disassembling/reassembling a western saddle?

[Curbstrap2]

I will be disassembling a western saddle for the first time down to the tree (and hopefully re-assembling it)

Is there a tutorial here on this? I could use a little help here folks....

[joppstack]

If you can't find a tutorial or even if you do, I would suggest finding an old saddle. Something you can pick up for $50 or $75 maybe with a broken tree. Use this as a practice saddle, to take apart and learn how it is constructed. No need to worry because you can't screw it up. You would be suprised how much you will learn just by doing this. It will be well worth the money you spent buying it. Good luck.... Neil

[Curbstrap2]

If you can't find a tutorial or even if you do, I would suggest finding an old saddle. Something you can pick up for $50 or $75 maybe with a broken tree. Use this as a practice saddle, to take apart and learn how it is constructed. No need to worry because you can't screw it up. You would be suprised how much you will learn just by doing this. It will be well worth the money you spent buying it. Good luck.... Neil

Hi - Yes, that was my plan. I was hoping to get some basics down first before I go hog wild.

All I really need is something like

1) Remove stirrups and fenders

2) Remove saddle strings

3) Ect.

[rustyriggin]

Hi - Yes, that was my plan. I was hoping to get some basics down first before I go hog wild.

All I really need is something like

1) Remove stirrups and fenders

2) Remove saddle strings

It's pretty simple really, I describe it as kinda like legos', it goes back together just like it came apart. I use a grinder to grind off the copper rivets on the stirrup leathers and fenders, and it's easiest just to cut the saddle strings and replace them with new. Everyone has their own way, just take your time and think about what you want the finished product to look like, and take the advice you get from others on here, and use what works for you. Rus

[bruce johnson]

Rusty,

I like your tagline there. I'd have some problems with following it though. I'd over and under my wife and be sleeping with the horse. Things'd go better vice versa.

CS,

Are you just taking it apart to see how it is put together or to fix and restore it? Planning to use it afterwards or cosmetic restore? What kind of saddle and who made it? Got any pictures of it as is now?

Take pictures as you go. Go slow and easy. If something pulls too hard, there is usually a reason. I pull the fenders first to get them out of the way. Pull the latigos off and the back billets too. Then I remove the conchos or cut the bleed off the strings (unless they are primo) and remove them, the latigo carriers, and start looking out. There will be staples, tacks, finishing nails, nail heads, other things hidden in the dust, hair, and grunge waiting to rip you open. One of the worst infections I ever got (worse than a cat bite, Denise) was from a broken staple leg under a latigo carrier. I use a little tack claw, vice grips, and a small claw hammer to pull things. You can't ever predict who uses what and where. Once you get the front jockeys loose, carefully lift the front end. I usually tie back through a hole to keep one side out of the way. Skirts are usually fastened with lug straps or bar pockets. Unscrew the pockets or carefully cut the stitching. The lugs can usually be pulled off the tree by pulling tacks or undscrewing them if they have screws. Remove the screws that are buried in the skirt at the points up in the handhole area. Proabalby a couple ringshank nails in the gullet holding the top of the skirts up in there, and a screw at the gullet front. Drop the front jockeys and carefully remove the fasteners at and under the seat jockey ear. Then I loosen the rear jockey concohs and assorted fasteners by them and the cantle arch. The rear jockeys should just slide off then. Remove whatever method is used to hold up the back skirts and drop them. If you really want to get down to the tree, now is as good a time as any to cut the cantle binding stitches and remove it. Then you can pull the seat and ghet it out of the way. Most are glued down to some degree, and you'll say bad words if yopu just pull and tear the seat in half. Work easy and slow, and be careful. The second worse infection I ever got was from a loose tree nail in the dish of a cantle. Seat is off - pull the cantle back and filler. Move back to the front and turn it over. Remove any fasteners up under the gullet holding the swell cover on. Then go around the top of the bars and remove the fasteners that held the swell cover down. Some are easy and some aren't. Some swell covers have worn thin and want to tear easily. Some are glued well, some are pasted, and some have nothing. Once the swell cover is loose, I leave it alone. I flip the back up enough to remove whatever is holding down the horn cover wings. I pull them up through the horn hole and then remove them. The other alternaive is to cut the horncover off from the top, pretty hard piece ot salvage usally for me. Then pull the swell cover off once the horn is bare, trhat horn hole can tear pretty easily if I try to pull some over a covered horn. If the horn is staying, I dampen the horn hole area and let it sit a while, then saddle soap the horn neck, horn gullet, and edges of the cap to help things move and slide. Then you can unscrew the riggings and pull them. About all that is left is the ground seat and work slow and easily to pull that. That should be about it.

