rkrgirl

@gothcowboy, I believe the saddle is still for sale if you wanted some old memories! I'm still tempted by it simply becuase it doesn't look like anyone rode in it. It is sad they don't do more custom work. I'm not in a huge horse area, but is seems there are a lot of custom options available now. Most people I know either go vintage or custom as a lot of the mass-produced saddle are losing quality.

It does appear to be very well made. I don't doubt someone put a lot of time and care into the making of this saddle. I decided on a different saddle (my other post) as I could verify the Hereford stamp on that one. Certainly the condition of this saddle is much better than the one I ended up with, but for some reason I like the look of the one in my other post. Hopefully with some elbow grease it will be a nice saddle. If nothing else, the price was right that it will look nice in my house if the leather is unsound!

Denise, yes, I love the 5 Star products. I think I may love my 5 Star cinches more than the pads! And yes, the reflocking term is most likely in reference to an English saddle. That nugget must have stuck in my head somehow ...I don't even ride English! Saddlebag, I believe that I am in for the long haul, comfortable chair required!! It's alright, winter won't end in my area for a while. I took a picture of the underside of the saddle. Someone before me tried to replace some of the conchos, so I will replace all of them and the strings in the back. That is about the extent of what I will try to fix, I will have to take it somewhere for the fleece and a small repair on the back cinch. In my 25 years of saddle ownership, I haven't had to clean one up as much as this one needs, so my experience is more limited to oiling. Do you recommend any good soaps or cleaning products? It is kind of a shame so much buildup got on it in the first place, but it looks pretty solid yet. Thank you for all your replies!

Hello all! I just got this saddle, I am so in love with it! I am a buckstitch fanatic and was so excited to see this one for sale. The buck stitching is perfect BUT it needs a really good cleaning. The leather is still in good shape. It is soft and pliable with just some minor cracking in areas. I have purchased several used saddles, but they have only needed an oiling. The one time I tried saddle soap, it looked like it built up in the tooling similar to this saddle. So what is the best process to get this back to looking good? And what should I use to get in the cracks of the tooling, a small brush? I have attached pics to try and see the "gunk". Also, this may be a dumb question, but I have never needed a saddle re-flocked. This one needs to be. I ride in a 5 Star mohair pad 7/8" thick. It is supposed to absorb shock, conform to the horse and keep horses dry. What does the fleece do on the underside of the saddle? I've heard it was for shock, but wouldn't my pad do a better job? Just curious. Don't worry, I will have it re-flocked anyway just because it is rather ugly!! Thanks! Edited to shrink a HUGE picture!!

Thank you for the replies. Saddlebag, the horn threw me off a bit as well. Admittedly, I haven't seen a ton of old TexTans, but every one I have seen has the maker's mark and I've never seen that style of horn. I like the old buckstitched look, but I will wait for one that is marked that I can be sure of what I am getting. Thanks for your help!

Thank you for the reply. I did try emailing TexTan. I had sent the serial number and asked if it was indeed one of their serial numbers and information on the saddle. The reply I got back was "I believe this was made in 1973". They didn't really claim the saddle and if it something I decide to purchase, I will probably push harder for information. I will try and attach pictures. This is not my saddle, so if I have violated a rule I am sorry and please delete my post. Everything looks original with the saddle. There is no mark on the latigo holder or fenders. The picture of the serial number looks like it is on the back side of the fender. I had also emailed the seller and they did not have any guesses on a maker. Thank you!

Hi everyone! I recently stumbled upon this forum and have enjoyed lurking. I am now looking at a saddle that is for sale and the seller cannot find a maker's mark. They did provide a picture of the serial number. I cannot tell where it is located (maybe on the back side of the fender), but it looks like a Tex Tan number. I emailed Tex Tan to get some information and all they said is they thought this saddle was made in 1973. It has double buckstitching, what looks like an equitation seat and tapaderos. It does come with normal buckstitched stirrups as well. Both the tapaderos and normal stirrups look original with the saddle. Does anyone know if Tex Tan made tapaderos with some of thier saddles in the 70s? I'm not sure if I can post photos since I don't own the saddle. It is gorgeous, but I want to stear clear of any cheap Mexican saddles and I thought Tex Tan was pretty regular about stamping the saddles? Thank you!