The foundation of all saddles is, of course the tree. All of the saddles that we make at BETHEL SADDLERY are built on traditional wooden trees that are covered with rawhide for strength. This is an age old method of saddle tree making that has stood the test of time over centuries. Because each tree is made individually and does not rely on a mold it allows some flexibility in design and whilst we don't use synthetic molded trees in our saddles we know that lot of saddles maker do with excellent results. We have always been proud to say that our saddles are made with traditional methods and materials!
I’ve been using Warren Wright trees almost exclusively in my western saddles for twenty five years. Warren has made over 5000 saddle trees since 1969. This has been done with no sophisticated duplicating equipment. The wood used for the majority of the tree is old growth fir from the west coast and the forks are laminated for strength. His rawhide work is exquisite and he uses a minimum number of nails and the fewest and neatest rawhide seams I have ever seen in all my years as a saddle maker. His Wade trees are something to behold and they are the first choice of some of the best custom saddle makers in the world.
All the hybrid or Western Stock Saddle trees that are used in our saddles are made by Addison Sandy from Gympie, Queensland. Addison has made a lot of saddle trees that have stood the test of time in one of the hardest environments there is - an Australian stock camp or mustering camp. Sandy trees are strong yet still light enough to ensure tat the saddle doesn't end up too heavy after it is made. Addison also makes our Buster Welsh Cutting trees.