Latest saddle

[brycew74]

comnents and critiques welcome

[bikermutt07]

I don't know anything about saddles, but it looks awesome.

[rktaylor]

I was hoping you would get comments from more seasoned saddle makers. I always find their comments on others' work extremely valuable when I critique my work.

The tooling looks really uniform and I like the tooling on the seat. The tooling on the billets also adds a nice touch to the saddle. I'm not familiar with this style of saddle and am not as experienced as others, so take my critique with a grain of salt. The seat jockey shape and placement seems a little off. Everything is square and it's round. It also seems a little too far back. The front and rear jockeys are not lined up. I think they would be more appealing if the bottom line was consistent. It may be the way it's sitting on the stand but the skirt looks like it runs down toward the front. It may be level when you put it on a horse.

Thanks for sharing your work,

Randy

[brycew74]

Thanks for the input Randy. You noticed the same things I don't really like about this saddle I think it would look a lot cleaner of the front and rear jockeys were lined up better and the seat jockey was cut  more full to the front.

Thanks 

Bryce

[Squilchuck]

I had the same thoughts as Randy when I looked at the saddle.  --John

[Billy H]

Bryce all in all you did good!

Rigging position looks good to me, 3/4 position as best I can tell (seems to fit more horses backs).

Something you might try is to double spike your rear jockeys.

: Pull rear jockeys as close to Cantle Back as you are able.

: spike or nail- offside saddle string -so that center of rear jockey is about a 1/2 inch offcenter to the offside.

: take next spike on nearside saddle string and spike down until rear jockey is center on center of skirts, then pull spike toward your front rigging about a 45 degree angle. (nail or keep spike in).

: next take a spike on rear jockey  -- at your Seat Jockey Ear position  -- spike up and forward that will suck your rear jockey down against the skirt then nail.

: repeat on the offside.   Hope that make sense.

 

I was guilty of dowhill skirts for sometime until  I placed saddle tree on pull down stand just like it would sit on a horses back (fitting skirts to the saddle tree).

If needed buildup front of Pulldown so that it looks like horses Withers.  Regards Billy

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Bryce, I just thought that I would drop in and see what is going on these days on this sight.  Been away for a while, busy with other things.  A word about your saddle.  Most comments on your saddle are pretty much what I would say.  The thing that stands out to me, (my opinion only) is that I would have brought the front and rear jockeys down about another couple of inches.  Also, lowered the rear conchos and strings a couple of inches.  With that said, then when you "pull/fit" you jockeys like RK said, (making sure they are well wetted) they will pull down tight to the tree and skirts.  The horses around here that I have made saddles for usually are more in the 7/8 rigging position.  Yours seems to be closer to centerfire, but; then again that is more the need of fitting it to the particular horse that you are making the saddle for.  All in all you are getting it done.  Nice work, remember the quality is not only in the materials, it in the details.   

Enoy,

Bondo Bob

[brycew74]

thanks for all the advice guys I really appreciate it. The devil is really in the details and your critiques do help a lot.

 

[mudman]

I am thinking it must be for a lefty, because of the rope strap. Good looking saddle all in all.

[brycew74]

nope not for a lefty, it has what is called a crossover rope strap, its the most popular option in this area among the working cowboys