ride a real bear trap custom from Arizona for my colts or horses I don't know but I've still been thrown out the back of it a couple times. I do feel like it gives me a fighting chance. I also think the horses can feel the extra confidence I have when riding it and they don't test me as much. Squaw tits and slick forks are fun I've had them but to me mostly a kool look. I've gone back to swell forks (oh shit straps one on each side of the horn) and bear traps with age - 66 now. Always wondered why grandpa always rode his dorky looking bear trap.... Sooo embarrassing

And are you related to yogi Davis?

It's one of the most tragic stories I've heard... you ruined a Hamley...

I rode bareback till I could afford to buy a saddle and I had Velcro on my bum…..now I’m old and I need those squaw tits…..especially with the horse I am riding these days….form and function…. And I have NEVER not had horses.

You took a saw to ur saddle Bret?!?! HA! 🤦🏻‍♂️

This is completely useless, what is a bucking roll and a slick fork saddle? No photos, no video of them in use or how they work when a horse is bucking. What are iron oxbow stirrups? Come on, if you're going to make a video with that sort of title do it properly.