rufusjames

Wow! What a cool project. I have been a Mason for the last 23 years. I slowed down the last few years due to the flood of CHEAP labor here in the US. Unfortunately the mass view of my trade has gone from master craftsmen to simple laborer. Nobody wants to pay for quality masonry anymore. I can't make any money at it and it is too hard of work to do for free. I would guess I have moved close to a million pounds of materials in my career. It sure feels like it at least. It has been a career long dream of mine to go to Europe and lay just ONE stone on a project like this. Masonry has not change that much in the last hundred years. Still one brick/stone at a time. Sorry my post wasn't about medieval tack, but I got excited about the project. I would love to see pics.

Oh good. It worked out for you then. Glad you didn't get stuck with a saddle you couldn't use. Your friend that bought it, are they happy with saddle? Better question would be, is the horse happy with the saddle?

Too much rock for your horse? Too narrow for your horse?I am trying to understand your opinion. Was it the tree? Or the horse has a flat/arched/ wide back. You know they are easily custom fitted within reason. If not you can ask for specific dimensions to be produced. Hell they will even adjust it for you if you send a wither tracing and a picture of the horse you are fitting if you are not comfortable doing the sanding yourself. Did you find someone that had a horse with a narrow swayback to sell it to?

So what did you do? It did not fit? I hear your opinion and want to know more. I see your sig... If you have the whiskey ill go get my gun!

Thanks Knut. Yes it is. Sorry I didn't give any info on it. 15.5" Laporte,cable rigged,Hermann Oak. I want small and light for a game I play on horseback called Polocrosse. Small skirts with less insulation and more air flow. "balance ride" style forward located stirrups. I wanted more of an Australian saddle ride to it. The stirrups hang about 3" forward than if hung over the tree. I have a friends Aussie style saddle that was built 30 or so years ago by Brock Lynch with this setup and I really like it for what I am doing on horses.

I've not built a saddle since last May. With work being so slow I got back in the basement and made myself a saddle for Polocrosse. This is my third completed saddle. First one unsupervised. It is similar to last two I posted, but I tweeked the design some.

I use Dap Weldwood GEL cement. I get it locally and I feel it holds well. I glue nylon webbing to my stirrup leathers to hold them for sewing. The gel is MUCh less messy. No real spider webs to speak of.

I am curious. How much do the weigh? Great idea! I am not a traditionalist, I like new and improved shtuff. Expensive, but it looks like the quality has warranted the price tag. Nice work.

I am looking for advice or method on installing a rawhide cantle binding on a Cheyenne roll. I have done it on a straight cantle but not a cheyenne roll yet. Should I pattern it? Or install it long and trim it under the roll?

Jean, It is just a two piece cable clamp with two allen screws to tighten it to the cable. With the clamps on but NOT tight yet. I put the saddle on the horse. Settle the saddle into its position. Tighten cinch some. Move the horses feet some. Check cinch. Move feet. Check cinch. Check the location of the saddle(not twisted,rolled...) I double check and measure that the clamps are equal distance from a rigid point on the tree. Tighten the allen screws. The nice thing is if you dont get it right the first time... you will be able to adjust it to be correct.

No comparison made. Just info on the rigging design.

From where the latigo is attached to the skirt go down to the cinch ring in through the back of the ring. Next up to the large hole on the skirt through from the front. Down to the cinch ring through the back. Then pull tight. Buckle the latigo. Pull the latigo to even out the tension and take up any slack. Check that it is tight enough for you. Run the rest through the front slot(keeper). You need a cinch with buckles on both ends to work correctly. James The book Saddles by Beatie has some info on different ways to tie this type of riggin.

Look to Monte Foreman balance ride for info on that type of rigging. At least that is where I first saw it. I have an almost 30 year old Brock Lynch aussie western stock saddle here that is the same rigging. Bulk less rigging. Never more that one thickness of latigo under your legs. Its ugly but effective. The Lynch also has the triangulated/forward hung stirrups with bearing pivot. Designed to help keep you in the riders groove with as much leg contact as possible.

You can use the lock rings they will provide you with the tree to set the location of the latigo and off billet. Or you can make an adjuster out of 1/2" nylon webbing to go to the back side of the latigo on the cable and pull the cable forward to a buckle to form the "u" shape into a "p" shape. I conceal the buckle under the latigo and cinch keepers. In the "P" the latigo can not slide uphill on the cable to change locations. Without the lock ring or nylon it will settle in to around a center fire. I will see if I have pics. I do not use the lock rings. I like these trees. They are predictable,consistent,accurate,LIGHT, water and moisture proof,semi rigid with some flex, easily shaped to custom fit... I like them. I have two Aussie trees on order and should be here at the end of the week. If I don't have any pics I will take some during construction.

try again

Just finished another Aussie hybrid. This one is a 16" cable rigged,rough out on semi quarter horse bars with Jeremiah watt conchos.

Freeeeeeking unbelievable. Beyond beautiful.

WOW ! very nice work. I really like the location of the breast collar dees. I like how that moves the tugs off of the horses shoulders and limits interference. Very nice and clean lines on the carving.

Sorry Rob

Thanks Ron, Timbo,Auriele.

Saddle weighs 24 lbs. with the aluminum stirrups. Its being ridden in the Kenlyn Urban challenge in Denver this weekend. I will be making an endurance version soon and hope to get the weight down even more. This one is my Polocrosse saddle.

. This is the tree i used.

Thanks for the kind words. Yes it was fun. More than fun. I am starting on #2 this week. I will post progress pics of that one if anyone is interested. The saddle will be tested on Saturday in a 25 mile endurance race in Denver.

Aussie hybrid. Built on a Laporte Stockman tree with semi quarter horse bars and cable rigged. I play Polocrosse and wanted a better fitting saddle.