Unusual Saddle

[GrampaJoel]

A friend brought this saddle for me to look at. It is made differently than I'm use to. IIRC it had center fire rigging. The tree is pretty crooked. See what you think. Any ideas who might have made it?

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A friend brought this saddle for me to look at. It is made differently than I'm use to. The tree is pretty crooked. See what you think. Any ideas who might have made it?

Edited November 24, 2014 by GrampaJoel

[Denise]

Is the cantle intact? Looks like an old high back cantle that may have been broken?

[GrampaJoel]

Denise,

The cantle was intact, not broken.

The seat just flared out at the center top area and leaned toward the rear.

I didn't get a chance to look beneath the leather much but I did peak a little. The tree wood appeared to have a finish on it, but I don't know what with. It didn't look like rawhide though.

The saddle was solid feeling, but the tree bars are badly twisted, nothing felt broken or loose.

The leather on the horn was real thin. Actually all the leather seemed pretty thin.

The leather work seemed good, but not high quality, and the stitching seemed like machine stitching.

My friend had no idea where it was made. He took it in trade for monies owed him. He liked the little saddle bag .

Joel

[oltoot]

Just some guesses from pics and your info:

Reproduction, not very old

Poorly maintained

Some of the construction techniques seem to be for 'show' and not too user friendly.

Must have spent quite a while wadded up in a corner somewhere.

[GrampaJoel]

Not to user friendly is a good term.

It was mostly put together with tacks. Cantle binding, horn wrap, horn cap, all held on with large headed tacks.

Now it might be a reproduction for display, I don't know, and neither did my friend.

I just thought it might be a curiosity to talk about. These saddle forums seem slow lately.

Joel

[Saddlebag]

I'm wondering if it was an early lady's saddle to accommodate a larger derriere.

[GrampaJoel]

The seat was pretty large across.

The tilted back seat could help accomadate a bustle I suppose. Did ladies ride in bustle dresses?

The saddle looked old, it was dirty and scratched up. Etc..

But it really showed no signs of having been ridden.

No burnishing in the seat or thigh area.

Joel

[oltoot]

Those taps look very much older than the saddle

[GrampaJoel]

Oltoot,
My friend said he added the taps.
He's always buying old saddle stuff.
He said he had the taps lying around, and the saddle in question came without sturrips so he added the taps.
I guess he was planning on riding it until he put it on a horse and saw how ill fitting it was.
He always make me laugh. He comes from a ranching family from Alberta, Canada, so I excuse his follies.
It's fun to have another man, besides myself, do silly, somewhat questionable things. Our wives know we are both crazy. Ha!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Joel