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Saddles... (pics)

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Rawhider,
Your bits hanging on the wall almost have a "Garcia" look about them. From the looks of things you must twist some horse hair as well.

How do you get your stirrups and fenders to hang so far forward on those wade trees? Most saddle makers struggle to accomplish this while putting in a narrow seat.

Sorry to keep asking so many questions
 
I find the more complex knots tend to make me crazy! Pineapple knots and such are fine, but when it comes to the longer knots (such as for rein and romel), I can't quite seem to follow the knot diagrams through. I see you have no such handicap! I'm only medium jealous! :mrgreen:
 
Thanks for all the comments.

Greenbroke, I do make some latigo bosals and I have alot of bits from alot of makers and make some myself the ones in the picture are acouple from a friend in colorado, a Marsh bros of a Teitjen pattern With a mona lisa mouthpiece, and the spade is a Jerry Galloway. I will find some #s for you.

RRoss, I have twisted alittle hair not very much though. I cut my stirrup slots with the flow of the seat and the bars, my trees are cut that way.

DJL, the real complex Knots tend to make me cranky, guess thats why I'm a hermit :D :D :D
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Digital Vaporizers
 
Rawhider,I absolutely love your saddles,Its an odd thing (to me anyhow) that you dont see more real highbacked saddles anymore,it seems like everyone wants to look like a trail rider nowadays :lol: I just ordered a custom saddle and got a 5 1/2 inch cantle,not the biggest,and not much difference in the standard 4' but I feel alot "deeper".Anyhow,be carefull...
 
Now these two saddles are my g-pa's. The one on the rack is at least 60yrs old, and it was the only saddle he really ever used. Unfortunatly it's been sitting in the barn so long that there's not alot left to it. The hanging one is the one he used to "buck out" colts, in his younger days. My g-pa has since passed away, and alot of history is gone with him. OH the stories he use to tell...

A170G-pas-Saddle.jpg


A171G-pas-Saddle.jpg
 
I sure like that old saddle that is hanging up. If you look close it seems to have the same tree design as the old saddle I posted a picture of. If anyone knows anything about this particular design Id be interested.
 
Curly yours looks to me like a Little Wonder if the fork is straight up if its swept back alittle it could be a Sonora. The One of Jassy's looks like a Little Wonder to me, from the angles I see.
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Big-Block engine
 
rawhider said:
Curly yours looks to me like a Little Wonder if the fork is straight up if its swept back alittle it could be a Sonora. The One of Jassy's looks like a Little Wonder to me, from the angles I see.
Click to expand...

The fork is swept back just a bit. The thing I find so interesting is that the swells on the fork are so similar to that picture of the saddle hanging from the rafters above. Not a tree design Ive seen much of. It sounds like both may also be from the same circa. Any other information you guys might have on this saddle design would be appriciated.
 
Another question-- would you guys consider these two saddles I am discussing "bear traps" aka "widow Makers", or are they something different?
The old timers know these terms I'm sure.
 
Curly said:
rawhider said:
Curly yours looks to me like a Little Wonder if the fork is straight up if its swept back alittle it could be a Sonora. The One of Jassy's looks like a Little Wonder to me, from the angles I see.
Click to expand...

The fork is swept back just a bit. The thing I find so interesting is that the swells on the fork are so similar to that picture of the saddle hanging from the rafters above. Not a tree design Ive seen much of. It sounds like both may also be from the same circa. Any other information you guys might have on this saddle design would be appriciated.
Click to expand...


I wish I did have more info on g-pa's saddle, but with him gone now, no one else knows anything about it. Good luck in finding out more.
 
Jassy...what kind of shape is the tree in? Maybe you can get someone like Jinglebob to redo it. Greg had an old saddle of a Canadian bareback champ,the tree was in good shape so he redid it and it turned out really nice. None the less,take it into your house and use it as an ornament...thats too presious a piece of your history to let completly go to heck.
 
I really don't know what shape it's really in, since it's been hanging there for probably 30yrs or more...I already have 3 saddles in the house now, that are keepsakes. I know it is a shame that no one else in the family would take interest in the saddle. It's just a sweet reminder everyday when I go into the barn and see it there. My g-pa had a bit and matching spurs, "Lady Legs" that my g-ma has saved for me. She actually hid them after he passed away, so they wouldn't come up missing... Maybe someday my son might be interested in the saddle, but right now it'll just hang around... :?
 
Curly from what I know of bear trap saddles, the points of the swells curve back toward the rider, and the swells are dished out on the sides so the rider's legs can fit up under them for a tight hold. I have one here, but don't have any pics of it.
 
Yes I can understand it is comforting to see it everytime you walk in the barn,,probably the best home for it.

We also have three saddles in the house along with numerous pieces of old leather reins and collars that belonged to gregs family. One day when I get my photo on computer going again I'll take pics of the breast collars and post them,I love the design of them.
 
DJL said:
Curly from what I know of bear trap saddles, the points of the swells curve back toward the rider, and the swells are dished out on the sides so the rider's legs can fit up under them for a tight hold. I have one here, but don't have any pics of it.
Click to expand...

The saddle I posted above (the dark one) is a 15 inch seat so it is a bit small for me but I did use it once this summer. You can see me in one of those photos checking the back foot of that colt, my legs are way too long for a saddle that size. The points of the swells do acually come back to the rider a bit; not as much as a true bear trap but they do come back. Also your legs are under the fork when you ride.

The reason i am so interested in the history of this tree design is because the second saddle I ordered is a copy of this design. I took this old saddle to my maker and had him get all the specs on it so he can copy it. I honestly dont know if I will use it or if I will just park it in the living room, but it will be a classy saddle.
 
Pops, Thats what I call a good ole working saddle. Who made it and how much would it cost me? Paul
 
A friend had it made for his wife and she didn't like the way it rode. So I bought it from him. It's a backdoor saddle out of a shop it west Texas so there's no Makers Mark on it.

I found out real quick why she didn't like it. The tree was warped. I took it to The Slade Saddle Shop here in Luling and they sent the tree off to have it duplicated with a couple of minor changes.

The saddle had the full double rigging in it and I had that changed to Slades version of the early 1900s Visala single dropped rigging which pretty much eliminates the need for a back cinch in the pasture and about ten pounds off the saddle.

I won't speak for the shop as to the cost but I'd guess Slade's would probably build it for aroun $14-1500. The shop has been in business since the 1880s and the current owner and his son are (I think) 4th and 5th generation raised in the shop.Z

http://www.sladesaddleshop.com/
 
Thanks for the website. Looking for makers that cater to the working cowboys. Those saddles are put to the test. Paul
 

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