Breast Collar Dees

[rktaylor]

I need some ideas/advice on attaching my breast collar dees. They can't go under the seat. Should I do something like this or incorporate them into my latigo/cinch holders? This is my last piece before oiling and assembly. Except maybe rubbing edges a little more. Thanks,

Randy

[kseidel]

It depends on the style of breast collar you want to use. If you hang them high with the latigo hangers, then you need a breast collar made to ride there. For standard shaped collars, the Dees should be about the bottom of the tree bar mounted in the skirt or flat plate rigging.

[rktaylor]

Thanks Keith,

It's too late for me to mount them on the rigging plate or skirt. When I started the saddle, I envisioned them being mounted at the latigo holder. I just didn't know exactly how I was going to do it. Now I am faced with that task and scratching my head. I could mount them a little lower and screw/nail them through the rigging plate to the tree, but I think I have too much 'bulk' under the front jockey already. That's another topic in itself.

Randy

[oltoot]

What he said (Keith), I would just add that there should really be no choice for someone who can make whatever is indicated; hang'em high. And tip the angle down a bit so that the collar (either a martingale style or a V shaped with dee or ring in the middle) lines up with the top of the horse's shoulder and the dees are in line with the whole thing and then they will not be subjected to out of kilter stress. If everything is in this proper alignment then collar, straps, etc need not be of gargantuan sizes to do their job of carrying part of the load. And for all to be right the whole assembly needs to be anchored snugly to the cinch in the middle. Think about it. The whole setup is only as strong as its weakest link and if you let the stress of pulls or jerks be concentrated on that weakest link by poor alignment?? Oh yeah and there is the 'small' issue of horse comfort, too. Oh yeah, I didn't come to these opinions early on in my journey. I was raised and trained in the tie hard and fast school and that included collars that looked like they would stand up in a logging camp. All that has a limited place but only a tiny percentage of the horse world actually lives in that place. As for you and me (and your lovely bride) Let's make the best of our world.

Edited April 1, 2015 by oltoot

[kseidel]

Randy, Dees can always be mounted into a flat plate rigging or skirt rigging, even after the saddle is finished. Can sometimes be difficult, but still possible. If you are giong to hang them up with the latigo carriers, then make yourself a breast collar that is open at the throat and curves up to the dee. As Oltoot said, as long as everything lines up and fits the horses curves, then it will work fine. Lots of buckaroo saddles have the BC dees at the latigo carriers.

Here is a pic of a saddle made by Ross Brunk that shows a nice BC dee combined with the latigo carrier.

Keith

[Josh Ashman]

Randy,

It's difficult to feel like I have much to offer after Keith and Oltoot have covered it so well but I did want to share this BC attachment I did. I'm sure plenty of folks do this, I think I saw it on a Chavez saddle and thought it looked pretty nice. It's just a strap skived to nothing on the ends and screwed to the tree. You can drop it a little lower than if you use the latigo carries and it's a little cleaner. I have also used the latigo carriers and like that too. Or you can skip them all together and build a BC with buckles and have the straps go through the gullet.

good luck, Josh

[rktaylor]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I will study this some more tonight. I also found another thread on breast collar dee placement.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=57295

Randy

Edited April 1, 2015 by rktaylor