rustyford

Wow I appreciate you all for the extra info! It makes all the difference when you ask folks who know folks 😂 The saddle has never been on a horse, just sitting in storage. The gal I got it from said she paid 4.5k for it at auction a few years ago. It sounds like a got a good deal! Paid 2.3k.

Hey all, I recently acquired this wade saddle. It seems like the saddle has quite fine craftsmanship but in all my internet searching I cannot turn up any information on this maker or their saddles. I grew up only 45 minutes from Pendleton so it surprised me that I hadn't heard this name before. Any info on history of the maker or potential valuation would be appreciated! The only thing I found online was the article pictured below.

Thanks for the input all. I did end up buying the saddle. If it doesn't work out for me I'll sell it instead of trying to have it altered.

I appreciate your input. I live in hill country and am riding at an incline more than I am on level ground. I'm not sure what the threshold is for riding that is too steep for a single rigged saddle. This is what it looks like in the front. Pardon my lack of knowledge, but would the part that I've circled be removed and altered to add a rear cinch or is it simply adding on in the back to what is already present? (I am trying to envision how much visible difference would be done to the saddle, the cost would be worth it to me as long as the saddle didn't look half cobbled together or majorly changed in appearance.)

Could one have a back cinch added to this wade? I'm a novice leatherwork enthusiast who's done more small projects, never torn down a saddle or anything, so this seems like something I'd need a professional saddle maker to do. Is such a thing cost prohibitive if possible? Would it devalue the saddle? I think a lot depends on the tree etc.? The gal selling it doesn't know much about the saddle. It is a handmade saddle out of Pendleton, OR. The craftsmanship seems high quality. Any thoughts appreciated!