Mechanical Cowgirl

Yeah, I was just shocked that with everything either off the saddle or light-weight (plastic stirrups) that it still weighed 38 pounds. I'm guessing that with the cinches, breast collar and proper stirrups on there it's going to be around 45 pounds, which I'm not looking forward to. It's only a 14 inch saddle so it's going to be kids or a smaller adult using it, and I know I sure don't like lugging a heavy saddle like that around. But it is honestly the most comfortable saddle I've ever sat in, so whoever made it knew what they were doing!

Ok, so now I have another question. Why do you use different sized thread on the bottom? My machine has trouble with pulling stitches through to the bottom no matter how I try to increase the tension on the top thread, would the smaller bobbin thread help? On all this leather stuff I don't really know what I'm doing, but it sure is fun :-)

Mark, Thanks for the advice! I'll have to order some thinner thread and dig out the old manual and see if I can figure out how to change the stitch length. How many stitches per inch would you recommend? And I just checked my thread and it is 207, what size would be better? I really like how the black thread looks on med to light colored skirting leather, just a personal deal I guess, I know most use white... I try to get the thread color close to the leather color on the others, but I only have black, white, and brown so far. Hopefully in the next few months I'll get a leathershop built in my barn and get it moved out of my house! Then I'll have more room to expand!!!

Here is the Rowell saddle pretty much done, just have two more strings to do.

Alright Dave, I remembered to take a few pics, one 'in-progress' of re-stitching the horn and a few final photos.

Hi Mark, I don't remember what size thread it is, I always get them all mixed up. Off the top of my head I'd say 144 or 207 (it's the size that the repair shop I used to hang out at used to sew fleece onto skirts). I suppose a lighter weight thread might look a bit better, wonder how my machine would take it... I'm sewing them with an old Juki, it does well for chaps and such, the foot can't lift up very high so it constrains my work to 1/4" or so.

Here is a set of ladies spur straps and 2 bridles. I keep messing around with chap leather applique, sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't. The tooled bridle was my attemp at making a "fancy" bridle. Critiques on them would be great! Thanks. ps: I know the buckles on the flame bridle don't go so well, they were the only ones I have left...

Alright, there is tons of info on how to best fit a saddle to a horse (and all the complications therein...), but what about fitting a pony? I have to laugh at all the ads for 14-14.2 hand ponies that people are selling due to their kids outgrowing them and needing/wanting a bigger horse, I'm an adult and ride a 13.1 POA and think she's a lovely size (I'm not very big though). But with that ease of mounting and the feeling that you are going mach 3 when she canters, then you look at the ground going by and realize a horse would barely have to break into a trot to keep up, I've had a hard time finding a saddle that fits her. I have a decent one now, an old 14" Billy Cook barell saddle from the 70's. I'd like to start breakaway roping with her (team roping is out as the steers are bigger than she is...) but I'd like to find a bit stouter saddle first. But as you get into saddles that I'd feel comfortable roping in then they are too long in the bars and skirts for her. So... Does anyone have experience with ponies and finding saddles that fit short of having a custom one? I have a Fabtron 'roping' saddle with a Ralide tree that is short enough for her, but the saddle itself doesn't fit her that well (or any other horse I've had it on) so I don't want to be subjecting her to yanks on the horn. I bought her as a project this fall and only plan on having her for a year or two, so everything that I get specifically for her probably won't ever be of use to me ever again. Unless I go into the pony training business, hmm...

Dave, I'll try to remember to snap photos, I always get going and forget about the documentation part. I'm no pro by any means, I just find fixing up a saddle to be very rewarding and a good hobby for cold/wet/snowy winter months. If you start with one in pretty decent condition that just needs minor things (strings, stirrup leathers, re-stitching stuff) it's hard to mess it up and a good starting point. Ask around your area or even put an add in the classifieds looking for a project saddle, you should be able to get something for pretty cheap or even free, but make sure it is worth fixing. Most of the time I don't like to mess with repairing front rigging I don't feel 'qualified' I'm very concerned about not getting each side exactly the same and creating an uneven pull on the horse, the other thing I don't touch are broken trees - just a thought. I was fourtunate enough to have outfitter friends that always needed something fixed (stuff that was already fixed before, or not so pretty anyway) so perfection wasn't an issue and excellent prectice. Good luck!

