Want to repair or duplicate an old tree

[SaddleQuestion]

I can't get the file to take my jpeg pics. If there is a secret id appreciate knowing it.  In any case it is broken and yes I want to replace it. 

 We have Spanish Mustangs so the older saddles fit and when we find one that fits its golden.  I bought it at a sale and I think its from the 1930's, probably an old Sears saddle.  Trying to attach photos , but  it doesnt like my JPEG apparently. Its not a wooden tree. We had it reconditioned a few years back and they told us the tree needed to be treated with care. Between my son and the young mare that was a fail.  Two pieces have broken off on one side. It looks rawhide wrapped , but almost like it might have been resin or bone? Lots of air holes inside which makes me think of bone. Just looking for options besides waiting until 3d printers become cheaper. I know one pic is only  in kb so I don't know why it is saying it is 1.46 mb.  I can email you pics if you think you might be able to do something with it.

 

[Northmount]

Resize photos to 800 x 600 pixels.

For your file that is being a problem, try emailing it to yourself and see what happens.  In Windows Explorer, select the file, send to recipient, etc.  The file might be corrupted, but I would question that if you can view it without problems.  Is the file extension .jpg or .jpeg?  If it is .jpeg, try renaming a copy.

59 minutes ago, SaddleQuestion said:

I can't get the file to take my jpeg pics. If there is a secret id appreciate knowing it.  In any case it is broken and yes I want to replace it. 

I know one pic is only  in kb so I don't know why it is saying it is 1.46 mb.  I can email you pics if you think you might be able to do something with it.

 

Tom

[SaddleQuestion]

Thank you. I have photos , Mac, so still learning how to use it. 

 

[SaddleQuestion]

[SaddleQuestion]

[TinkerTailor]

Look like an old expanding foam type core to me. Or the filling in some candy bars. I wouldn't even attempt to repair that tree for riding, only wall hanging.  If it is polyurethane foam or something of the sort it gets more brittle over time and is likely to crack in other places.

Now i am not a saddle builder, but i look at trees like the frame of a car. You don't just patch up a frame that broke, you rebuild if the rest is salvagable, and replace if there is any question. On the topic tree/frame replacement, Just like a car, you need the exact same make and model. Can't put a ford frame under a chev truck cause nothing lines up. Everything Is fitted to the frame. The labour to replace it correctly probably will outweigh the savings of just shopping around for another saddle, even ones for skinny whither nags.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

  

I see you posted your question on another thread, and I answered there. I'll copy and paste the answer I gave there.

 

Posted 19 hours ago · Report post

I just replaced one for a customer, total was over $900, so it's not cheap. You need to carefully evaluate the rest of the saddle when putting a new tree in. If the other parts have a lot of wear and will soon need replacing or repair, it's easy to get a lot more in in than it's worth.  I would like to see photos of your old saddle.  Sounds a little like a ralide tree that at some point might have been reinforced with rawhide, but ralide wasn't making trees in the '30's. I will say one good thing about a ralide tree, it does not cost nearly as much to replace. They are about a quarter of the cost of a good rawhide covered wood tree, but I see lots of broken ones.  I see a lot of older narrower saddles around that just don't fit horses very well today. They are usually pretty reasonably priced. Even if a person has to stick several hundred into it in other repairs, if the tree is sound, it may be a better option than replacing a broken tree. Just depends on what you're willing to spend and what you're willing to live with.

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[SaddleQuestion]

Thank you for your answer. The rest of the saddle is in good shape. We are in Switzerland where good Western saddles are hard to come by, let alone ones that fit horse and rider. The best the local saddlery guy said he could do is put a new tree in if I could get this one duplicated. So that was really what I was hoping. I did read some of the posts on fibreglassing trees and I didn't know if  that would be possible. I read some on ralide and didn't know if that might be it. But the sale I got it frm Im pretty sure it had been in the family since the 30's. That was back in Kansas. Ill post a pic of the rest of the saddle Sunday. We're bout 8 hours ahead.