Tosch

I just strolled through it. You look at all the variables. The explanations and illustrations are very clear and understandable!!! I also like that you have added related articles. It must have been looooots of work! A huge Thank You to all who put in their time and knowledge! Tosch

I would try this http://www.farmvet.c...ather-balm.aspx . My experience is it makes leather used in western saddlery items pliable. I have used it on an old and very dry (although probably not as dry as yours) ca 1950s saddle I onced owned for decoration. After I cleaned the saddle I used this stuff sparingly and it worked fine. You may want to wait a day or two before you decide to put another coat on. Some people like to oil new harness leather reins to make them more pliable. If you use this stuff even very sparingly, my experience is that after three days you would find out that you have ruined the reins because they are way too soft. Tosch

Hi Julia, we have'nt been in touch for quite a while. I was wondering what you were up to. Now I know.. great saddle! Thomas

Denise and Rod, I do thank you for putting things straight! And I admire you for keeping your calm while not being amused! I am sure, when you start your saddle tree seminars these biology facts will be a very appreciated topic. When one is in the right mood though, "Dr. Deb's" forum is an entertaining read – for a max period of 3 minutes at a time. As they say… just enough knowledge to be dangerous and, of course, it is presented in a "I know it all mentality". David, I have seen some time ago that you are back to this forum. Welcome. I am afraid, however, that due to the way you present your opinions/convictions or due to incorrect "facts" as Denise and Rod have pointed out the discussions will be as confusing as the ones we had some years ago. I think this is very unfortunate. Tosch

Denise and Rod, I hope I am not nit-picking... I am convinced from a technical point of view you are right. If that tree had been built with more relief (necessary for THAT horse) I would assume it to have too much relief = way too much rock for the "average" lenght and shaped back. So I think I would rather go the way I did then go with a tree with as much relief as necessary for this one horse and running the risk of having too much rock for the "average" lenghted (is this a word?) and shaped back. Unless of course it would be a saddle for THAT horse. Am I on the right tack or do I just add to the confusion (if so I am sorry ) ? Tosch

As everyone on here knows, I am everything but an expert. That said, I will share my observations. I once had a saddle buit on a Weatherly tree with a 16" finished seat size and a overall bar lenght of 22 1/2" . This is a bar lenght I seem to like. Maybe I have mostly ridden horses that were on the shorter side. I had this saddle on a ca. 15.1 + hand QH and on a much smaller Haflinger. Before putting the saddle on the horses, I'd doubted it would fit both - but it did (as far as I could tell). I have a saddle with 23 1/2" bar lenght also built on a Weatherly tree with a 16" finished seat length. On a 15.1 hand OH/Akal Tekkiner (sp?) it fit fine. On a horse that was probably 15.1 hands,too, but way shorter, the tree was way too long as one could tell by the rub marks on the horse's back. So I tried what have I have heard named "creative padding". I used what we around here call a sandwich pad - with removable inlays. I cut them shorter. So the felt inlays stopped ca. 1 " before the back of the bars , and I had to do the same at front. No, it was not a perfect fit - but a workable fit, and the horse never showed signs of discomfort. Ok, I just get to ride -sometimes - in my spare time. But I saw this type of creative padding in one of the online pics about The Californios or a Ranch Rodeo (not sure). So if your tree is too long for a particular horse you could do some creative padding. That said, given the choice, I personally would go with a 22 1/2" bar lenght. Hope this helps some. Tosch

Wes, if you go back 3 or 4 pages in this "saddle construction" subdirectory you get to this thread http://leatherworker...showtopic=16522 . Go to my post and click on the link there and you will find plenty of info on inlaid padded seats. Maybe not a 100% hit for your ??? but a lot of info that might be helpful. Hope this helps. Tosch

It looks like a nice comfortable seat. I do like plain saddles - I like the "elegance of simplicity". Tosch

Newfman, "effax Lederbalsam" is a very good stuff - IF you use it on (very) dry leather to get it flexible. Put a VERY light coat of it on the leather and wait for 3 days. You always can repeat it. If you were to use it on a new pair of harness leather reins as described, after 3 days they end up being soft and flexible as a shoe string (no good at all)- at least this is my experience with this stuff. Tosch

