The Martin Custom Team Roper is fully customizable, from the tree to the swell, cantle, and ground seat, all the way to the way the saddle looks. The horn, swells, seat, and cantle can each be set up for the team roper and the end they’re roping on. Martin’s SPRS® keeps your feet in the right spot through the whole run.
It’s the saddle of choice for Hunter Koch, Luke Brown, Paden Bray, Wyatt Bray, Charly Crawford, Billie Jack Saebens, Dillon Graham and each one rides a setup built for how he ropes.
Every Martin Custom Team Roper is built around the team roper themself. From the cantle and horn cap to the swell and stirrups, each part is fully customizable to keep you balanced and in position from the box to the steer.
FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE BUILD
Choose your tree, swell, seat size, ground seat and look. Each piece is set up for how you ride and which end of the rope you’re on.
SPRS® STIRRUP POSITION
The SPRS keeps your feet under you, not too far back and not too far forward, so your stirrup leather stays in the same spot through the whole run.
SWELL OPTIONS
A narrower swell or front end keeps the horn centered and lets you stay at the front without jamming your legs.
YOUR CHOICE OF CANTLE
A lower cantle lets experienced riders sit on their pockets. A standard or taller cantle gives headers and newer ropers support from the box to the steer.
Why he rides the Custom Team Roper: Charly sets up his saddle for the head side, where his horse goes from zero to a run between the box and the steer. The bigger horn cap gives him more bite on bigger cattle, and the standard cantle gives him support through the run. His feet stay under him, so he can keep his balance and set up his first swing.
Bigger Horn Cap
More rubber on the horn gives him more bite on bigger cattle.
Narrower Swell
The association swell keeps him at the front without jamming his legs.
Standard Cantle
His 3½-inch cantle gives him enough support through the run without letting him blow back.
Feet Under Him
The SPRS® and Hamley twist stirrups keep his feet under him so he can hold his balance.
In this video, Charly Crawford walks through his Martin Custom Team Roper setup. He covers the horn cap, swells, seat, cantle and stirrups, and he explains how each one helps him stay balanced and in position from the box to the steer.
Paden Bray
Why he rides the Custom Team Roper: Paden sets up his saddle for the heel side, where he wants to sit on his butt with his chin over the saddle horn. That’s where he has his best body posture in his swing and gets the best stop and finish out of his horses. His saddle keeps him locked in place, but he can still get forward easily when he needs to.
Narrower Swells
Paden rides a narrower 12-inch swells for heeling. He says it keeps the horn very centered, which is right where he wants it when he dallies.
14-Inch Seat, 3-Inch Cantle
Together they lock him in place and keep him on his butt. He won’t go lower than a 3-inch cantle because he doesn’t want to get too far back, but he can still get forward easily without making a big move.
Heeler Horn Cap
The horn cap allows strong finish even at the top. That's why he has the heeler horn on every saddle.
SPRS®
The SPRS holds his feet naturally in position, not too far back and not too far forward. It keeps his legs square, so his stirrup leather stays in the same spot whether he’s running around the steer or making the turn.
In this video, Paden Bray walks through his Martin Custom Team Roper setup. He covers the swells, horn cap, seat, cantle and SPRS®, and he explains how each one helps him hold his position and keep his chin over the saddle horn through the run.
Hunter Koch
Why he rides the Custom Team Roper: Hunter rides the Custom Team Roper because the narrower 12-inch swell keeps him close to his horse’s front end and gives him the mobility to be square riding multiple horses at rodeos and futurities. The lower cantle gives him more range of motion to scoot back when he needs to while staying balanced.
He also likes the TR post horn, because the full round rawhide top keeps his rubber and rope down, making dallying easier and helping prevent the rope from slipping off. The stirrup positioning rig slot keeps his feet underneath him, making it easier to ride the corner and rope at the same time.
Narrow Front End
The 12-inch swell keeps Hunter narrower to his horse’s front end, giving him the mobility to stand up and make an aggressive heel shot without feeling blocked.
Lower Cantle
The lower cantle gives him more range of motion, letting him scoot back when needed while still staying balanced in the saddle. It also allows Hunter to help his young horses finish.
