I do custom leather work primarily focusing on saddles. Recently I obtained 8 antique saddles in a deal. There was a Hess and Hopkins, Leddys, Jumbo, and JC Higgins with others very old but no makeres marks. I have just got some time on my hands and began tearing down the Leddy's to clean it up. I have seen 100's of saddles and the trees they're built on. Today was a first for me. Hopefully someone can spread some light on this one for me. Everything is normal about it except the tree bars. Where the stirrup slots generally are there is a semi circle cut into the bar with a place for a machine screw to be screwed in. Instead of the stirrups having straps they are cut off at the top of the sweats with a hole to place the screw through and connect it to the tree bar. This tree was built like this because the rawhide the covers the tree itself is fabricated for this function. Does anyone have any prior experience with a tree constructed like this. Also if anyone collects antique saddles let me know. Thanks in advance for any help.

Terry