I recently picked up a couple project saddles and was wanting to find out some information about them before I tore into them too much. One is an A-fork Rowell Saddle Co. from Harward CA with a 15" seat, the other is from Thomas Saddlery in Preston ID with a 14.5" seat. I have found a little on the Rowell saddles but nothing on the Thomas and any inforamtion on either would be great, ages, values, historical info on their style ect. The Rowell could use new strings, has one set of rosettes missing and both back D's ripped out, I was going to do strings, rosettes and conchos on the Thomas. Should I put the original slotted star conchos back on or would some more 'modern' ones be okay? Thanks! (The Rowell is the darker saddle and the Thomas is the lighter with the HUGE horn...)

Wow! I just bought a saddle EXACTLY like that 2 days ago to tinker on and was going to post in on here and see if someone could identify it. It's in a lot worse shape but has indentically tooled fenders, horn ect... Mine is a 14" seat, I've sat in it and it is close to the most comfortable saddle I've ever sat in. I picked it up for 15$ and figured it would be good practice, it needs new stirrup leathers, stirrups, strings, rosettes and fleece and the horn re-stitched. I weighed it and without any cinches or breast collar and plastic stirrups it weighs 38 pounds. Thanks for posting, I'm excited to see if anyone 'knows' these saddles!

I like that answer! On to the next project then...

I don't think there's any dry rot on the saddle, and it has softened some since the last oiling. I'm not familiar with dry rot, I just moved from the coast of Washington last year where everything stays damp and molds so i have been enjoying not having to fight molds all winter! I'll just keep my eye on the saddle for the next week or two and see how the leather responds, I talked with a local saddle repairer today and he said it will take a few days for the oil to copmletely distrubite/soak in etc. Thanks everyone for the advice!

Thanks for all the advice, since I have neatsfoot oil on hand I'll try another coat tonight and see if that helps. This saddle has been ridden to the point that the brass in the rigging has worn flat spots in it (a few of the copper rivets are worn to the point of almost being gone) and all the top grain is pretty much gone from the seat, fenders and swells. It has drop plate rigging, it seems better than the rest of the saddle, but still has a patch of surface checking on each side. Just as a point of reference, I'd be comfortable riding this saddle myself, but not using it for heavy roping, and definitely checking the rigging every ride or so (I'm might be hyper-safety conscious I do this on every saddle I'm getting on). Would you sent the saddle back to the guy with a note to this effect?

Never actually tried the Ledebalsam myself, just remembered something along the 'tackiness' lines being mentioned. I just got a pony a few weeks ago and while looking for a 4 1/4" snaffle bit I found Saddle-Tite under 'Spooking Solutions' on justforponies.com it's 9$ for a stick of it. They also had those grab straps for english saddles, maybe he could use a nightlatch until he gets his seat figured out?

I've looked around the 'Restoration and Repair' section for about an hour and couldn't find exactly what I'm looking for, maybe someone could help me out? I have a very used saddle that I'm cleaning and repairing for a guy, it's been stuffed in a shed for years because of broken stirrup leathers, so the mice and birds have made good use of it and the leather is extremely dry. I've scrubbed it down with saddle soap and put a coat of neatsfoot oil on it and it's still stiff as a board. How much oil can you put on the leather to see if it softens, or should I be doing something else? When you try to flex the leather it starts to surface crack, is there such a thing as too far gone? Thanks!

My friend took lessons (english) from a lady who used Leder Balsam on her english saddles to get some tackiness to them. I've looked online and there are a couple different brands that use that name, not sure what she was using. My dad packs mules all summer and rides a slick seat saddle, I saw he had a jar of the stuff he was using, said it's good for grip and weather. This wouldn't be a permanent 'fix' but it might be worth a try.