Built on the same tree as the Liberty this style is by far the most popular trail riding western saddle!

The Classic Caliente spells comfort. A contemporary design featuring tear drop fenders, straight cantle binding, a slick fork and a deep seat pocket gives the rider comforting lower back support for the all day ride. Another attribute of this saddle is the formed foam thigh rolls. These rolls are more forgiving the hard wooden swells of a traditional tree if your mule or horse makes some sudden unexpected moves. The nicely padded soft-seat uses both upholstery and neoprene foams, hand skived and shaped to an anatomically correct shape with no stitching lines that can rub you raw. This saddle is popular with all breeds and types of horses and mules too! The round skirt design gives it ability to fit the various back shapes – long and short, dippy and straight. This saddle has a narrow to moderate twist that allows the rider to ride all day long without getting fatigued in the knees and hips.  Another plus for this saddle is the easy free flowing movement of the fenders that virtually eliminate the problems that some folks have with their legs and feet falling asleep.  As for security, it is all there.  The ultra thin tree and advance panel design allows the rider a next-to and down-on the (horse secure seat. Oh… and don’t forget that horn… you can really use it.  Great for ponying young stock along, yet low enough where you will not easily get impaled. In closing, the only difference between the Caliente and the Liberty is that the Caliente has the blocking   Photo showing difference.

Seat size: 15, 16 and 17 inch
Weight: 23, 24 and 26 lbs. Without stirrups also saddles may vary +/- 2 pounds through different thickness of leather, hardware and other points during the building-process.
Panel length: 22.7, 23.77 and 24.77 inches. All designed for up to a 3-inch scapula overlap.
Skirt length:  25, 26 and 27 inches as panels is inside and there is the seam allowance.
Bar length: 20, 21 and 22 for 15, 16 and 17 inch seats
Saddle color: Black, Brown or Two-tone.
Seat type: Black or Brown Upholstery Cowhide, smooth or Suede.
Seat style: ½ inch smooth padding or the one-inch Soft-Seat  (Photo)
Blocking: Upper thigh blocking.
Fork: Slick – 3 1/2" high and 8" wide at base (total height to top of horn measured from base seat is 6 inches)
Horn: 2" High and Cap 2 3/8 inches
Cantle: measured from inside the seat 4 1/2" high (varies with seat padding) and 13" wide with straight cantle binding. Height measured at back of cantle is 4 inches.
Skirts: Round contoured with fleece lining
Fenders: Round tear drop 8" wide backed with boot leather.
Leather rosettes: 1 ¼ and 1 3/4 inch.
Hardware: All Stainless Steel. Rings, Dee's and Footman loops: Specify quantity and where to place.
Rigging: Dropped cross fire with adjustable Stainless Steel sliders and rings with latigo and nylon reinforced off billet
Saddle Pad:  Saddle sox standard when saddle is ordered with encased panels:  In black or brown codura with synthetic fleece or tacky tack.
All About Saddling DVD and Leather Care Kit:  Yes View
Additional options: Available

Order Form Print off and turn into your nearest dealer

Shown with border tooling and easy ride stirrups

Shown with a suede seat

Border tooling

Shown with a soft seat

With the saddle sox

Competition Rigging

Competition Rigging

The Caliente is on the Left the Liberty is on the Right

That is the difference between the two models

black with border tooling and silver - brown seat

black with border tooling and silver - brown seat

Standard padding or the extra padding of the Soft Seat - that is the question.
    

Center photo of lighter color saddle DOES NOT have the extra padding that is in the Soft Seat.

Why select the extra padding of the Soft Seat? 
 There are some points to consider when deciding to select this option-with the Soft Seat.  First, you will lose some of the room that the saddle has to offer for your rear-end - so if you are between sizes use this to help gauge your seat size. Secondly when you select the Soft Seat, you will lose a bit of the "pocket" to sit down in, (since the extra padding is now there for your rear-end and /or your bone-y butt bones). Lastly, with the Soft Seat, the saddle will have a bit of a narrower twist. The twist is the part that is between your thighs (your crotch area). Therefore, if you like a narrower twist, have a bony butt or need a smaller seat size, adding the extra padding of the Soft Seat is key.

The Soft-Seat is soft and easy to care for.  It has NO stitching lines that can fill up with dirt and grime making a saddles seat difficult or impossible to clean.  Also having a seat with no stitching keeps the saddles seat soft, as the more a saddles seat is stitched the firmer it becomes.