I can't get the fenders back on my saddle. Help?

[akhunterrider]

Greetings all. I am newly transplanted into western land. I just sold my saddle two weeks ago after riding exclusively English for about 13 years.

Fast forward to last night when I found a western saddle I wanted to buy. DH’s second cousin owns a tack store just a few miles down the road from my FIL and I finally made it by there last night. She had an old Billy Cook Roper that I fell in love with and brought home. Well, being my OCD tack cleaning self, I started disassembling the saddle so I could clean in all the nooks and crannies. The old Cowboy that had this saddle didn’t clean it. Possibly ever. While this saddle is probably at least as old as I am, it’s cleaning up very nice.

In my over zealousness to get this baby clean, I removed the fenders before considering that I may not be able to get them back on. Well, lo and behold, I can’t seem to get that back on.

So I am hoping and pleading that one of the western folks on COTH might be able to help this transplant out. Maybe next time I won’t be so OCD and just clean the areas I can get to. That is, however, yet to be determined.

[SuckerForHorses]

Hmmm…I am not sure how to help…other than :lol:

Next time, I would recommend leaving them on

[Bluey]

Pliers are your friend.

You can put a string thru the last hole and thread the string around the bar, using a baling wire if you have to, or a screw driver to push it thru.
Then pull gently from the string as you push from the other sided and it should pull right around and thru.
If it is very hard to get once it starts thru, use pliers on the end to help pull.

Be sure to do that the right way, so the fenders hang properly.

That is one of those little, finger eating jobs.

[akhunterrider]

Thank you. Yes, on the first try one of my fingers already got a bit chewed up. I’ll certainly be trying again after work.

Edited to add: I won’t be removing them again regardless. I definitely learned my lesson on that one.

[SuckerForHorses]

Excellent idea Bluey!

OP, I hope you get them back on, I didn’t mean to laugh but it’s one of those things that you just have to laugh afterwards, because, well, what else are you gonna do?! :lol:

[akhunterrider]

It seemed like a really good idea at the time. I’ll get my new saddle really clean!! Then it quickly became a bad idea.

[UrbanHennery]

Yeah, I’m chuckling over here.

The one time I had to remove a fender (long story) I ended up having to take it to a local custom saddler to have her put it back on. She laughed at me. And then charged me $10. Worth every penny.

[akhunterrider]

They came out very easily, thanks to the cowboy who spent many years breaking in this saddle. I am a dummy. I will never ever do it again.

[Beverley]

It does take a good bit of work, but it is possible to do a good cleaning without removing the fenders. And is actually less work than putting the fenders back on as you have discovered!

[BeckyS]

Take a thin plastic round container (think Cool Whip or yogurt) and cut two strips–that naturally want to curl. Punch holes in the container to match up with the holes on the end of the fender, tie on either side of the fender with baler twine, string, whatever you have and make sure there’s a long end left.

String the baler twine through the saddle tree and have someone else hold the jockey pulled up as far off the tree as possible. With some amount of finagaling, you should be able to slide the fender back into place, with the plastic pieces helping to slide it back in place.

With this method, I was able to put a fender back on a saddle in about 10 minutes.

My current project is much harder…I’m trying to get some thick, old, dried fenders off a 50 year old saddle. They…aren’t budging off so easily. lol.

[akhunterrider]

[QUOTE=BeckyS;7671066]
Take a thin plastic round container (think Cool Whip or yogurt) and cut two strips–that naturally want to curl. Punch holes in the container to match up with the holes on the end of the fender, tie on either side of the fender with baler twine, string, whatever you have and make sure there’s a long end left.

String the baler twine through the saddle tree and have someone else hold the jockey pulled up as far off the tree as possible. With some amount of finagaling, you should be able to slide the fender back into place, with the plastic pieces helping to slide it back in place.

With this method, I was able to put a fender back on a saddle in about 10 minutes.

My current project is much harder…I’m trying to get some thick, old, dried fenders off a 50 year old saddle. They…aren’t budging off so easily. lol.[/QUOTE]

Thank you! I will have to try this method or Bluey’s tonight!

[Silk]

Now we need an update!!

[akhunterrider]

I tried for a while after work with no success. I hadn’t been feeling very well all day and tried fire a while before I started feeling worse. I’m about to go give it another try. Now if only I could funds a smaller pair of pliers.

[Cindyg]

I did this once. I ended up having to call the person who made the saddle – which in my case was an actual individual.

For some reason, it’s way harder than it looks!

There are some YouTube videos, but I wasn’t sure which, if any, would help you. But go look through them. You might find something helpful.

[Bluey]

I have very short legs, so have to change stirrups for the very short fenders I have if I let someone else use my saddle.

I bend the end a few times, so it tends to stay bent.
I add a shoe lace or any other strong string to the end thru the last hole.
I thread that string over the bar and fish for it from underneath with a wire or screw driver until it shows up, then pull it and start working the end of the stirrup from above with my fingers, pushing the leather up and around as I pull from the string.

Once that end is showing up under there, then you can use pliers to help work it down, works better than keep pulling on the string.

It really is not that hard, just takes a bit of patience and keep trying and it eventually comes around and down.

[akhunterrider]

I’m having issues, which is typical for me. My husband is going to help me tomorrow. I’ll post an update when I have one.

[akhunterrider]

DH saves the day in about 10 minutes. Cursing me the entire time. LOL

I won’t be removing fenders again. Thank god for husbands.

[Bluey]

It is easier after the first time.

My first time, I even took the front of the seat up, the part that is nailed down.
The seat itself below it was glued on, so no go, still was not working, until I figured adding a string to guide and pull from.

It is easier to clean it all by just running the fender strap up and down, which is not so easy either, but easier than taking it clear off and putting it back on.

Good for DH!

[akhunterrider]

I agree. I will not remove fenders for cleaning again. I did try the plastic container truck and he for both fenders on with those attached. Not entirely sure how much it helped but it did help some I think.

[katarine]

Good judgment comes from experience.

Experience comes from bad judgment.

Thank God for the husband

LOL