My Second Saddle

[lranger]

Hello All,

This is my second saddle,, built last winter. It's built on a custom made Wade tree by Ben Swanke in Billings.

Keith

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Nice job Keith. Looks like the winter time was well spent.

Bob

[MonicaJacobson]

I want it. A horse would be nice too, but I can settle.

[oltoot]

Looking good. One question, though. Why not put breast collar dees up higher so that collars fit along top of shoulder? And just a very minor point. I can tell you from experience that those metal clip and dee arrangements, where the line is more or less in the 90 degree to earth orientation, produce, what was to me, an extremely irritating metalic rattle with every step of the horse except when collar was tight as in pulling. I have discovered that when the collar/dee line is in the 45 degree range that the rattle will not appear except when riding without a collar which I almost never have done. Just some of what I have learned from building then using.

Now into the strictly style area:

1) in the future, with a combination of skiving components at key points, (better accomplished with a 3/4 or 1" french edger) and a lot of coaching with a large creaser or folder, get that cantle binding stitch line up forward so that the edge of the binding when sewn is right on top of the cantle instead of rearward, usually the alignment that you have accomplished is associated with machine stitched; and,

2) looks like you could use another piece in your ground seat so that you could eliminate those 'corners' at the edge of your seat 'pocket' A triangular piece that went in on top with the point of the triangle up in the dish of the cantle then you skive it down to nothing over those corners and use the extra 1/4" to shape up the seat and the leg groove as it leaves the seat 'pocket' area or you could just adopt one of the ground seat approaches that finish with a large piece on top, going clear up well into the dish.

[lranger]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

oltoot----- I've never had the rattling problem with the breast collar dees. I have three saddles, and I've installed them for other people, with no rattles. The reasons I put them in that exact location are; I don't like them up under the concho like a lot of people do for several reasons. It puts too much stuff under the concho and keeper, I don't think that one screw is strong enough for the breast collar, and, to me, you have to use a different style/type breast collar when the dee is that high up. Plus, I make my own breast collars, too, and the ones I like curve up and then back where it comes off the center ring, making it follow the line of his shoulder as you mentioned. I actually measure that on the horse so that dee is exactly in the right place.

I agree with you on the ground seat. I used a sheetmetal strainer plate on both of these new saddles. I worked a solid week skiving on the first one and wasn't happy with it. I tried really hard to get the second one better, but you can still see the edges of the strainer plate. I think I'm going to change to an all leather ground seat, but I'm worried about them collapsing over time.

On the cantel binding stitch line; I used Harry Adams Saddlemaker's Shop Manual to learn how to build saddles, and the way it is in the picture is exactly the way he says to do it. I haven't checked Stohlman's saddlemaking books to see how he says to do it. I will keep what you said under advisement, though, and see if I can improve that next time. By the way, all my work is hand stitched as I haven't had a sewing machine,,, until now. I got a TechSew 2700 in today, but I didn't buy it for my saddle work. Basically, it's for most everything else.

I'm just a beginner on saddles. It really was scarry to lay out a lot of money for the materials and not know if I was going to have anything good at the end. It also takes me a long time to make the first cut on a side of skirting leather.

Thanks for your advice.

[lranger]

BondoBob---- I live and work on a small ranch property and the owners are only here a few months of the year. I have to have something to keep me from going crazy during the winter because I hardly see anyone for 8 months or so. Leatherwork is perfect.

Hey Monica,,, I really do admire your work. I've been looking at your website. You can have a horse, they sell them everywhere, and you'd be soooooo happy. Horses are great.

[Grey Drakkon]

Any one of the riders I know would be thrilled to have a saddle like that. Beautiful work! I'd love to see it in action with a breast collar as well.