Critique My (Crappy?) Saddle

[hansol]

Hi guys,

So I’ll be honest, I’m pretty new at judging tack. Picked up this saddle thinking it might not be a bad score, but I’m starting to think maybe it’s a junker unfortunately. So I wanted to post it by the experts here to offer a critique, and see if there is anything I can do to possibly improve the saddle. Like I said, I'm pretty new, so feel free to school me on what to look for so I don't make the same mistake.

[GrampaJoel]

Made in Mexico, or India?

I suppose you didn't pay much for it. A few hundred dollars maybe.

What kind of info are you after?

[twinchester]

A few things to help in the future. Notice the skirts flare out flat? That usualy means the plugs are cardboard. Some edges are burnished, some not, and some half way done. Usualy a sign of poor craftsmanship. Wrinkles in the seat jockey points to poor leather or the wrong part of the hide for that piece of the saddle. The stirrup leathers are way too thin in my opinion and they appear to have a blevins slide that is too wide. That's a major safety hazard. One way to tell guality at a guick glance is stitch spacing. I dont know many reputable makers that stitch 4 TPI. Lots of the cheap imports do. Lots of "extras" like the shield on the fork, the wear leathers, etc are done cheaply to imitate quality. I would have the rigging checked by a qualified saddler before trusting it. Many are held on with only staples. I hope this isnt too discouraging. I've been where you are and with the right guidance from saddlers, books , and this site I've learned a lot. You're at the right place to learn.

[CKR]

Looks alot like a circle s saddle i had a wreck with because the rigging leather tore from underneath the swells. I just took it apart to decide if it was worth repairing. Even if I replace both front rigging, i don't think I will be comfortable riding rough terrain!

[GrampaJoel]

Ok, I see what you are after now, after reading twinchesters reply. I would also add,,,

The skirts are sewn together below the fenders. And appear to use the wear leather to hold the pieces together. ( the skirt on each side should be one piece)

The stirrup straps are fitted to a poor quality ' Blevins style' buckle, and the widths doesn't seem to be even or the right width for the buckle.

The front rigging looks like it is really weak. If that front jockey were to be lifted I bet the front ring is just hung with a small leather strap or something .

At the rear of the saddle where the skirts come together. They appear to overlap. They should be separated a little bit so the can move independ of one another.

Not real important, but the seat decorative stitching is very poorly done. Ends, and turn backs don't match. The off side has a stand alone stitch line that doesnt appear on the nearside.

Again as mentioned above, the sewing on all visible sewing is way to long in length.

The leather overall looks to be low quality.

My main concern would be that, with all the visible problems this saddle has, how poorly is the tree itself?

Next...

Joel

As an after thought. Please don't put this saddle on a horse and ride it. For both your safety.

Edited June 21, 2013 by GrampaJoel

[hansol]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. I appreciate having the saddle critiqued as it gives me a reference point for the future. In the interim (once I started having doubts about the rig) I looked around for other options and managed to get a pretty good deal ($500) on a barely-used Tex Tan "Tuff N Ornery" A-fork saddle so that's obviously going to be the one I hang on to and use. Thanks again for helping to educate a green guy, I very much appreciate it.

[Tosch]

I just found a twin to your saddle on ebay, after nine bids the current is $205.17...they list "Montana saddlery" as maker.....http://www.ebay.com/itm/16-LIGHTLY-USED-TOOLED-LEATHER-WADE-ROPING-ROPER-WESTERN-RANCH-HORSE-SADDLE-/231007076112?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c9183f10.