troutbum1212

another view....

I ran across this saddle the other day at an auction and i have always loved the old highback saddles. They said they date it back to 1890-1910...??? I was wondering if anybody would be ble to help me identify it. I have read some other please help identify posts and have looked for a makers mark everywhere with no luck... The seat is 16.5" which seems a bit big for that time but the swells come back a lot and it is a tight fit for me! (6ft 185#) Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! Tony

So I am completely new to all leather work and will hopefully be building my own saddle over the next year with the help of some experienced saddle makers in Montana... I am not back there right now to talk to them so that is why I am asking you guys! The saddle I have pictured in my head is completely unique as far as I know when it comes to the horn... I would like to use the burr end of and elk antler as the saddle horn... I was wondering what you guys thought the best way to connect it would be or if you even think it is possible. My idea was to put it on a lathe and get it perfectly round, drill a spot in the swell or fork where the horn would go and bolt it in recessing the bolts and then covering the tree with rawhide and stitching around the horn so it is the only part not covered... Like I said, I am completely new, does this sound possible at all or is there a better way to do it? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thank You Tony

Thank you for all the advice! I have been packing in the Bob Marshall Wilderness for the past 6 years and thought the Santa Fe saddles would add a little more purpose to everything, I am trying to make a complete custom saddle without reinventing the saddle! Thank You guys for all the Advice and your guys work looks absolutely amazing, I only hope mine turns out half as good as your guys! Mine is probably going to be a long time in the making just because I unfortunately have a full time job and family so this is more of a hobby right now.... Thanks Again for the info it is greatly appreciated! Thanks, Tony

Thats it! Thank You! I have been trying to find as much info on the internet as possible but it is a hard one to find much info on, or im not looking in the right spots! Is there any kind of tutorial or book that talks in depth on making these types of saddles? Thank You Tony

I am new to the forum and leather work in general, i have tooled a bit of things for fun, I have a horse and have spend thousands of hours and miles in a saddle and would like to build my own eventually. I once saw a saddle that has "hand holes" in the seat... Not sure, i thought it was refered to as a mountain man saddle or santa fe saddle... I was wondering if anybody has had any experience with these and if so where a good place to order a tree would be... I would like to build my own tree but think the first saddle I will try somebody elses tree... Any info would be greatly appreciated, like I said I am completely and totally new to this... I was also wondering if you could do the rigging like a cavalry saddle or a fred hook saddle on any saddle... I currently ride in a fred hook trail saddle, it has adjustable rigging so you can adjust where it rides on your horse. Thank you in advance for any info!