Gold and silver

[glenatron]

After great searching and endeavours, I have finally got Cash a proper saddle. He's been working in my old Dartmoor Treefree for a long time but that has pretty much collapsed now, so it's not really offering much more protection from my weight than a regular bareback pad, which has slightly restricted how much work I'm willing to ask him to do.

The other weekend, after a long drive up to Lincolnshire with helpful Sari along to navigate, I found this:

Not my usual style of saddle, but it's well made by a very good maker and it's a good fit for Cash.


Also very comfy for me- it is probably a touch on the small side, but Cash has a pretty short back so it's a question of finding something that is small enough for him and big enough for me, I think this is pretty much on that sweet spot.


He goes beautifully in it - much better, I think, than his old saddle.

Onward!

Comments

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

*Saddle envy!* Nice to see the boy looking so relaxed!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

I spent a lot of time searching and I didn't find anything that was quite what I wanted- this was not what I had in mind, it's much more of a show saddle than I would choose - but the fit is good and buying a good saddle second hand works out a lot cheaper than buying one new when they have to be imported from the US or getting one made to order.

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

Looks like a nice saddle, possibly a reiner style. What brand is it? He looks good...and you might try dropping the stirrup a notch and see what that does for the seat fit. It's a bit small, but I think it's an older saddle and those were designed with smaller seats than the current day saddles are (It looks to be a 70s-era saddle, that would go with the cantle design and the buckstiching on cantle and skirt). The stirrups look to be hung decently as well, which is always something to watch out for in a Western saddle--cutting and roping saddles can be hung a bit forward so as to force more of a chair seat.

Also prefer the oxbow stirrups.

Nice find!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

It's an Eamor, made in Alberta. The person who had it had a truly beautiful older roping saddle from the same maker ( but made by the company founder ) which I loved and would totally have bought only it was a bit bigger and totally wouldn't have fitted Cash...

The only problem I have with it so far is that I can't move the fenders- they seem totally stuck, so actually the stirrup length probably is slightly longer than it appears to be because I can't move the damn thing and the buckle is getting in the way of the stirrups. Apparently they should move so I'm going to have to take another look at that.

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

Some of those old saddles can get a bit stiff. Saddle soap and conditioning should help the cause. I remember wrestling with my old Saddle King of Texas reiner...heavy as sin and oy yoy yoy, never been cleaned and oiled. I never could get those stirrups moved, but I was a kid and didn't know that much.

Sometimes the older saddles can have interesting variations on the Blevins buckle, and those can be hard to move as well. I'm sure you'll figure it out.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

I suspect it's jammed up just by having been in the same position in storage over years ( the previous owner had stopped riding some time ago ) having emailed the maker I know it is an 80s saddle and that the fenders definitely should move, so I will have to have another go at it later.

[makoiyi.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was going to say the same about the stirrups. Just a notch maybe? Also, you can 'turn' the stirrups to make it easier for mounting by putting a broom handle through them when it is on the saddle stand. It does look nice on Cash, though and it isn't that easy to get a really 'good' fit with some western saddles because they are pretty much designed for generic quarter horses so the bars are designed for their withers. Merlin was very difficult because of his big shoulders.
Looks like you two are having fun!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

I think Cash is not far off a scrawny quarter horse anyways - he's mostly thoroughbred with a touch of Irish Draft but he's little and agile like some of the ranch horses I've ridden.

The saddle is an Eamor, which is why I was asking about them the other day...

[herecirm.livejournal.com]

That photo of him going over the poles is lovely. <3

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

He was being very dainty and careful with his feet, which I guess is the point of ground poles...