TR Post Horn
The TR's post horn is Hunter’s pick because it allows him to finish the run. The full round rawhide top keeps his rubber and rope down, making dallying easier and helping prevent the rope from slipping off at a rodeo or multiple futurity runs.
Stirrup Positioning Rig Slot
The rig slot keeps his fenders and feet underneath him, helping him stay balanced to ride the corner and rope at the same time.
In this video, Hunter Koch walks through his Martin Custom Team Roper setup. He covers the narrow swells, lower cantle, TR post horn and stirrup positioning rig slot, and he explains how each feature gives him the mobility to get to the front of his horse, stay balanced through the run and make a secure dally.
Luke Brown
Why he rides the Custom Team Roper: Luke rides the Custom Team Roper because the wider swells help him feel set down and secure while keeping him in the middle of his horse. The smaller 14-inch seat and balanced fit keep him from getting rocked around, even in a bad go. He also prefers the smaller horn because it is easier to get around for a quick dally, giving him a clean spot for rubber without needing a lot of horn coverage.
Wider Swell
Luke prefers a wider swell because it keeps him in the middle of his horse without restricting his movement.
Smaller Seat
He rides a 14-inch saddle to restrict extra movement so he can stay locked in the front of his saddle.
Smaller Horn
Luke likes the smaller horn because he does not have to really lock off his dally. He can get almost a three-quarter-inch dally, hold and turn the steer anyway. To him, heading does not need a lot of horn coverage—just a post where he can get good rubber and a good spot.
Balanced Feel
Luke loves this saddle because of the consistent starts it gives him and the longevity it gives his horses.
In this video, Luke Brown walks through his Martin Custom Team Roper setup. He covers the wider swells, smaller 14-inch seat and smaller horn, and he explains how each feature helps him stay set down, stay in the middle of his horse and make a quick, secure dally through the run.
Wyatt Bray
Why he rides the Custom Team Roper: Wyatt rides the Custom Team Roper because the stirrup positioning rig slot keeps his feet forward and centered, which is especially helpful for a longer-legged roper who's legs naturally get behind him. The Buster front end, set a quarter inch lower than standard, makes it easy for him to get to the front of the saddle to rope, ride and squeeze. He also likes the horn because it is small enough to get over in a hurry and angled forward, letting him get his hand all the way around for a fast dally in a pinch.
Stirrup Positioning Rig Slot
The rig slot even allows a 6'9" cowboy like Wyatt to keep his feet forward and centered.
Buster Front End
The 13-inch Buster swells keep Wyatt balanced at the front of the saddle.
Lower Swells
Having the swells a quarter inch lower than standard makes it easier for Wyatt to get to the front of the saddle fast.
Horn
Wyatt likes the horn because it is small enough to get over in a hurry and angled forward, letting him get his hand all the way around for a fast dally in a pinch.
In this video, Wyatt Bray walks through his Martin Custom Team Roper setup. He covers the lower swells, horn and stirrup positioning rig slot, and he explains how each feature helps a taller roper keep his feet forward, get to the front of the saddle and make a fast dally when his horse is ducking or the run gets tight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cantle height should I choose?
It depends on how you ride. Paden says more experienced riders and horse-show ropers often like a lower cantle so they can sit on their pockets, while headers and novice ropers benefit from more cantle to help them get to the front and avoid getting caught back. Charly adds that for beginner and mid-level ropers who get stuck to the back, a higher cantle offers a lot of support.
Why would I want a bigger horn cap?
A bigger horn cap lets you get more rubber on the horn, which Charly says gives more bite and helps keep the rope from sliding, especially on bigger cattle. When you dally on top of the horn, it allows you to still get that finish.
What does SPRS® do?
It holds your feet in position, not too far back and not too far forward, so your stirrups stays in the same spot through the whole run.
How long should my team roping saddle stirrups be?
Use Charly’s toe check. With your knees bent and seated at the back of your saddle, you should see the top of your toes. If you can see your whole foot, they’re too long. If you can’t see your feet at all, they’re too short.
What swell should I choose?
Paden and Hunter ride the narrower 12-inch swell which allows them to stay closer to their horse, while Luke rides the Buster swell so he can ride square and balanced across the line.
Build Your Custom Team Roper
Choose your seat size, leather, tooling and finish, and we'll build a Custom Team Roper made for you and your horse.
