Uni-Saddle

[BOB BRENNER]

Keith,

As always a cut above.

I know what you mean -- sweating and I will add a lot of patience!! Not a project you start in the afternoon. I use a similar process on my trick saddles.

Bob

[bruce johnson]

Keith,

That saddle is really a treat to see. Impressive the way it all came together. Thanks for posting it here.

- Bruce

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Always a treat to get to look at your work. I can only say that work like yours and a couple of others on here are what keep me going. Some day I am going to get out to Wyoming and am sure going to make it a point to stop into you shop. Bob

[Billy H]

Hey Keith,

I just was surfing the web and found out that you won the" SADDLE MAKER OF THE YEAR " at the Academy of Western Artists.

That is quite compliment!

Your work is extraordany------ Ragards Billy

[kseidel]

Really Really Nice!!!!!

You are for sure a Master Saddle Maker.

I do miss you masters posting your work, and your discussions on the building process of a saddle. I have used those post to improve on my saddle making endeavors. Thank you

If you have the time, back in April I posted a saddle that I made and would truly appreciate some critique on it. ( good or bad )

I am just starting a new wade for myself and would really like to get it right.

This afternoon I must have spent an hour just looking at your saddle. Thanks for posting!

Billy, Sorry for the delay in reply. I have been busy getting ready for cowboy christmans in vegas next week. The only saddle pic that I can find that you posted is of your first saddle that you made for your dad. Do you have a more recent saddle that you would like advise on?

Yes, I was awarded the Saddlemaker of the year for 2012 by the academy of western artists. I have been nominated for many years and always get beat by someone much older! It was a great honor for me to receive this award. Thanks for the compliment.

Keith

Edited November 25, 2013 by kseidel

[Billy H]

Hi Keith,

Sorry --- should have been more specific, it is titled Mule Saddle , about 15 posts down on the page.

[begrate]

Keith,

I like this saddle, and have a couple questions about it.

Do you have screws run through under the concho's to hold the rigging in place?

Would a saddle designed this way stand up to a lot of roping?

Thanks, Reid G.

[kseidel]

Hi Keith,

Sorry --- should have been more specific, it is titled Mule Saddle , about 15 posts down on the page.

BillyH, I found your saddle and pasted a copy of the pic here to reference. This is a good looking saddle and more difficult to critique. Overall general appearance is very good. So my evaluations will have to be more specific and may seem trivial to some. It is the little things that make the difference at this level of craftsmanship.

Overall proportions are pretty balanced, however, with this style of swell, I would like to see a little longer skirt out behind the cantle... a little more length to depth proportion to compliment the swell thickness. I like the relationship of front depth and back depth... looks like it should sit fairly level on the mule.

The one thing that jumps out to me is the depth and shape of the seat side jockey. I would like it to be much shorter, maybe 1.5" or more shorter. I do not like to see a seat drop below the skirt, and usually prefer it above the skirt line. This would change the shape some, and I would then make it a little more oval shaped. Extending the front curve under the concho and back cutting to the concho. You have the beginning of this at the back. Just emphasize this more. You can see this shape by studying pics of old Visallia and Frazier saddles. This one thing will change the look of this saddle a lot.

Your front jockey top line should line up with the seat top line coming into the concho. The conchos should not extend past the seat, unless they completely cover the ears. Plan ahead for the size of your conchos. This goes for front and rear.

Rear jockey space from skirt in the rear is good, but jockey line makes an abrupt curve just behind rear rigging. It should follow a smooth curve all the way under the seat, gradually widening the space between skirt and jockey.

Edge lines of skirts and jockeys and fenders are not perfectly smooth. Use of a block plane will help smoothing out those cuts.

Fender shape does not compliment skirt shape. A fuller and deeper back corner cutting up to the fender tail would be more complimentary.

Here is a little more advanced suggestion... lighting indicates that the seat is a bit narrow relative to the width of the rigging. I always put my riggings in before ground seats so that I can shape the seat to achieve equal presure from thigh to knee. If the seat is narrower than the rigging, then the thighs cannot grip the saddle, and the knees will rub, causing abrasions and open sores. A narrow seat is desireable, but it cannot be narrower than the horse. In this case, the rigging becomes the widest point, and must be considered when shaping the seat. The balance of your seat looks good, with a comfortable top line, and dish.

Your cheyenne roll cantle binding looks good, but a bit flat. More downward slope would better compliment the angles of this saddle. Width is fine. Corner could be more rounded into seat.

This turned out to be a long evaluation! It is just my opinion and how I see things. I like your saddle and only offer my opinions to give you ( and others) variations to consider.

Respectfully,

Keith Seidel

[kseidel]

Keith,

I like this saddle, and have a couple questions about it.

Do you have screws run through under the concho's to hold the rigging in place?

Would a saddle designed this way stand up to a lot of roping?

Thanks, Reid G.

Reid,

There are screws under the conchos, but they do not hold the rigging in place. The fitting of the parts and the shaping of the leather over the fork ensure that the rigging will not move. The rigging is part of the swell cover, seat, and skirts. This is all stitched to a skirt fitted under the tree. This skirt is nailed and screwed under the gullet, both front and under cantle. There is no way for this saddle to come apart! It would hold up to the most extreme demands.

Keith

[Billy H]

Hi Keith,

First let me say thank you for taking the time to look at my Mule saddle!

Boy you do not miss a thing. Actually I think you where pretty kind in your evaluation.

I totally agree with you on all your suggestions. So much to learn when trying to make a good saddle.

If you don't mind---- I have a couple of questions.

- What is a Block Shave?

One thing for sure is I need to be more particular on my edges.

- How much length do you figure on the back of the Skirt?

- Should I have dropped the back rigging to give more curve to the Back Jockey or just gone over the Back Billet?

- Fender shape to me is always challenging. The fellow I built this saddle for had a 27 inch inseam and he was 5' 7 inches tall.

Absolutely no thigh bone---- every shape I tried looked like a little kids saddle. How do you determine shape for a particular saddle?

Again thank you for your time, and I appreciate you pasting my saddle on your thread, people get to see a Masters saddle a novice saddle maker and see where to start from and where you might end up at.

I was a little slow to respond back to you, I have been helping my better half at the Stock Show with her events.

Regards. Billy