[rustyriggin]

That should just about cover it!!! by the way Bruce....my girlfriend made me put that tag line..... JUST KIDDING!! (she wishes I loved her as much as my horse) Kiddin again.

[Curbstrap2]

Rusty,

I like your tagline there. I'd have some problems with following it though. I'd over and under my wife and be sleeping with the horse. Things'd go better vice versa.

CS,

Are you just taking it apart to see how it is put together or to fix and restore it? Planning to use it afterwards or cosmetic restore? What kind of saddle and who made it? Got any pictures of it as is now?

Take pictures as you go. Go slow and easy. If something pulls too hard, there is usually a reason. I pull the fenders first to get them out of the way. Pull the latigos off and the back billets too. Then I remove the conchos or cut the bleed off the strings (unless they are primo) and remove them, the latigo carriers, and start looking out. There will be staples, tacks, finishing nails, nail heads, other things hidden in the dust, hair, and grunge waiting to rip you open. One of the worst infections I ever got (worse than a cat bite, Denise) was from a broken staple leg under a latigo carrier. I use a little tack claw, vice grips, and a small claw hammer to pull things. You can't ever predict who uses what and where. Once you get the front jockeys loose, carefully lift the front end. I usually tie back through a hole to keep one side out of the way. Skirts are usually fastened with lug straps or bar pockets. Unscrew the pockets or carefully cut the stitching. The lugs can usually be pulled off the tree by pulling tacks or undscrewing them if they have screws. Remove the screws that are buried in the skirt at the points up in the handhole area. Proabalby a couple ringshank nails in the gullet holding the top of the skirts up in there, and a screw at the gullet front. Drop the front jockeys and carefully remove the fasteners at and under the seat jockey ear. Then I loosen the rear jockey concohs and assorted fasteners by them and the cantle arch. The rear jockeys should just slide off then. Remove whatever method is used to hold up the back skirts and drop them. If you really want to get down to the tree, now is as good a time as any to cut the cantle binding stitches and remove it. Then you can pull the seat and ghet it out of the way. Most are glued down to some degree, and you'll say bad words if yopu just pull and tear the seat in half. Work easy and slow, and be careful. The second worse infection I ever got was from a loose tree nail in the dish of a cantle. Seat is off - pull the cantle back and filler. Move back to the front and turn it over. Remove any fasteners up under the gullet holding the swell cover on. Then go around the top of the bars and remove the fasteners that held the swell cover down. Some are easy and some aren't. Some swell covers have worn thin and want to tear easily. Some are glued well, some are pasted, and some have nothing. Once the swell cover is loose, I leave it alone. I flip the back up enough to remove whatever is holding down the horn cover wings. I pull them up through the horn hole and then remove them. The other alternaive is to cut the horncover off from the top, pretty hard piece ot salvage usally for me. Then pull the swell cover off once the horn is bare, trhat horn hole can tear pretty easily if I try to pull some over a covered horn. If the horn is staying, I dampen the horn hole area and let it sit a while, then saddle soap the horn neck, horn gullet, and edges of the cap to help things move and slide. Then you can unscrew the riggings and pull them. About all that is left is the ground seat and work slow and easily to pull that. That should be about it.

Thanks BJ. That is a terrific narrative explanation!

I'm picking up an old junker to play with so I don't get in over my head right from the get go.

I appreciate your help.

Annette.