Product Review: Retro Jean 77MWZRW

Each month we'll try and review at least one product in the store. This month our focus is on the new Retro Jean from Wrangler the 77MWZRW. It just came in last week and is a new color in Wrangler's #77 and Retro line.

Review:

This jean from Wrangler has quickly become one of our top selling jean styles for men and is personally one of my favorites. I've had the earlier versions of this jean in the Blue Frost and Worn In and liked them both. 

The color of the River Wash is slightly darker than the Worn In, which is more a true blue, allowing it to match with almost any color shirt available.  Bright and light colors tend to pop while darker colors are complimented.  The River Wash almost has a "dirty" look to it with the worn look around the back pockets and thighs. 

The denim itself is slightly heavier than either the Blue Frost or Worn In styles that came before. Although this may seem like a con, it actually feels much more natural and wears better because of it. The original #77 jeans in the retro line were much thinner and I felt could wear out too fast. This jean feels like it will last much longer and hold up to more abuse than its predecessors. 

As for the fit, this jean has a natural feel to it. It has a slight low rise to it, with a boot cut feel. It's slimmer through the legs and slightly flares at the bottom to be wide enough to fit over and give a nice look with a pair of boots.

I personally would highly recommend this jean as it is extremely comfortable and has an overall great fit. 

The Difference between Saddles: Part 1

Any body can buy a "saddle" in today's economy. If you look on ebay you can even find some around $100, but that doesn't guarantee the saddle is going to work perfectly. Far too often we see these ebay saddles come in needing repair or for trade because it doesn't fit the horse. Many of the saddles that are found on ebay appear to be good for the pocket book but can end up costing you more.

Before anyone gets mad, I'm sure there are people out there that have had a great experience with these types of saddles but I can tell you this is not the norm. We have had plenty of people bring in these types of saddles to trade and we turn them away because they don't fit the majority of horses our customers have. The reason these saddles don't fit is because the tree or base of the saddle is made up of inferior parts or cheap materials that do not support the rest of the saddle.

We here at Al-Bar Ranch wanted to put together a series that talks about what goes into a saddle, from its parts to the leather that is used. Part 1 of this series is going to talk about the different types of trees available in the horse industry and a little bit of how that will affect both you and the horse. Hopefully this will help when you do go looking for your next saddle.

Western Saddle Tree Example

First off there are generally two types of trees in saddles; wood or synthetic. Wood trees are going to offer the best for both you and your horse in comfort and quality but typically will be more expensive. Synthetic tress offer less comfort and quality but make up for this with their lower price.

Here is an image of a tree and its parts to your left. Typically most trees are made of all one material. Your Flex-Trees, which I'll talk about at the end, are built slightly different and are a hybrid of the synthetic and flex trees.

 

Synthetic Trees

Synthetic trees or Ralide trees, as they are more commonly know, are form molded from a sturdy plastic or resin mold that hardens and forms the tree. Due to this molding process these types of trees can be made in a variety of sizes or widths. Having a variety of widths and sizes is an advantage to horse owners because it can allow a better fit for your horse.

Unfortunately the down fall to having a synthetic tree from a mold is that you have to make sure that the fit is almost perfect because these molds are very rigid and have little to no give or play. As well you may find that synthetic trees do not always provide an extremely comfortable ride for neither you nor your horse.

A few examples of Ralide Tree Saddles are:
High Horse 6310 Gladewater Show Saddle & Fabtron 7854 Deluxe Trail Saddle

Wood Trees

There are typically three types of wood trees Rawhide, Bullhide, and Fiberglass). Wood trees are great because they are strong yet flexible enough to mold to your horses back which provides comfort and quality for both horse and rider. 

Rawhide

Rawhide trees are designed with a solid wood base which are then wrapped in fine leather. This leather wrapping has been soaked to allow it to mold to the tree for a perfect fit. The leather wrapping keeps the wood from causing chafing of the horses back, protects the wood from splintering, and keeps the tree from getting wet. Rawhide trees are very durable and can withstand lots of abuse. They also allow some flexibility in the tree for it to mold to your horses back. These types of trees typically tend to go in medium to high end saddles. Prices on these sorts of saddles will vary due to the fluctuating cost of leather.

A few examples of Rawhide Tree Saddles are:
Billy Cook 3299 Show Saddle & Billy Cook 9014 Show Saddle

Bullhide

Bullhide is very similar to rawhide. The addition of thicker leather makes this tree slightly stronger than the rawhide tree. It also allows for more flexibility in the tree due to the stronger leather. This type of tree is typically seen in top of the line saddles. You will find that bullhide trees cost more than any other tree on the market because the leather is so refined and tough.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass trees are wood trees that have a resin coating sprayed over the top, rather than a leather wrapping. This resin acts like the leather covering in both the rawhide and bullhide trees buts adds more rigidity to the tree making it stronger but less flexible in comparison to any of the other wooden trees. Unfortunately the rigidness of the fiberglass trees makes the tree less likely to form to the horses back which requires you to have the proper fit with a saddle that uses this type of tree. Fiberglass trees will be less expensive than bullhide or rawhide trees because leather price fluctuations will have no effect on this trees.

Flex-Tree

Flex-Trees are becoming more and more popular among companies. Circle Y is a big advocate of flex-trees with their flex2 trees leading the way. Flex-trees saddles do what their name says, flex. With these types of saddles it is the bars on the tree that will move with the horses back keeping weight of the rider spread evenly across your horses back and alleviating pressure points.

