The Western Saddle as we know it today descends directly from designs that were used for horses on working cattle ranches in the United States and Mexico. Traditionally, they have been made from leather, rawhide, sheep skin, padding on the seat made from various natural materials and laminated wood for the tree portion. Although the Western Wintec Saddle is not made from the traditional real animal materials, it's just as durable and so comfortable that professional riders swear by them.

The inventors behind the revolutionary Western Wintec Saddles are Ron and Ken Bates, proud owners of Bates Saddlery Australia in Perth, Western Australia. It all started in the early 80's when the Bates were producing a number of different leather racing saddles using kangaroo hide because of it's light weight and durability. But over time, the kangaroo leather would wrinkle. So, their search began for a suitable solution to keep the leather smooth. Soon, they discovered a suitable foam to keep the wrinkling from occurring. However, the foam still needed protection. So, they began to use the same fabric that's used to cover wetsuits for laminating to the foam, thereby creating a considerable increase in durability which is the main idea behind Western Wintec Saddles.