update on saddle

[Jinglebob]

Here's some of what I did the other day, on the saddle.



Here's a view of the skirts, upside down, so I can fill in the places where I "blocked" in the bars of the tree. One is almost done. I glue thick pieces in to fill up the spots that got hammered down, so that there will be a smooth line, from top of skirts to bottom, against the horses back. I make sure all of these pieces fit tight and smooth, so as not to create bumps.



Here the skirt is done and it and the woolskin are both smeared with glue. When the glue dries, I put the skirt onto the wool hide and pound and press it down, to make a good contact. After that, I cut the skirt and woolskin out and trim and sew the hide to the skirt.



Top and bottom view, after the hide is glued onto the skirts. Ready to be sewed.



Here's a press my friends sent me, with hole punches mounted on it, so I can cut the holes for the adjusment buckles, on the stirrup leathers. With this tool, all of the holes stay the same distance apart. These have double holes, so there is more adjustments, on the stirrup leathers.
They used to lace these and some cowboys still like them that way, as then other people are less apt to "borrow" your saddle, cuz it takes too much work to make the stirrup leather fit a different person.



Here's the saddle on my drawdown stand, getting the stirrup leathers, turned and stretched. There is a screw jack in the front of it and I can real put a stretch on these, so they stay turned and are less apt to strech on the side you get up on the horse on , more than the other side.

Hope you enjoyed theses.

[ranchwife]

Ya know, JB....my birthday was the first of march, so better late than never, huh??? By the way, you don't have to worry about wrapping 'er up pretty for me, just let me know when you expect it in the mail!!!

[Jinglebob]

[Faster horses]

Very interesting, JB. I really like your carving (flowers). Beautiful

I was wondering if it is getting hard to buy woolskin for the lining.
I see many factory saddles (I know, that's a bad word) have
imitation wool. Of course, there is nothing like real wool, but I
wondered if it was expensive or hard to get?

My husbands hand made saddle really caused the saddle blanket to
slip when it was new. We took it to the saddlemaker and he changed the wool and the blankets held after that. So, it must be possible to put
the wool in wrong? (I'm asking)~

[Jinglebob]

[Hanta Yo]

It's sure comin' right along, Jinglebob. I admire those who have the patience and the perfectionism to do it just right. I have a hard time just doing leatherwork, I guess I should spend time doing that than on Ranchers.net I prolly would get alot more done

[Jinglebob]

[brandinspector]

Hello Jinglebob. You do nice work.

We've got four custom slick forks in my family and they all have the Blevins buckle twisted to keep the stirrups hanging right. Noticed you didn't do this. Do you have any thoughts on this? GA

[Jinglebob]

[Soapweed]

[brandinspector]

We do have one set of those strap-ons around here somewhere. I've never used them. Never was any good at riding bucking horses.

I've always got a piece of rope or a breast collar tug strap through the gullet that I reach for if things go south (and sometimes even if they may!).

Had some more ground seat removed from my saddle after riding it a while as well. Made a big difference.

The first saddle we got was from Bridger Creek Outfitters in Montana. Think the connection was made through an ad in the Western Horseman. Haven't seen anything for a long time on them.

Anybody know anything about them?

[Jinglebob]