Side Saddles

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

We have been asked if we would build a western side saddle tree, and we haven't done one before. We would appreciate it if anyone would share pictures of western side saddles, and especially trees, or any information they have about side saddles.

[Johanna]

Lillian Chaudhary , who is a member here, is a noted sidesaddle expert, and a very nice lady. Her contact info is on her site.

Johanna

[barra]

I used to work for someone who specialised in side saddles. I'll see if I can track him down. Beside Lillian, you could try and contact.

Laura Dempsey

http://www.lauradempseysaddler.com/

Wendy Tidbold

http://www.wendyssaddlery.com.au/wendy_tidbold.htm

I note she has her own tree maker. I wonder who that is?

Barra.

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

Thanks for those links, Johanna and Barra. Also thanks to Mike Craw who has sent us a CD of pictures pull of his restoration of an English side saddle.

[barra]

R&D. I know your after more of a Western side saddle tree. If you look at Wendy's site she has a Pic of a Mexican side saddle. This shows more of the tree exposed which is more western. I am getting the impression that not a lot needs to change except the swell will need a total redesign to incorporate the fixed pommel. This is the curved part that is a fixture of the tree. When a woman sits to the near side her right leg goes over this fixed pommel. Then you just need to fabricate and attach the leaping head which is the curved part that goes over her left thigh.

Barra

[Claire]

There is a picture of a sidesaddle tree here:

http://www.steelesaddle.com/trees.htm

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

Thank you to everyone who helped with this project. We learned a lot! We figured we should post a couple pictures of the final result.

[gtwister09]

That's really neat. How much time, effort, research and trial and error did you have in this first one?

Regards,

Ben

[ClayB]

I agree with Ben, it looks really neat. Is it going to come with instructions on how to build a saddle on it??

[barra]

Awesome job guys. I'm curious how you have attached the stirrup bar and leaping head.

Barra

[jimsaddler]

Awesome job guys. I'm curious how you have attached the stirrup bar and leaping head.

Barra

Hi Barra

funny how I wondered the same thing, being so used to the Reverse Thread of our Tree's on the leaping Head. Also the Bar being attached to the Tree is fascinating. Makes me feel like making a Western style just for the hell of it. I did repair (renovate) several, a lot of Years ago. But they were mass produced ones.

Rod and Denise congratulations for a job well done, yes please show us the end result.

Kindest Regards.

Jim Beaton.

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

That's really neat. How much time, effort, research and trial and error did you have in this first one?

Hard to say Ben. Research: Fair amount of computer time looking for pictures and doing e-mails. Lillian Chaudhary was invaluable in her information. The customer is from Alberta and made two trips up here. The first one with a saddle she had made, another tree, lots of pictures, etc. so we could decide if we wanted to try to build one. (So for this one, Clay, the saddle maker was giving us some instructions! We'll leave the saddle building to her.) The second time we had her come up was when it was together in the wood so she could give us feedback and we could still change things if necessary. Building time: Rod started to keep track but quit knowing that there was no way we would be paid for the hours that went into it. Overall, it took pretty much a week to build (we generally try to build 4 trees a week), during most of which, in regard for marital peace, I stayed out of the shop. Though I did pop in now that then to give a comment or suggestion - some of which were actually used!

I'm curious how you have attached the stirrup bar and leaping head.

We have put English stirrup leathers on regular western trees before. The area for the stirrup bar is routered out to the correct shape to inset it into the bar and then it is screwed in. The body filler you see on the picture is over the screws making everything flush and then the rawide covers it all.

Finding left hand thread bolts for the leaping horn was difficult. We sourced them out of Edmonton (4 hours away) where they had to get them machined - at a price. The customer wanted the option of two positions, so we welded the bolts in the proper orientation to the metal piece you see in the picture. The front of the stirrup bar would have been in the same place, so the conflicting bit was cut away and the two welded together. Rod routered out the appropriate shape, and then the whole thing was screwed into the tree, made flush with body filler and rawhided. If we ever have the chance to build another one, we know we can move the metal cross piece between the bars about an inch further forward and if we do then it could be welded to the back of the stirrup bar, making the whole thing even stronger. This was the longest English stirrup hanger we could get. For a true Western saddle the stirrup leather would need to be wider so something else would need to be used in place of the English stirrup hanger.

Thanks to all for the comments.

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

We've built a few more of these in the last year and a half and our customer has been really good to work with in refining and tweaking small details to make the trees work better for the rider. Just thought we would throw some newer pictures up here.

[compound]

Hi Rod and Denise

Your work and enthusiasm for these projects are wonderful.

Not long ago i was one english side saddle on my workshop for repair. Unfortunatelly original english saddletree was totaly broken and incomplete-without one leaping horn.

English trees have not good life time- too little wood and a little bit rusty steel clamps-repair is impossible

Tree from your production is a SOLID construction and will be FOREVER on this world.

Thanks for pics

Martin

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

Compound,

Thanks for your kind words. There is no question there is a big difference in construction between English and Western trees, and not just in side saddles. The interesting thing is that saddle built on these trees can also be made to look like English side saddles yet still have the increased bearing surface of a Western saddle. There are Aussie tree makers who make hybrid trees as well - basic Western construction but looking like Australian Stock saddles when they are finished. Dennis Lane calls his a Western Stock saddle tree. We know a tree maker who, in combination with a reputable saddle maker who build his own trees, who makes a Western style tree that constructed so an English looking saddle can be built on it. The bar surface area on them has to be less than on a normal Western saddle, but still more than a traditional English saddle. If someone can envision it, it can probably be done!