Wood Horns Main Page.jpg

We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com websiteWestern Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)

Wood Post Horns

We wrote our Basics on Horns page to explain the decisions you can make in choosing the horn you want.  These pages are to let you see pictures of some of the combinations of specs you can order.  There are three other pages in this section:  one for Horns on Wade Trees, one for Wood Post Horns on Swell Fork Trees and a third for Special Wood Post Horns

This page is for comparison purposes, expanding a bit on our Basics on Horns page.  The first table compares forks with varying stock thicknesses so you can see the effect this has on how the horn appears.  The second table compares wood post horns on swell forks to Wades, showing the visual effect of the different the top cut angles.  The third table compares leaned ahead swell forks to stood up swell forks, illustrating the reason for changing the pitch angle to get the same look.  If you have ideas of something you want that is different than what you see in these pages, please contact us to talk about it.  We can probably make it for you.

Please note – these pictures are taken on a flat table.  The horns will look flatter when they are on a horse.

Stock Thickness Differences on Wades

Here are Wade horns with as similar specs as we had pictures of but with stock thicknesses ranging from 4 ¼” to 5 ½”.  All the specs are labeled beneath the pictures, so this should give you a good idea on how stock thickness affects the look of the horn.

Wood_1_30_deg_3_1l2_high_4_cap_4_1l4_ST_0907095_guad_3B.jpg Wood_2_30_deg_3_1l4_high_4_cap_4_1l2_ST_0912160_Wade.jpg
  4 1/4" stock thickness
  3 1/2" high, 4" cap, 30 degree pitch
  4 1/2" stock thickness
  3 1/4" high, 4" cap, 30 degree pitch
Wood_3_27_deg_3_1l4_high_4_cap_4_3l4_ST_0709102_Wade.jpg Wood_4_27_deg_3_1l4_high_4_cap_5_ST_0802016_Wade.jpg
  4 3/4" stock thickness
  3 1/4" high, 4" cap, 27 degree pitch
  5" stock thickness
  3 1/4" high, 4" cap, 27 degree pitch
Wood_5_27_deg_3_1l4_high_4_cap_5_1l4_ST_0708097_guad_Wade.jpg Wood_6_27_deg_3_1l4_high_4_cap_5_1l2_ST_1010095_Guad_Wade.jpg
  5 1/4" stock thickness
  3 1/4" high, 4" cap, 27 degree pitch
  5 1/2" stock thickness
  3 1/4" high, 4" cap, 27 degree pitch


Stock Thickness Differences on Wood Post Swell Forks

These are wood post horns on swell forks with stock thicknesses ranging from 4 ¼” to 5”.  You can see the differences in top cut angle as the forks get thicker.

Wood_7_SF_24_deg_3_high_3_1l4_cap_4_1l4_ST_0705042_Chuck_Sheppard.jpg Wood_8_24_deg_3_high_3_1l2_cap_4_1l2_ST_0710106_Chuck_Sheppard.jpg
  4 1/4" stock thickness
  3" high, 3 1/4" cap, 24 degree pitch
  4 1/2" stock thickness
  3" high, 3 1/2" cap, 24 degree pitch
Wood_9_SF_27_deg_3_high_3_1l4_cap_4_3l4_ST_0612162_Chuck_Sheppard.jpg Wood_10_SF_24_deg_3_high_3_1l4_cap_5_ST_0902036_Will_James.jpg
  4 3/4" stock thickness
  3" high, 3 1/4" cap, 27 degree pitch
  5" stock thickness
  3" high, 3 1/4" cap, 24 degree pitch


Comparing Wades and Wood Post Swell Fork Horns

The top cut angle on swell fork trees is lower than on Wade trees, which means the lip slopes down more on swell forks than on Wades.  Therefore horns that measure the same at the front will be shorter at the back on swell forks than on Wades, and horns also appear to have more pitch on swell forks because the greater disparity between the top cut angle and the horn pitch angle.  This is why we rarely put a 30 degree pitch on swell forks, though it can easily be done.

Wood_11_24_deg_3_high_3_1l4_cap_5_ST_0904058_Wade_250.jpg Wood_14_24_deg_3_high_3_1l4_cap_4_1l4_ST_0705042_Chuck_Sheppard.jpg
  Wade fork
  24 degree pitch
  3" high, 3 1/4" cap, 5" stock
  Swell fork
  24 degree pitch
  3" high, 3 1/4" cap, 4 1/4" stock
Wood_12_27_deg_3_high_3_1l4_cap_4_3l4_ST_0804046_Wade_250.jpg Wood_15_27_deg_3_high_3_1l4_cap_4_1l4_ST_0805052_Louellen.jpg
  Wade fork
  27 degree pitch
  3" high, 3 1/4" cap, 4 3/4" stock
  Swell fork
  27 degree pitch
  3" high, 3 1/4" cap, 4 1/4" stock
Wood_13_30_deg_3_high_3_1l4_cap_4_3l4_ST_0911144_pelican_shape_Wade_250.jpg Wood_16_30_deg_3_high_3_1l4_cap_4_1l4_ST_0911151_Chuck_Shepherd.jpg
  Wade fork
  30 degree pitch, extra belly on horn
  3" high, 3 1/4" cap, 4 3/4" stock
  Swell fork
  30 degree pitch
  3" high, 3 1/4" cap, 4 1/4" stock


Comparing Leaned Ahead to Stood Up Swell Fork Wood Post Horns

Because the pitch of the horn is measured against the back of the fork, when you stand up a fork, you also increase the pitch of the horn the same amount.  This works out to about 5 degrees on our trees.  Therefore, a 19 degree pitch on a stood up fork is the same as a 24 degree pitch on a leaned ahead fork, and a 22 degree pitch on a stood up fork is the same as a 27 degree pitch on a leaned ahead horn.

Wood_17_24_deg_3_high_4_cap_4_1l2_ST_0901002_Bowman.jpg Wood_18_19_deg_2_3l4_high_4_cap_4_3l4_ST_0704039_High_Country.jpg
  Leaned ahead swell fork
  24 degree pitch
  3" high, 4" cap, 4 1/2" stock
  Stood up swell fork
  19 degree pitch
  2 3/4" high, 4" cap, 4 3/4" stock
Wood_19_27_deg_3_high_3_1l2cap_4_1l4_ST_1011112_Will_James.jpg Wood_20_22_deg_3_high_3_1l2_cap_4_1l4_ST_1008072_High_Country.jpg
  Leaned ahead swell fork
  27 degree pitch
  3" high, 3 1/2" cap, 4 1/4" stock
  Stood up swell fork
  22 degree pitch
  3" high, 3 1/2" cap, 4 1/4" stock