Replacing girth straps on jumping saddle

[TomE]

I've seen white girth straps like this on several old saddles.  They don't look like veg tanned leather - more like chrome tanned.  Does anybody know what they're made of?  Since the straps were stretched and looking worn, I replaced them.

 

I dropped the front of the panel to gain access to the girth straps.

 

The points of the tree were removed from pockets in the panel.

 

I cut new straps from a HO bend, and sewed them on the webs using 1mm polyester thread, doubled up, with a single needle backstitch.

 

The front of the panel was reattached with a pop stitch through the existing holes.

[jcuk]

Yes they are chrome tanned Abbey used to sell Girth strap butts like that many moons ago here is a couple of links to what they sell these days.

https://www.abbeyengland.com/chrome-butt-e1g39c  A bit more refined these days.

https://www.abbeyengland.com/chrome-cut-strips-1-7-25mm-e1g29a And here's what you are looking at on the old saddle probably 1mm to light for my liking, but it is very strong and durable leather many old turn out rugs used to have their metal fitting stitched on using this type of leather.

Hope this helps

JCUK 

Edited April 8, 2022 by jcuk

[TomE]

Thanks once again, @jcuk.  I greatly appreciate the education. Is the chrome tanned strap stronger than veg tanned?  We have some nicer (that is, more expensive) saddles that appear to have veg tanned girth straps. 

[jcuk]

This is what i use and find it very strong and durable for the racing saddles i repair.

https://www.abbeyengland.com/girth-straps-rawhide-e122

https://www.abbeyengland.com/buffalo-girth-straps-e1e29 Many use this also very string but does have a tendency to stretch but does hold its over all strength also a good leather for stirrup leathers in the racing industry.

Hope this helps

JCUK

[fivewayswelshcobs]

I use the rawhide girth straps as well.

[Handstitched]

@TomE

G'Day, I am in the process of replacing girth straps on a stock saddle, as I have done many times. Looking at your pics, you've pulled the saddle apart . I'm not a saddler,  but I have replaced countless girth straps because the original leather wasn't up to the task ( blue/grey hide)  , torn between holes mostly , or they have  simply snapped. 

What I have been doing is  putting the saddle on a ' saw horse'  onto my bench so its up high, , tying up the flaps,  removing the the old damaged girth straps  from the webbing, making new straps using quality harness leather exactly to the original, using the orig   as a template , and then carefully hand stitching the new ones back on. But....its a pr**k of a job. Apart for pulling the saddle apart, is there an easier way ?    

I had to take a  break from the one I'm working on atm . My fingers were getting sore and my eyes were going ' crossed eyed' 

 Thanks

HS

[TomE]

7 hours ago, Handstitched said:

 

Apart for pulling the saddle apart, is there an easier way ? 

This was my first attempt to replace girth straps, and I followed Rob Steinke's instructions in "Repair Your Own Saddlery and Harness."  Dropping the front of the panel was easy.  Took a little fiddling to line up existing holes when sewing the panel back on.  When I had trouble passing the needle and thread from the rear, I inserted a needle in the front (instead of an awl) to get things aligned before passing the needle and thread from the rear.  The panel is fastened with an angled running stitch (pop stitching) that produces 1/4 inch long stitches spaced about 1 inch apart. Even with the panel dropped, there's little room around the stirrup bars so I was angling my needle when stitching near the top of the webs.  Per recommendations, I stitched the girth straps to the web using a single needle backstitch, and overstitched the beginning and end of each line.   I made girth straps from the butt of a Hermann Oak tooling side before learning about the rawhide and buffalo (bison) hide options available from Abbey England. Think my straps will be plenty strong for this pony saddle.