ANST - saddles ...

[j'lynn yeates]

while my famility no longer has horses, we've kept our tack stored and 
maintained (self still has three saddles and all the related gear up dallas 
way) ... thought i'ld interject some additional comments. 

On 6 Apr 99, at 9:58, Gunnora Hallakarva wrote:

> If you do it yourself, first saddle soap the hell out of the saddle to
> remove the dirt and mold. You may have to repeat this step a few times,
> depending on the amount of grime.  

additional hint ... a nylon bristle hand-brush is a excellent tool for working 
the soap down into the leather pores during cleaning phase.  put together a 
"tack box" with your leather repair kit, oil, saddle soap and make saddle 
maintanence a regular thing (mine are securly stored in a controlled, dry 
environment, but make it a point to clean and oil them once a year to 
protect the leather.   

> ... Then you'll need to recondition the leather.  If the saddle has
> been badly abused, it may take more than neatsfoot oil or similar
> products -- ask youlocal saddle shop what they have in stock and
> what they recommend. 

a warning on "neatsfoot oil"  ... there is quality NO that's excellent and 
there is stuff labeled NO that contains a high percentage of acidic fillers 
that will literally eat organic materials over time, especially stitching (ever 
wonder why the favored leather boots were always failing at the stitching 
when you used the cheap NO from the grocery store ????).  lesson here, 
read the label *closely* 
 
> Check all the stitching -- has it rotted?  If so replace it!  

see reference to why it may be rotted ..  

> ... Check the straps for cracks and weaknesses. If you can pull it
> apart in your hands, well, the horse is stronger than you are.
> Chances are good that you should replace all the straps. 

on old saddles, strap replacement is always a good, basic, safety .. 
something my grandfather taught me a long time back.  if the straps are 
cracked, they will fail there eventually.  save yourself from getting dumped 
(and possibly injured) by replacing them first..
 
> Check the seat.  If the saddle is old, the seat padding will probably need
> to be completely replaced.

not to mention it's a wise investment for the horse to get a *quality* saddle 
pad.  seen a lot of animal problems where the rider cheaped out on the pad 
... leading to seriously annoyed horse that wants saddle and *you* off its 
back as quickly as possible. 
 
> If you're ever in the market for a saddle, my personal recommendation for
> new riders and experienced riders alike is to get an Australian
> cavalry/police saddle.  Australian saddles have much deeper seats (4
> inches as opposed to about a 2" dip on a regular Western saddle) and they
> can be obtained with or without the saddle horn.  

here's a link that shows several variants, with a sidebar link to correct 
saddle fitting:

http://www.aussiesaddle.com/sad_index.html

> ... The cavalry saddles have a variety of snaffles and tie-downs on
> the saddle so you can easily attach trail gear or barding, they
> have a more medieval style seat with the high front and back, and
> it's even possible to strap yourself into a cavalry saddle so that
> you can't fall out

of the three i still own (including a mexican dress sadlle with *tons* of solid 
silver plate, and a generic western working saddle) is a US style cavalry 
saddle (reproduction made in early 70's) that was always my favorite for 
many of the reasons you outline ... not really good for stock working, but 
great for generic and trail riding.

really gotta work on getting some horses again .... been way too long 
without.

'wolf
 


... When we hunt, we all function with one mind
... - Boingo, Pedestrian Wolves
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