Winter project saddle finished !!

[Doug Mclean]

This is the saddle I have been working on this winter.

[bruce johnson]

Doug,

Give us some more pics buddy. I think that seat jockey line is interesting. I am liking it a lot. What tree? For the kids or you? One thing I see is that I would have made the cutout for the back dee have the border carry up into the cut instead of stamping to the edge. Also the froint jockey tip being pointed with all those cool sweepy curves just looks a bit out of place to me. Maybe round it off, especially since it sits up there a bit? Overall a really wolfy looking roping rig. It's saved to my "other guys" file.

[Don101]

Nice saddle, Q was it hard to stamp the fork with that pattern or did it line up ok, Don

[grumpyguy]

Very Nice work from what I can see. Geometric stamp designs are not easy to do well and it looks like you've pulled it off. The unusual design of the seat jockeys make it an interesting peice. Is there some particular reason for it? Maybe easier acess to que the hoses flank. That would fit with the cutout skirt style. Love the high bound cantel. I could see Bruce's point, It would be a great saddle design for a youth to growup in. Tell us all a little more. I think you have sparked our intrest!

[Doug Mclean]

Here are some more pictures of the saddle. The tree is a Will James tree from Quality Mfg. The cut out skirt is for a narrower fit. This will probably start a whole new topic but here goes. You can work on the ground seat all you want, but if you have a good heavy set of skirts that come down the horse as deep as they need to be on a roping saddle it is going to spread you out to far anyway.

Now to make myself understood (clear as mud!!) I do spend a lot of time in the ground seat. To help keep a saddle square on a horse that is pulling or taking a jerk I think you need to come down the sides a ways under the front and back riggin.

The saddle went to a man that picks up bucking horses. He will sure test it out and I can let you know how he likes it here directly as he is one of the pickup men at the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale.

This is the first saddle I have made for about 15 years. There are things on it that I am proud of and things that I want better next time.

Anxious to here everyones thoughts both good and bad.

Thanks

Doug McLean

[Doug Mclean]

More pictures! I didn't want that last one to wear out so I put it in twice

[Doug Mclean]

One more picture. Could use some advice on how to shrink these photos down to a managable size.