Flex-trees have a wood base with other components such as rubber or neoprene which allows for the flexing of the bars. Each company that offers a flex tree tends to use different components that make their specific flex-tree saddles unique.

Here is an example of a Flex-Tree saddle:
Circle Y 1651 Topeka Flex-Lite Saddle

The most important thing is to find a tree that works for both you and your horse. You need something that fits properly and is a good quality tree. With some synthetic trees you may end up getting what you pay for, and in the end may cause more problems than what the saddle is worth.

For that reason alone, we here at Al-Bar Ranch consistently encourage you to take both new and used saddles out to try! Yes, you can take the saddle with you back to the barn and try it on your horse to make sure that it fits! Stop by and we'll explain the whole process when you visit us in store. Hope to see and hear from you soon.

Finding the Boots You Like

So you know your size and what you need in a pair of cowboy boots but what about what you want?

Finding the perfect pair isn't easy especially when there are hundreds of companies out there that make a hundred styles of boots.

With hundreds of options out there you have to find something you like, while keeping in mind whether you'll be using them for show, work, or fashion. Knowing how the boots will be used will help in narrowing down the choices. Obviously you want to make sure that you like them too. Always remember if you don't like it you won't wear it, plain and simple.

Once you've narrowed the boots down to what you like you need to make sure they are comfortable. Walk around in the boots because you are probably going to spend quite a bit of time in them.Check to make sure that they fit properly from our previous post, Finding Cowboy Boots that Fit.

Also keep these questions in mind:

• Do they support your foot well? 
• Do they offer any extra cushioning? 
• Can the boots hold up to the abuse that you'll put them through on a daily basis?

You'll find that we carry a large selection and variety of boots that will meet all your needs. We have cowboy boots for work, show, fashion and play.

As always if you find a boot from a company that we carry and we don't have it in stock, we are more than willing to order them for you.

Finding Cowboy Boots that Fit

Over the years I have heard people talk about how their cowboy boots fit like a glove and that they were the most comfortable shoe or boot they have ever had.

So how do you find a fit like that? It come down to taking your time, trying boots on, and a few key tips that I've learned over the years.

First is to remember boots from different companies will vary slightly in fit and size for both men's and women's boots. You might be in a size 8 from Tony Lama and an 8 1/2 from Ariat. Each manufacturer will vary slightly in how a boot fits and feels. Keep in mind that just because one boot fits your friend well doesn't guarantee that the same company will fit you well. We all have feet that are built a little different. You can't be afraid to try different manufacturers.

Second, remember that some companies offer different widths in their boots. Although cowboy boots naturally fit more snug than a pair of tennis shoes you want to make sure that you can still pinch or move the leather across the ball of your foot. If you cannot do this then you should ask about a wider width in that particular boot.

The third, and probably the most important thing to remember when trying on boots is that you want about a 1/2 inch of slippage in the heel as you walk. This prevents the boots from rubbing against your heel and causing blisters or sores. The slippage that is there will eventually disappear as the leather across the toe box wears.

Choosing a Fly Spray for Horses

We've been doing some research to find out what makes a good fly spray and we came upon an article from the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture that talks about what most fly sprays or insect repellents are made up of.

Most fly sprays are made up of one of three components:

• Cypermethrin
• Permethrin
• Pyrethrins

Both Cypermethrin and Permethrin are synthetic forms of Pyrethrins making them more stable and less likely to break down, which means the product should last longer. Each synthetic form has Pyrethrins added to aid in repelling.

Pyrethrins have Piperonyl Butoxide added to increase the activity of the Pyrethrins making them more effect than their synthetic counterparts. Since Pyrethrins are not as stable they will not work near as long, meaning your horse will need more applications throughout the day.

Here is a list of fly sprays that we carry:
(Products marked with an * are concentrates that are diluted before use.)

Cypermethrin
· Endure Sweat-Resistant Fly Spray for Horses (0.15%) +0.20% pyrethrins
· Tri-tec 14 Spray (0.15%) + 0.20% pyrethrins

Permethrin
· Bronco Equine Fly Spray (0.10%) + 0.05% pyrethrins
· Repel-X (0.10%) + 0.05% pyrethrins
· Bug Block (0.20%) + 0.10% pyrethrins
· Mosquito Halt Repellent Spray for Horses (0.20%) +0.13% Prallethrin
· UltraShield (0.40%) + 0.10% pyrethins

Pyrethrins + piperonyl butoxide
· Equisect Fly Repellent (0.10%)
· Pyranha Wipe n'Spray for Horses (0.10%)
· Pyranha Aerosal (0.30%)
· Endure Sweat-Resistant Fly Spray for Horses (0.20%)
· Wipe Original Fly Protectant (0.20%)
· *Repel-X  Concentrate (0.40%)

All Natural Repellents
· Stay Away Fly & Bug Repellent (Oils)
· Clac Deo-Lotion Fly Repellent (Oils)
· Liquid Net All Naturall Insect Repellent
 
All that to say that your situation will probably decide which kind of fly spray you'll want to use. Your synthetic sprays (Cypermethrin & Permethrin) will be good for horses that will be outside all day and your Pyrethrins will be good right before working your horse or going into a class at a show.

If you'd like to read the whole article from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture and get some home recipes for fly spray visit our website.