How To Tell The Age And Maker Of A Saddle

[mzfhredi1]

An old timer cowboy gave me his old roping saddle. A 16" seat and I swear the stirrups must weigh 5 to 6 lbs each! It has a wood tree covered with some kind of checked fiberglass I think. It had an old 28 strand roping cinch on it. Quick change stirrups. The only markings I can find on it are the initials MM on the cinch strap holder and the initials JCG on the fender on one side. Any ideas??

[Frank]

I'm going to take a shot in the dark with this one. It really looks to me like a saddle that was mass produced "south of the border" and shipped up here by the truck loads and sold at horse auctions all over the place for around $200 at the time.

I cannot attest to it but that is what it looks like to me from the photos. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Frank

[mzfhredi1]

Started cleaning and found that rivets and such are copper with a very intricate design on the tops. Copper everywhere!

Also took a flashlight and the word Texas or Texan is on the bottom of the latigo keeper.

Edited May 29, 2010 by mzfhredi1

[horsewreck]

It appears to be a mass produced saddle, the letters that are stamped on the skirt and latigo carrier are after market. To determine if if is mexican look at the stirrup roller where the stirrups hang on the fenders, if it is made of wood (dowel rod) it is mexican. On the stirrup buckle slides if it doesn't say blevin or something but is blank,it is mexican. Let me know what you find and I'll be glad to help you along.

[mzfhredi1]

Everything I have found out is here. All pixs have a caption so just click on them. And thank you for your time! And yes both buckles are Blevins.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23419&id=100000161518018&l=07d2f1dd59

[horsewreck]

Based on what I can see(I can't get pics. to enlarge or see captions) It appears to be a mass produced, Mexico made "roping" saddle. That said these saddles weren't made to take a lot of heavy use. The trees tend to be covered with light rawhide that is not sealed, the thread used to sew the rawhide often rots in humid areas of the country. Long story short I think Frank got it right in his reply to you. I have seen more of these saddles than many saddle shops because in my early years in repair I was near the border with Mexico. I have also seen these saddle trees covered in canvas, thin fiber glass like resin and have even seen bare wood.....