Building my own 1800's Hope

[oldtimer]

I have been collecting photos of Hope saddles from times gone by to current reproductions and it continues to amaze me how each craftsman approaches the authenticity of the project differently. It tells me that there wasnt just one Hope pattern that makers followed. That the saddles were highly customized to the indivudal needs of rider, era, and work to be done. This opens up alot of room for creativity. I am guessing that in the 1800's era that assembly line saddles were not common?

Any thoughts...?

S

The Hope saddle was the "North of the border" version of the mexican vaquero saddle, once called Spanish saddle, built on a rawhide covered, wooden saddle tree. The vaquero saddle in the beginning of the 1800:s had very few parts, a saddle tree with a single rigging, narrow stirrup leathers and a pair of stirrups. In the eastern parts of America there were "American saddles" made, closely resembling todays english dressage saddles.

Why Adolphus Hope (born 1808, and lived in Washington county, TX ) was credited for the style of saddle I don´t know. A double rigging was added to the mexican single rig tree as Texans roped hard and fast . Looking at pics of old Hope saddles show different ways to attach the front rigging to the tree, depending on who made the saddle. On some saddles the rings are nailed to the tree by pieces of leather, some show a mexican rigging with leather loops through the gullet , some have the Sam Stagg rigging and I have seen pics of saddles with a rigging combination of all these. So actually, within documented limits there is nothing right or wrong to make an authentic Hope saddle. It seems that each saddlemaker at the time made his own style of Hope saddle.

Edited February 17, 2009 by oldtimer

[AZThunderPony]

The Hope saddle was the "North of the border" version of the mexican vaquero saddle, once called Spanish saddle, built on a rawhide covered, wooden saddle tree. The vaquero saddle in the beginning of the 1800:s had very few parts, a saddle tree with a single rigging, narrow stirrup leathers and a pair of stirrups. In the eastern parts of America there were "American saddles" made, closely resembling todays english dressage saddles.

Why Adolphus Hope (born 1808, and lived in Washington county, TX ) was credited for the style of saddle I don´t know. A double rigging was added to the mexican single rig tree as Texans roped hard and fast . Looking at pics of old Hope saddles show different ways to attach the front rigging to the tree, depending on who made the saddle. On some saddles the rings are nailed to the tree by pieces of leather, some show a mexican rigging with leather loops through the gullet , some have the Sam Stagg rigging and I have seen pics of saddles with a rigging combination of all these. So actually, within documented limits there is nothing right or wrong to make an authentic Hope saddle. It seems that each saddlemaker at the time made his own style of Hope saddle.

Perfect! This goes right along with what I have been discovering. It gives me plenty of wiggle room for what I need and still end up with an authenitc version.

;)S

[TrooperChuck]

S:

It sounds like you are in the same situation I was a couple years ago. I wanted to learn how to make saddles, but I didn't want it to become a full-time job. For me, even though I do have a business license, saddlemaking is definately more of a hobby than a business. If I can make a few saddles a year, and sell them locally, I'm happy.

As Alan mentioned, the initial outlay of money for tools, supplies, and reference materials can be a bit spendy, but you CAN recover a lot of that money buy selling some saddles.

So, keep us informed of your progress!

Chuck