As a primarily English style rider, I was interested in a lightweight trail saddle that would combine the advantages of both English and Western type saddles. I ride in an area with a lot of steep hills and have been looking for something that would provide more support for my aging joints than my normal all-purpose English saddle. The Tucker River Plantation saddle appeared to be a good option. Thanks to the saddle demo program offered by Valley vet.com, I was able to try out the River Plantation saddle for a weeklong demonstration loan.
The Tucker website describes the River Plantation Trail saddle as having a narrow twist and a deep seat. It has no horn, but instead features a pommel which rises to a height of 5 1/2 inches. The cantle is also 5 inches high. At 23 pounds, it is relatively light weight.
A number of options are available for features such as color, tooling, and hardware. The most important choices pertain to the stirrups and rigging. You can choose between English style stirrup leathers or a slim fender. Wide tread endurance stirrups can fit either of these choices, or the fenders can be fitted with a variety of Western stirrups. Rigging options include standard Western, or enduro-balance single or double tie. The enduro-balance system eliminates the need for a rear cinch, by tying the back of the saddle to a single cinch in a y-shaped arrangement.
My demo saddle arrived within days of order; a cinch was included, so I was ready to ride. The model I tried was the classic River Plantation saddle. I was able to try it several times under different conditions, from fairly flat ground to steep up and downhill.
Pros
— The saddle fit both my horse and me quite well. My horse is a Thoroughbred/stock horse cross. She has a defined wither, and some curve to her back, but she is not extreme and is generally easy to fit. For my part, I’m a fairly petite rider with narrow hips.
— This saddle did not impinge on her withers or interfere with her shoulder movement. I also liked that I could feel her hind end working when we climbed steep hills.
— I felt I had good contact with her sides through the leather, which can be an issue for English riders unaccustomed to the bulk of a Western saddle. The saddle also put me in a good equitation position, with no “chair seat” problem.
— I liked the Western rigging, which is less fiddly and easier to tighten than an English billet system.
— It did well at the job I wanted it for, which is giving me support in the saddle when going up and down steep inclines. Riding inclines in my normal all-purpose English saddle requires a lot of effort to keep from sliding right out of the seat. After riding in the River Plantation Trail saddle, I found my joints were much less stiff than usual at the end of a trail ride. I felt secure in the River Plantation saddle and knew I could not be dislodged easily by a spook or spin.
Cons
— At 23 pounds the River Plantation saddle is not really heavy, but my usual saddle only weighs 12 pounds. The weight felt awkward to me and I had some difficulty placing it gently on my horse’s back. I think, however, this is largely a matter of technique – I need to learn how to lift and swing it up in imitation of my Western-riding friends.
— While it was comfortable riding on trails at the walk, it felt hard and uncomfortable at the trot. If I buy one of these saddles, I will definitely be looking for a padded seat cover of some kind.
— I’m definitely not as spry as I used to be, but I found dismounting neatly over the 5 inch cantle was a serious challenge. My initial attempts were quite comical, and I had genuine concerns that it might be impossible for me to bail out in an emergency situation. Once I practiced a few times, however, I did begin to work out a technique, and I think with practice I could master it.
Classic versus Gen II
In addition to the classic model Tucker River Plantation Trail saddle, there is also a Gen II model. According to an informative article on the “Saddle up Trail Riders” website, the saddle trees used in these two models are different. They may not be interchangeable with respect to fitting your horse properly. In particular, the article describes the classic Tucker tree as having more “rock” than the Gen II tree. You can think of rock as the depth of curve in the runner for a rocking chair. The classic tree is likely to be a better choice for a horse like mine, with defined withers and a curve to her back. A flatter-backed horse might be better suited by the Gen II tree, which features less rock. Some horses may be in between enough to be suited by either type of saddle.
Conclusion
Overall I liked the saddle quite a bit, and definitely consider it to be on my short list of choices. My list of pros and cons may be specific to me, but hopefully they may help you decide if the Tucker River Plantation Trail saddle might be suitable for your needs.
Sources
Valley vet, demo saddle – River Plantation Trail saddle.
Tucker Trail saddles, River Plantation Trail saddle.
Saddle up Trail Riders, Tucker Buyer Guide: Should I Choose the Tucker Classic Tree or Gen. II Tree for My Horse?