Stirrup leathers an fenders

[greg gomersall]

Try and find some pictures of some old S. Loomis or some early Main & Winchester saddles from the west coast. Back in the 1860-1870 era this type of set up was quite comman. If you measure your inseam versus your fender and stirrup leather length properly you don't need much adjustment. The fender does not need to come back to the cantle point but it does need come up on the edge of the seat a hair.

Half leathers attach to the top of the fender, full leathers run the full length of the fender under the fender. Half double's run the full length of the fender on top of the fender and full double's actualy start at the bottom of the fender go around up the back under the bar out over the fender back around under the bar and the come out down and attach to the fender at the top, Not real comman antmore but still seen from time to time on some real classy rigs. You can also cut the fender and stirrup leather from one piece of leather. Hope this helps. Greg

[Timbo]

I'm also thinking that I could tear drop or taper the top into the stirrup leather so that the pinchpoint would be eliminated. Or what about just making the fender shorter so it doesn't come up so high and cause the problem?? If I wore my tall boots all the time I would just skip fenders altogether, but they are lousy in the mountains.

Any fender suggestions??

tim

[oldtimer]

I'm also thinking that I could tear drop or taper the top into the stirrup leather so that the pinchpoint would be eliminated. Or what about just making the fender shorter so it doesn't come up so high and cause the problem?? If I wore my tall boots all the time I would just skip fenders altogether, but they are lousy in the mountains.

Any fender suggestions??

tim

If you make the fenders a bit short ( up to the bottom of the bar) and put the stirrup leather on top of the fender there is no risk of pinching. I have been riding skeleton saddles for the last seven years and never experienced any pinching problem. On my latest personal saddle I made the fenders old mexican style and they work just fine.

[Timbo]

Thanks for all the help guys.

One last question that nobody caught..........what about the "D" holes cut in the skirt for the breast collar rigging to attach to??

Tim

[Echo4V]

Timbo,

As far as the d cut out in the skirt for a breast collar attachment, my .02 is that it is unnecessary. I have had saddles with d rings mounted on them for the breast collar ( never had the cut outs though) and I have always just hooked to my rigging ring or even hooked it around my cinch strap. To me that is a much stronger place than the d ring on the front of the saddle. I would also be afraid that the cut out would get torn out then you would have to replace or repair the skirts. I don't ride in the Sangre De Cristos but I do ride some pretty steep hills so I know the value of a good breast collar but it seems to me that the place that d rings are on the saddle tends to make it a neck collar unless you use the one that's shaped like a big U on the horse's chest. Personally, I use a walking horse breast collar ( 2 inch leather strap) and it rides perfectly across the chest when hooked to the rigging. Plus I don't have to worry about that rigging ring breaking off the saddle on a scramble up a hill. If you ride with britchen on your saddle are you going to hook it to the back rigging rings or put in d rings?

As far as the rivetting on the fenders...if the idea is to keep the fender smack up against the edge of the seat then why couldn't all three layers be rivetted together? I do accept everyone's concensus that they are not, I'm just wondering (hypothetically) why this couldn't be the case. If the back of the leather had holes punched all the way up and there was a long enough tail to the front part you would get plenty of adjustment on the stirrup and you would never have to worry about the fender sliding down out of the place it was supposed to be.

Another fender idea I have seen recently is the fender rivetted and sewn to the skirt. Then the stirrup leather was ran like normal except it was routed through slots cut into the fender. The one I saw was an old saddle at the Amish saddle maker's shop I went to this past weekend and the leather went under the fender at the top and came back out about 2 inches from the bottom of the fender then through the stirrup and to the buckle. It looked to me like it would impede leg movement but the Amish guy who was having it worked on said it didn't bother him ( of course you can get used to anything). Has anyone ever seen this fender set up?

[Timbo]

That is what I was thinking on the slots in the skirts as well. (that it has the potential for damaging the skirt) I think I'll skip putting on any attachment points for a breast collar and just use the rigging rings like I always have.

I have never used a britchen set up and don't plan on it. I also never use a belly band in the mountains. Both of these have the potential to cause a wreck in my opinion. The bushwhackin we have to do sometimes gets pretty treacherous and I don't need extra stuff to get caught on the rocks and trees or for the horse to get tangled in.

I'm with you on the thought of riveting all 3 layers together. The tops would always stay in the same spot and adjustment will be done at the bottoms.

Don't think I'd like the fender attached to the skirt. Seems like it would impede movement like you said. I've never seen that set up before.

tim

Edited October 29, 2008 by Timbo

[bruce johnson]

Timbo,

I don't much care for cutouts in skirts. They mights tear out if you get in wreck, although I'd hope the tug would break first. The strap and dees can also, but usually they are an easier fix. Most of the saddles I have seen the slots on have them positioned lower than I like to set my breast collar dees also.

Echo,

That stirrup leather through the fender deal was used in the past. You still see some guys who will bring the leather out through a slot in the fenders down low. The fender leg then makes the inside layer for the stirrup pin to rest on. Interesting look and a little different. Some old fenders had two slots and just slid on the leathers too. I guess it was fairly common on some dude ranch model saddles at one time. I can't think that riveting and sewing a fender to the skirt and then running the leather through it would have any advantage for anything.

[Echo4V]

Timbo,

I thought that britchen was pretty popular in Colorado(at least that's what I was told) and that back cinches were almost required in the mountains out there...Anyway, I think you'll be more satisfied with using the rigging ring either way you go.

Bruce,

I've seen what you are talking about with the fender just sliding on the stirrup leather, it's used quite a bit still today on gaited horse saddles. Especially the ones that use english stirrup leathers. There is another kind of fender, used with english leathers, that has a sleeve sewn on the back of the fender and the leathers run through that sleeve. These both seem to be popular on saddles that have english stirrup leathers because of the tendancy for the english leathers to pinch the rider's calf. I also don't have any idea why a fender would be sewn and rivetted to the skirt of the saddle but the guy seemed to really like it...to each, his own...I guess.

David

[Go2Tex]

.................and full double's actualy start at the bottom of the fender go around up the back under the bar out over the fender back around under the bar and the come out down and attach to the fender at the top, Not real comman antmore but still seen from time to time on some real classy rigs. .............. Hope this helps. Greg

Huh?? Can you provide a diagram of this? I'm totally confused. Sounds like it's looped around the bar twice.

[greg gomersall]

Huh?? Can you provide a diagram of this? I'm totally confused. Sounds like it's looped around the bar twice.

Brent they do go over the bar twice. The current computer configuration i have does not let me scan things but PM me your address and i will send you a drawing. greg