Western saddle brands

[mvp]

[QUOTE=bbird930;7644206]
I wound up at a little saddle shop in a small town today that I heard had some nice used saddles. I talked to the owner for a bit and learned that he has made saddles for his whole life. He showed me a saddle he made for a man 3 years ago that he charged $3,000 for and the guy paid half up front and hasn’t come back since. So, he said he’d sell it to me for a good deal. He then showed me a saddle in for a minor leather repair that he made 50 years ago. That pretty much convinced me to get the first saddle he showed me. I got it, a hand made headstall and a nice set of reins for $1,000 and a guarantee that if it doesn’t work out to let him know and he will help me figure something out. Its a roping saddle and super comfortable. It has a 14.5 inch seat and fits me like a glove.

Here’s a picture of it:
[URL=“https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/10354946_10154424967190314_2631816034108314289_n.jpg”]
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/10354946_10154424967190314_2631816034108314289_n.jpg

Now the only thing I need for it is the piece of nylon to go on the right side of the saddle to hook the cinch to. Does anyone know where to buy this online? I’m limited to tractor supply here. The saddle guy said he didn’t have any in stock at the moment :([/QUOTE]

Nice saddle. IMO, it deserves a leather off billet. After you spent $1K on your tack, why go cheesy at the last second with a nylon off billet?

Oh, and take care of your saddle. It will last beyond the end of your lifetime (anyway), so you might as well have it look good when your grandkids are riding in it.

PS, I come from HunterWorld where we take better care of our (sissy-er) tack than you western folks do. But boy-howdy my western tack looks good, feels good and lasts.

[katarine]

Meh, I like one nylon billet on the near side and leather on the off side. Dare to be different

Working from the horse’s back to tighen a cinch is easier with nylon, it slides better than leather.

[monstrpony]

[QUOTE=katarine;7646234]

Working from the horse’s back to tighen a cinch is easier with nylon, it slides better than leather.[/QUOTE]

I’ve seen a tendency to over-tighten as a result of this (not necessarily from the horse’s back), so just be careful of that.

I thought I was the only person who tightened my cinch without getting off to do it …

For the record, I’m an olde pharte and prefer leather on both sides.

[katarine]

Of course you have to be careful, period. I’ve been riding for over 30 years. And I’ve been riding in places where you just about couldn’t get off to fix a girth much less remount.

Another olde farte who knows what she’s doing

[craz4crtrs]

People look at me funny when I tighten my girth, but after doing it for years, its pretty easy. My horses don’t mind either.

[bbird930]

Well I rode in the saddle today and it fit him perfect and it felt even better on my horse than it did on the saddle rack at the store! I found a nylon off billet at tractor supply buried under stuff so I bought that but I’ll order a leather one when I make my next tack store purchase from the internet. I didn’t get any pictures today, I just completely forgot after my awesome ride!

I went back to the saddle makers store today and brought him my paddock boots and half chaps that both needed minor repairs (he does shoes too!). He fixed both of those VERY cheaply. I also brought the headstall back because it wont fit my guys large, weird shaped head. I brought along my English bridle and he took measurements and is making me a custom headstall that will hopefully fit him. If not, he said we would keep trying until it did! (my horses ears connect really low on his head and make brow bands and crown pieces fit poorly… I had to put together an English bridle for him out of 3 bridles (one cob, one full and one oversize)). Anyhow, I’ll get a picture of us tomorrow, promise!

[bbird930]

Oh, I forgot to ask. Should I place my navajo pad under my bigger western saddle pad? or over it? or not use it at all? I rode him today with just the big western pad and it seemed to work fine, but it’s probably going to get gross. How do I clean a big pad like that?

[Bluey]

The hospital fleece bottom pads, you can brush them once dry and shake them out.
A dog slicker brush, those with a million little wires works good.

If it gets terribly gunky, you can hose it off and let it dry, then brush it.

If it works fine, you don’t need any other pad.

Pictures always help …

[cowboymom]

Agree with Bluey on that… we always curry our wool pads before we put them on the horses and don’t usually use more than just the pad.

Very pretty saddle and it sounds like you found a real gem with your leather guy!

[bbird930]

I’m sitting weird here and its from a weird angle but it’s the best I’ve got! Here we are today after our lesson:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/10426576_10154438022950314_2183115316912705970_n.jpg

I know my stirrups are short but we were jumping crossrails and this hunter princess can’t adjust to the long stirrup thing! I’m sure with time I will get there.

[craz4crtrs]

Very cute horse, saddle looks great and seems to fit you. Try dropping your stirrups one hole next time and see how it goes. I prefer a shorter stirrup for arena work, shortest on cattle. Mid length on hills, the length I tend to keep them. Longest on long flat trail rides.

[Leather]

Next up, the back cinch!

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?398069-Back-cinch-on-western-saddle

[craz4crtrs]

[QUOTE=Leather;7648926]
Next up, the back cinch!

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?398069-Back-cinch-on-western-saddle[/QUOTE]

See post #11 on that thread. Use the rear cinch.

[bbird930]

I’m not sure I want to use the back cinch yet or not. He’s a very, very sensitive horse (as in, if i touch his flanks he twitches uncontrollably and freaks out… he used to try to kick me when I first got him). So I’m a little concerned about adding anything that touches anywhere past his “okay to touch” places. We are working on desensitizing but it’s taken awhile. Getting him over flyspray is my main concern currently because he can’t handle it when flies are on him… runs around like an idiot and flings his head everywhere. I’ve gotten him to accept the spray as long as he knows he will get a carrot if he stands well. So… back cinch will come later when I feel like I can safely put it on him. He’s a sensitive guy.

[cowboymom]

But the saddle is designed to have it on there-it won’t fit him correctly without it. Put it on and make sure you have a keeper so it stays as close to the front cinch as it should be. He will be fine, put it on and turn him loose to work out kinks. He’s not going to like those latigos flopping on his side any more than the cinch where it should be.

[bbird930]

I actually tied all of that up except for right before I got off for the picture because when those were flopping on his sides he kept twitching and acting silly. I’ll put it on him tomorrow and lunge him to see what happens. The only problem is I went and untied the back cinch billets for my ride today (didn’t trust tying it for a trail ride on rather varied terrain) and now I’m not sure that I can recreate the knot that held those billets on. I know I can do a knot like this one (on the rear cinch of this horse):
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n255/westernrider81/backcinch.jpg

But I’m not sure I can recreate this really intricate knot that he had. I’ll go experiment tomorrow.

I think this is the knot that he had in there:
http://www.arunintl.com/files/large/10-0005.jpg

ETA: I know its not that intricate but I’m bad with anything past tying my shoes.

[cowboymom]

Did you get it sorted out? I forgot to check back on this thread!

I think maybe toward the bottom of this page it explains that tie: http://www.western-saddle-guide.com/attach-a-latigo.html Or at least one that will work; you have time to learn the one he had or have him explain it to you.

If you’re riding in varied terrain you will be glad to have that back cinch operational and he will get used to it quickly. :yes:

Also, I love the print you have in the background of your saddle picture.