Our legacy
Donn Leson has been making saddles since 1966. Every one has had the same purpose.
The purpose of a saddle
The design of the saddle has evolved in the 3,000 years since people began using them to ride horses, but the purpose remains largely the same. A saddle is what unites the horse and the rider.
You can ride without a saddle if you're skilled, but it won't be comfortable for the rider, or the horse, for long. A saddle distributes weight, but really, the purpose is to create a connection and harmony between rider and horse.
From ranch hands to the reining pen
Perhaps better known today as a luxury saddle maker for the serious competitor, Donn Leson began by making saddles for working cowboys.
- 1966
Ranch and rodeo
Donn Leson begins making saddles for ranch hands and rodeo cowboys.
- Early 1970s
The show pen
With the growth and popularity of horse shows, Leson's focus turns to the show horse community, with an emphasis on Western Pleasure.
- Mid 1970s
The first cowhorse saddle
With the emergence of the CRCHA snaffle bit futurity, Donn designs the very first cowhorse saddle equally effective in the cutting pen and in the reined work down the fence. Until then it was common to use one saddle for the herd work and change to another for the reined work.
- Late 1970s
The Leson Cutter
The popularity of the cutting horse shows the need for a saddle that works out of the herd and gives the rider a comfortable seat. The Leson Cutter features the Perma-twist stirrup leather Donn designed and, for the first time, the close contact skirt that minimizes bulk under the leg. Both are now standard on every major western saddle brand.
- 1991
Reining
Donn watches the NRHA reining at the Quarter Horse Congress, and has attended every NRHA Futurity since 1992.
- 2007
The carbon fiber tree
Development begins on the Leson carbon fiber tree, engineered in 3D. It becomes the Leson Carbon Competitor.
Built for the modern horse
Leson has a long history of exploring the changing conformation of horses developed through selective breeding for a specific discipline.
The body type of the performance horse has changed to suit the discipline it was bred for. Leson redesigned the bars of the saddle tree for the best possible fit for the modern horse.
Why saddle weight matters to the horse
At the NRHA Futurity, Donn saw that a number of the horses that made the finals were both sore and fatigued.
Race horses have been handicapped with weight since 1850, and handicapping works because static weight, in this case saddle weight, has a much greater effect on the horse than rider weight. A rider can shift their weight to help the horse. A saddle can't.
That led to the carbon fiber tree, 80 percent lighter than traditional trees of like design.
