Youth roper saddle

[cowboysaddlemaker]

Hi everyone, Here is a 12" youth roper I just finished for a 9 year old boy in McAlester Okla. I built a 15" roper for his Dad about 4 years ago, this is a smaller version with different tooling.

Edited November 22, 2008 by cowboysaddlemaker

[ArtS]

Wonderful work.

Is that oval hole in the rigging to connect a breast place? Couldn't that rip out?

Art

[cowboysaddlemaker]

Wonderful work.

Is that oval hole in the rigging to connect a breast place? Couldn't that rip out?

Art

Yes that is for the breast collar, I have done quite a few this way, sandwiched in between the rigging leathers is a piece of rawhide that reinforces it, I have never heard of anyone having any trouble with it at all. Thanks, Alan

[ArtS]

Yes that is for the breast collar, I have done quite a few this way, sandwiched in between the rigging leathers is a piece of rawhide that reinforces it, I have never heard of anyone having any trouble with it at all. Thanks, Alan

Oh, rawhide in between makes sense. I really like your work. Well done. I'm still working on my 2nd saddle. Hope I finish it before I get too old to lift a hammer! LOL

Art

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Alan,

Just a word, using raw hide to reinforce stress areas is the old fashioned way. I have been doing it that way for over 15 years myself, and yet to have one fail. Several years ago I spoke with Ann Stohlman about the use of raw hide and it was also her observation that the use of rawhide, while difficult to work with , yields excellent durability. The only problem I have ever seen with rawhide is, if you are not careful as to where you keep your saddle when not in use, the mice/rats will get at it. To them it is like candy! I am currently re-doing all the rawhide trim on a saddle I made for someone in Kentucky many years ago for that very reason.

Keep it up the good work!

Bondo Bob