Congratulations, Mark! Tosch

Linda, not too long ago Denise and Rod Nikkel have posted a pic and description of a side saddle tree they had built. If you use the search function maybe you can find it - or Denise jumps in and gives you the link. Tosch

Traveller, Google is your friend, here you go : http://www.leathersu...es&Leathers.pdf Steve, where do you see the advantage over Blevins? Not so much bulk? So that you (as a user) would pay the price of it being more complicated to unhook? Tosch

Contact the manufacturer. As for contact info: google is your friend. Tosch

There is an "older" thread in here somewhere from maybe a year ago, titled " Lady's seat" if I remember correctly. Around that time lots of discussion was going on about gender related seats and seats in general. Tosch

Ted, I admit it is a rare talent - but you got it down. Some months ago after you had p.o. ed Greg Gomersall I stated "you have much to learn". Some weeks ago you have done the same thing to a very nice lady saddle maker on this forum who has a very!!! steep learning curve as a new saddle maker, and as I " know" Alan - not only from this forum but from others as well, he is a very nice, helpfull and friendly person - you have successfully po.ed him , too, I guess,. Congrates, you did it again! It is now as it was then : you have much to learn. And I am NOT talking about saddle making. And if you ask again who I am, well, I am a guy who severly gets po.ed by such kind of behavior, I am a guy who does not know one saddle from the next, I am a guy who does not kow anything about saddle trees either - but I am a guy who was friends with one of the best lady saddle makers in the US, I am a guy who maybe helped passing along some information to one of the best tree maker as well as the above mentioned lady saddle maker, I am a guy who can put a telephone call through to Greg and other wellknown and respected members of this forum without having to worry that they hang up on me..... Tosch

Hi Johanna you can either google for "country codes" or go directly to http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/. Sending money internationally: within Europe you can send money from your banking account to somebody else's by using the other person's bank's IBAN = Intern. Banking Account Number . (Most - or all) US banks are not members of this new system, but at least they are a member of the older system and have a "swift number". THat system works for sending money from Europe to the US since . Whether it also still works from the US to Europe - have the receipient of the money check with his bank and have him send you his banks "swift number". Then all you need to know in addition is the name of his bank, the banks postal address, the persons name, account number and his address. You put all that info on a form you get from your bank , take it to your bank, pay a fee and your are done. This "swwift number" system should alsowork between the US and Canada and Australia. Tosch

Okiwen, An interesting chapter on cinches - including drawings of cinches for single-rigged center fire-rigged saddles - along with drawings about how to build a cinch can be found in "The cowboy at work - All about his job and how he does it " by Fay E. Ward, University of Oklahoma Press. My paperback copy dates from 1987 and has the ISBN: 0-8061-2051-7. I know there has been a new printing. For all you out there in cowboy/buckaroo country it might be an interesting read. The book was copyrighted in 1958 and contains lots of interesting information along with very detailed drawings. I think you will like it. Tosch

If it helps somehow: Still having problems with IE 7, version 20061107.210142. Speed is improved only a little a bit since my first post. Tosch

I use IE7. To get the "normal" forum main site to open and to scroll down takes forever - well 3-5 min I guess. When I have scrolled down successfully and choose the "LoFi" version , speedwise, everthing is back to normal. But to get there takes 5 min!. I have read other people's comments on IE7, so is there a chance that the speed of loading the site will improve some time? Or is the new upgrade "over-engineered" for my computer? Thanks. Tosch

As Verlane once told me: As a customer choose the ground seat construction method you like - then find a maker who can build it. I guess, that says it all. Tosch

Josh, do us a favour - next time you go for a ride take a camera along and post the pics! Tosch

Curbstrap, I just had a good laugh. I hope you enjoy the trouble you are getting...... Tosch

I would not know how to do it. But obvioulsly the saddle maker who wrote an tutorial "some" time ago in Western Horseman Magazine knew it. So here it goes. Hope it helps. Tosch

I did a quick search for "twist leathers" for you. Beside other interesting threads I came up with this one http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...=twist+leathers . This one might help, too! http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=16452 Hope it helps. Tosch

Early on in this discussion Denise asked about information on Haflinger. Nowadays they come in all shapes - form old fashioned draft to modern sport horse. Much more information can be found here : http://www.haflinger-tirol.com/english/index.htm. Hope it helps. Tosch