New Saddles
Superior Saddlery SS Ranch Cutter
Andy Mashke builds the SS Ranch Cutter for NCHA competition and serious ranch cutting. Full tooled, SYMMETREES™ encapsulated wood tree, hand-crafted in the USA.
The Authority on Cutting Horse Saddles
Built for one cow, one horse, one moment. NCHA competition demands the most specialized western saddle ever designed — deep seat, high cantle, tall horn, dropped rigging, and a rider who appears to do nothing while the horse does everything.
What Defines a Cutting Saddle
The moment an NCHA competitor drops the reins, the saddle takes over. It must hold the rider secure and still through violent lateral moves, hard stops, and explosive turns — all without the rider appearing to assist.
The defining geometry of the cutting saddle. The deep pocket and tall cantle wrap the rider in place so the seat, hip, and hand stay quiet while the horse makes violent lateral moves underneath. The opposite priority from a reining saddle.
Cutting saddles run a dropped or 7/8 rigging position — setting the front cinch back from the shoulder so nothing binds or interferes with the horse's front-end action during the hard stop and turn into the cow.
Unlike the thin reining horn, a cutting horn is taller and built to grab. When a horse drops hard and low after a cow, the rider needs a solid brace point — the horn is exactly that, every single time.
At a Glance
| Feature | Cutting | Reining | Cow Horse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Depth | Deep pocket — holds rider in | Flat — rider stays neutral | Medium — flexible |
| Cantle Height | High — primary brace | Low — unrestricted movement | Moderate |
| Horn | Tall, strong — grab point | Short, thin — minimal | Moderate |
| Rigging | Dropped / 7/8 | 7/8 in-skirt | 7/8 to full |
| Cattle Work | One cow, free rein | None | Fence, boxing, patterns |
| Governing Body | NCHA | NRHA | NRCHA |
New Saddles
Andy Mashke builds the SS Ranch Cutter for NCHA competition and serious ranch cutting. Full tooled, SYMMETREES™ encapsulated wood tree, hand-crafted in the USA.
Certified Used Inventory
David Solum has spent decades around NCHA competitors. He knows what separates a saddle that holds a rider through a hard stop from one that doesn't.