You won't find a better Decker pack saddle anywhere - packers, guides, and outfitters who have used our Deckers won't have anything else. Regardless of the options you choose, you can pack in confidence knowing you will receive a quality saddle that will offer years of use, made in our Columbia Falls, Montana shop. Build the mule or horse pack saddle that will work best for you using the information provided below. As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions. All our pack saddles are in stock and available to ship immediately! PACK SADDLE TREES Our Decker pack saddles are available with two different types of trees: (1) our TrailMax Cottonwood Tree with solid cottonwood bars and powder-coated, cold rolled steel arches or (2) our TrailMax Polymer Tree, with polymer bars and stainless steel arches. Both types of trees are available with either classic (rounded) or modified style arches (also called hoops). We developed the TrailMax Polymer Decker Pack Saddle Trees after years of design and testing. The bars are molded from virtually indestructible high-strength polymer and shaped in the traditional O.P. Robinett style to fit most horses and mules extremely well. The 3/4" stainless steel arches are attached to the bars using threaded inserts that are permanently molded into the bars. There are six bolts per iron, rather than four, for optimal stability and strength. We use only high quality stainless steel for our arches, for strength and resistance to rust and pitting. The arches are tall enough on either style to easily allow ropes to pass through and make storage a breeze. Our TrailMax Cottonwood Decker Tree also features OPR style bars. The bars on this tree are crafted out of solid cottonwood, which has traditionally been the wood of choice for making pack saddle trees, as it is fiberous and resists cracking. In fact, many cottonwood pack saddle trees made 100 years ago are still in service today! The arches on our TrailMax Cottonwood Decker Trees are made of powder-coated, ¾"cold rolled steel. They are assembled to the tree with 6 screws that are installed in a triangular pattern to prevent any rocking or loosening. A Decker pack saddle tree with classic (rounded) arches is ideal for packing mantied loads or panniers. When using panniers with the Classic Decker Tree, we recommend adding a set of Decker hooks to make them easier to load. A modified style Decker tree features arches shaped with stops or "ears" that allow you to load panniers on the saddle by simply looping the straps over the arches, the same as you would load panniers on crossbucks on a sawbuck pack saddle. There is no need to use Decker hooks while packing with a modified style Decker pack saddle. PACK SADDLE COVER Every Decker Pack Saddle comes with the option of either an Outfitters Supply Canvas and Leather Pack Saddle Cover or a TrailMax Mesh Pack Saddle Cover. The Outfitters Supply Canvas & Leather Pack Saddle Cover (or Half-Breed as it is often called) is the best available. We build these pack saddle covers out of 24-oz canvas, which is then bound and reinforced with leather. This cover is built to last a lifetime! We stuff both sides with a full inch of Duratex breathable synthetic padding to help absorb the pressure of the load. A 1" x 4" pine bar on each side is included to spread the weight of the load across the animal's ribs. Our TrailMax Mesh Pack Saddle Cover is extremely lightweight and breathable without giving up durability. This half-breed is made using a double layer of tough vinyl-coated Textilene mesh with Duratex breathable synthetic padding behind the boards; both materials dry quickly and allow air flow to the animal. All seams are bound and reinforced with 4-way nylon webbing. Pine boards help distribute the weight of the pack load. RIGGING STRAPS, SPIDER, BREECHING & BREASTCOLLAR We handpick and cut the leather for our straps from Hermann Oak Old World Harness leather, the very best available. The saddle has adjustable single rigging; buckles on the tree allow you to place the rigging in the best spot for your animal. Rigging straps are 1-1/4", all other straps are a full 1" wide. We provide roller buckles for easy adjustment on the quarter straps and Conway buckles on all other straps for plenty of adjustment. The leather breeching and breastcollar are doubled and stitched with rolled edges to help eliminate chafing. Our breeching, breastcollar and all straps are well stitched and riveted with heavy copper rivets for extra durability. The hardware is stainless steel for ultimate strength and durability. Features and Specifications: PREMIUM DURABLE MATERIALS - Whether you choose a Decker pack saddle with our TrailMax Polymer Pack Saddle Tree or our TrailMax Cottonwood Pack Saddle Tree, you can rest assured it was built from only the most durable, quality materials. Every pack saddle we offer features rigging crafted from the best Hermann Oak Old World Harness Leather and stainless steel hardware for ultimate strength and durability. VERSATILE FIT - All of our Decker Pack Saddles feature trees with OPR style bars, to ensure they fit most horses and mules. WEIGHTS - Decker Pack Saddle with TrailMax Mesh Cover: Approximately 28 lbs. Decker Pack Saddle with Outfitters Supply Canvas & Leather Cover: Approximately 31 lbs. READY TO USE - Our pack saddles are sold ready to pack with two latigos and a Mohair/wool pack cinch. Specify a cinch length, even sizes 22" - 36" (average pack mules and horses generally take a 28" cinch). ALWAYS IN STOCK - Every Decker Pack Saddle we offer is in stock and available to ship out immediately! MADE IN THE USA - We are proud to offer many trail riding and horse packing products that are made in the USA!
