Is a Wade Saddle Good for Trail Riding?
For a lot of trail riders, yes — but not for every trail rider, and not without a few tradeoffs worth knowing about before ordering one.
Why Trail Riders Choose a Wade
A Wade sits low and flat on a horse's back, and the wide bar surface spreads a rider's weight more evenly than narrower trees. That combination tends to hold up well over long hours — the kind of all-day riding where an uneven pressure point turns into a sore horse by mile fifteen instead of mile two. The deep seat keeps a rider settled rather than perched, which matters on uneven ground where balance counts for more than it does in an arena. Saddle maker Chuck Stormes, writing for Eclectic Horseman, points to the scooped-out gullet and the way the wood post horn sits close to the horse's back as real, structural advantages — not just style.
Where It Doesn't Fit as Well
A Wade was built first for working cattle, not for covering ground for its own sake, and that shows up in a few places on a long trail ride. The horn — sized for dallying a rope — is bigger than most trail riders need, and riders who don't rope often find it gets in the way more than it helps; one longtime Wade rider on a horse forum put it simply: if you need to grab the horn in a hurry, a true Wade's horn is often too big to grab quickly. The traditionally higher cantle that gives a Wade its secure seat also means a slower dismount, which matters if you're the kind of rider who gets off and on a lot through the day. And a true Wade has no built-in seat padding — riders who are used to a cushioned trail saddle sometimes need a season to adjust, and may want a saddle pad with more loft than they're used to.
Not Every Wade Sold as a Wade Is Built the Same
This is where it pays to know what you're buying. Stormes also warns that the Wade's popularity led to a wave of imitation trees on the market — saddles labeled "Wade" with thinner forks, metal horns, and bar widths that miss the proportions of the original design entirely. Those saddles lose the structural advantages a true Wade tree is built around, even while being sold on the Wade name. A trail rider deciding between saddles is better served asking what the horn is made of and how thick the fork stock is than going by the label alone.
Who a Wade Makes the Most Sense For
Stormes' own advice, after decades building saddles for working cowboys, is straightforward: a Wade is an excellent choice for a rider who needs to rope and handle stock regularly and spends long days covering ground doing it. It's a poorer fit for riding disciplines built around speed and quick lateral movement, where other tree styles do the job better. Most trail riders fall somewhere in between — covering long distances at a walk or jog, not roping daily — which is part of why opinions on Wades for trail riding are genuinely mixed even among experienced riders, rather than a settled yes or no.
If you ride long hours, value a saddle that won't shift or sore a horse over many miles, and don't mind a bigger horn you may rarely use, a Wade is worth trying. If quick mounting, a smaller horn, or built-in seat padding matter more to your riding, it's worth sitting in a few other tree styles before deciding.
Bos Saddlery builds true Wade trees — wood post horn, full stock thickness, no shortcuts on the proportions — fitted to your horse before any leather is cut. Call (406) 370-6469 or email boslady93@outlook.com to talk through whether a Wade is the right fit for the riding you actually do.
