What Is Inside A Factory Saddle?

[JAM]

Hi, all,

I just finished repairing a broken tree in a Crates saddle, and was less than impressed by what I found.

The horse had a wreck (no rider) and the saddle wound up under the horse, and was then removed by the horse. The owner brought me the saddle - the near back rigging dee was broken off.

The leather strap holding the dee screwed/nailed to the tree bar had a strong plastic reinforcer inside it, so the leather strap was preserved beautifully but the tree broke (pictures below).

Then the owner went for a ride in the repaired saddle, the horse did a big spook leap, the owner grabbed the horn, and POP! the horn broke. We hadn't noticed damage there before, but I'm sure it was from the original mishap. I was shocked by what I found when I pulled the fork cover off (pictures below).

The tree is made of soft pine - there's a big old knot in the fork - and is covered with a thin layer of fiberglass cloth with barely a smear of resin in some places and no resin at all in other places. I fixed it by repositioning the broken parts with copious quantities of heavy-duty professional epoxy and then driiling and running long screws for more strength. Then I covered the breaks with better fiberglass cloth and LOTS of resin. I suspect the repairs are stronger than the original tree now. I told the owner not to rope , and because the saddle has a 3-way inskirt rigging, showed her how to use a 7/8 or 3/4 rigging without using the back cinch.

Seeing what's inside this factory saddle made me cringe - perhaps if riders knew what was in their factory saddles, they would think twice about what they buy. This particular repair job also made me even more happy about using quality custom trees in my saddles (my personal favorites are the Nikkels) - the difference is night and day.

Edited May 30, 2012 by JAM

[RWB]

I have gotten to the point were I won't even work on something as sorry made as that. Ain't worth the time. Unless you get a custom order out of the deal, but most of the people that ride that junk couldn't care less......

Ross Brunk

[JAM]

I have gotten to the point were I won't even work on something as sorry made as that. Ain't worth the time. Unless you get a custom order out of the deal, but most of the people that ride that junk couldn't care less......

Ross Brunk

Actually I won't for just anyone, but she's a frequent repairs customer and a custom saddle is in the works, now that she has seen the difference (and has ridden in one of my custom saddles). Also I had no idea how bad it was until I got the fork cover off, and then it was just a challenge - I wanted to see if I could do it. I look forward to the day when I am busy enough with custom saddles that I can turn down repairs on junk

Julia

[Ken Nelson]

Actually I won't for just anyone, but she's a frequent repairs customer and a custom saddle is in the works, now that she has seen the difference (and has ridden in one of my custom saddles). Also I had no idea how bad it was until I got the fork cover off, and then it was just a challenge - I wanted to see if I could do it. I look forward to the day when I am busy enough with custom saddles that I can turn down repairs on junk

Julia

I have limited the range of saddles I repair and I check every used saddle I repair for a broken tree. I have upset "customers" occasionally when I tell them I cannot help them with their saddle problem. I have seen a trend here of newbie horse owners buying saddles in pawn shops here and bringing them in to get them repaired and there is no repair in them. My theory is: "If this heap of junk fails, someone gets hurt or killed, the last person that worked on it is going to get sued!" Some work you don't need, some customers are not needed. I try to be polite and courteous to these people but I feel we need to be firm. Ken

[Newfman]

I hope the horse fared better than the saddle.

Of course you felt an obligation to repair the saddle in that situation. I get it. That being said, that looked like a pretty durn nice repair job. No doubt you are right, stronger than the original. I wouldn't ride in it, but that is a good looking repair.

I hope that comes out on your computer, the way it sounds in my head.

More simply. . . nice job.

Dennis

[oldtimer]

Is it a normal practice not to use any glass resin on fiber glass covered factory made saddle trees?

Without resin is the fiber glass covering worthless! I have peeped under the side jockey of many production saddles and as far as I can remember I have not noticed any covering that was glassed to the tree.

/ Knut

[JAM]

I hope the horse fared better than the saddle.

Of course you felt an obligation to repair the saddle in that situation. I get it. That being said, that looked like a pretty durn nice repair job. No doubt you are right, stronger than the original. I wouldn't ride in it, but that is a good looking repair.

I hope that comes out on your computer, the way it sounds in my head.

More simply. . . nice job.

Dennis

Thanks, Dennis (and everyone else). Yes, it came out the way you meant it . The horse is fine, just scared the beans out of himself. He was a little nervous about being saddled again (!) but is over it now. That saddle is just a gentle ride once in a while saddle, now more than ever, and I hope the remainder (original part) of the fork holds through any future saddle horn grabs. The best part of the whole deal is that she got to see what was inside, and compare it to good trees I have on hand and see the enormous difference. Then she rode in my personal 3B with the slick seat and the upright build (no padding, no chair seat) and was blown away at the difference. There is a custom saddle in her (our) future.

I agree, it is pointless to cover wood with cheap thin fiberglass mesh and use little or no resin. But customers never see that, so how would they know? One of the reasons I posted these pics is that I wish more people (not us saddlemakers, but saddle buyers) could see and understand what they are buying and be more inclined to buy quality.

[George B]

Unfortunately sometimes the only money I make is on factory saddle repairs, I do however check the damage out with the customer at my side, and then only take on the job if I can do it.

Your repair looks outstanding by the way and so far is beyond what I have done in repairs.

I have found that just about anything a factory can cheapen up they do, and with the worst materials you can find. I have also found that most customers who cannot believe what they are made like, run right out and buy another when they need one instead of spending a little more and getting a proper made saddle. Heck, I have customers who have two of something when they could have had me make one for less than the cost of two they own.

Sometimes people are just hard to figure out.

[Newfman]

Unfortunately sometimes the only money I make is on factory saddle repairs, I do however check the damage out with the customer at my side, and then only take on the job if I can do it.

Your repair looks outstanding by the way and so far is beyond what I have done in repairs.

I have found that just about anything a factory can cheapen up they do, and with the worst materials you can find. I have also found that most customers who cannot believe what they are made like, run right out and buy another when they need one instead of spending a little more and getting a proper made saddle. Heck, I have customers who have two of something when they could have had me make one for less than the cost of two they own.

Sometimes people are just hard to figure out.

That's an interesting point George. People that know me, often comment that what little I have is usually of the highest quality. I will go years without, before buying something cheap. It isn't always avoidable, but it is more the case than not by far. The down side is that my high quality things make me look like a snob or I have a lot of money. I don't and I am not. It just takes a lot of restraint to wait and save to buy the best or high quality. It takes even longer if you are spending money on cheap crap in the mean time.

[JAM]

Sometimes people are just hard to figure out.

Yup.

It just takes a lot of restraint to wait and save to buy the best or high quality. It takes even longer if you are spending money on cheap crap in the mean time.

Couldn't agree more. Buy the best or make it myself.

[CWR]

I relined and restrung a corriente saddle the other day. I was somewhat surprised to find that the skirt plugs were made out of some kind of plastic masonite looking stuff. I replugged it and sved the plugs to show him when he came to get the saddle. He probably paid me more than the saddle was worth. What I can never get over is the nails sticking through the tree and all the staples they shoot into them.

CW