Saddles

[Mblhopo]

boykinip…….Looks like wooly chaps!...……………………………...M*

 

[Mule Packer]

Dave,
My only question is "What kind of dog is that big shaggy white one, with the leather straps and buckles, in the lower left of your picture??" Just kidding, of course, but what am I looking at?
Larry

Larry, I think I can answer that for you. Dave can correct me if I'm wrong, but if I'm not mistaken, you're lookin' at Dave's woolies....wooly chaps usually made out of angora hide or something similar. Occasionally you'll see some out of bear hide, but not often. The ol' boys that ride where it's colder than a mother-in-law's kiss are mighty thankful for their woolies.

If I remember correctly, when ol' Dave was pullin' a pack string, it was there in Montana up in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. In places like that, you don't measure snow by the inch. You measure it by the foot.

I've seen lots of woolies over the years, some dyed the most gosh-awful colors you can imagine....but Dave's got himself a mighty good-looking pair...what little we can see of 'em.

Edit: Oops. Looks like Mblhopo beat me to the punch.

 

[Mule Packer]

Speaking of saddles....all I can say is WOW!!! Those are some downright beautiful "kaks" some of you folks have.

Here's a picture of mine. Like Dave's, this was made for me during the last century by Dave Clowes, a saddle maker out of Bonanza, Oregon. It's built on a 15½-inch Wade tree and has logged literally hundreds of miles pullin' a pack string. Not real fancy, but definitely a workin' saddle. (Oh...and that's Scotty stickin' his tongue out at the camera.)

Here's another Clowes-built saddle, on a 15-inch Bowman tree. You'll notice both trees have a relatively high cantle (back). Great for riding in steep country. You're not as likely to slip off the back when going uphill.

You'll notice Dave Keith's saddle (post #36) also has a high cantle. When you see a saddle like that, it's a pretty good bet that its owner has spent a lot of time in some pretty rough country.

 

[LPD256]

I have a lot of interesting “stuff” in my living room including a .36 caliber black powder pistol in a western rig hanging from the desk with .45Colt in the loops so no one can shoot themselves. Longhorns mounted, Tombstone memorabilia, Buck Taylor art, and a cowboy hat rack are a few others. I bought a bronc rider saddle at a pawn shop just because I thought it was cool. From Hennessy Rodeo Maker in Texas. I figure some bronc rider finally had enough and pawned it for gas money to get home. No, I’ve never owned a horse. Just a few Harleys.

 

[keith44spl]

Dave,
My only question is "What kind of dog is that big shaggy white one, with the leather straps and buckles, in the lower left of your picture??" Just kidding, of course, but what am I looking at?
Larry

As some have said, they are angora goat 'Wooly' full shotgun chaps

I don't rightly recall now, how cold it was the morning someone snapped this pic...
But I'd say, the morning air was right sharp.

Wooly chaps, insulated pac boots and a wool jacket.

Larry,
Here's another pic with some gear....Sliver snaffle bit and mane hair mecate and a horse hair shu-fly.

Click on the pic and ya can see the rope tracks on
the rawhide cantle binding, from draggin' em to the fire

.

 

[elm_creek_smith]

McClelland saddles are the most uncomfortable I have ever rode. I'd love to have one as a conversation piece but not to ride.



I do still own my old roperbut it hasn't been on a horse in 30 years. My father bought it at a cattle sale about 60 years ago. I still like to ride but have no place to keep a horse so the few times a year I get to ride it's on someone elses horse with their tack.

McClellan saddles were designed to save the horse's back, not the cavalryman's butt.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

 

[turnerriver]

I’m away from home and my library but I believe Tio Sam Myres gave his shop over to the Army during WW I and made McClellan saddles.
Myres made some fantastic show saddles, I’ll see if I can dig up a photo or two. Great thread on all counts. But I’m still going to resist ever buying a saddle.
Regards,
turnerriver

 

[R61414]

I have never owned a horse but I rode a lot of them on Saturday mornings, 50+ years ago, with my hero, Roy Rogers. That is why I purchased this Roy Rogers pony saddle many years ago. It sits on a saddle stand in my family room along with other "King of the Cowboys" memorabilia, like four Daisy Roy Rogers commemorative BB Rifles.
In my gun safe are 3 Colt and 4 Ruger Roy Rogers commemorative single action revolvers and 1 Marlin, 1 Mossberg and 3 Winchester Roy Rogers commemorative lever action rifles.
I believe a cereal company doing a promotion with Roy gave away 48 Palomino ponies and 48 Roy Rogers pony saddles, one in each state, before Alaska and Hawaii became states, back in the late 40's or early 50's. This is one of those 48 pony saddles.

 

[GypsmJim]

The wife now has several more saddles than horses.

Thank goodness.

The saddles sit on racks in the corner and don't eat, poop, or require a vet or blacksmith.

 

[Dirtman]

My ex got the horse and saddle.

My ex-wife got the registered half Arab half Morgan horse and saddle in the divorce. I should write a country and western song about that!

 

[Ranger514]

I'm no cowboy, but we have two western saddles on stands in our family room, courtesy of my wife's maternal grandfather, saddle maker Victor Alexander. I don't know how to post pics, or I would. If you're ever visiting Cody, WY you can see his tools and some of his saddles on display at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. PS My wife rides and competes in 3-Day Eventing, so we own horses that I help care for. Basically, I'm a stable hand
Points West: Victor Alexander, Saddlemaker - Center of the West

 

[dwh]

I got mine in a trade over 30 years ago. I traded a rifle I got for free for a circle Y equitation saddle. It has made in the mid 1960s. It’s the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever ridden in. Sadly my wife’s gelding passed last spring at 33 years old and I sold mine 3 weeks ago. Man I miss him.

 

[crazyphil]

That could make a real tear jerker country western song. I'll bet you
really miss the horse and saddle.

 

[boykinlp]

As some have said, they are angora goat 'Wooly' full shotgun chaps

I don't rightly recall now, how cold it was the morning someone snapped this pic...
But I'd say, the morning air was right sharp.

Wooly chaps, insulated pac boots and a wool jacket.

Larry,
Here's another pic with some gear....Sliver snaffle bit and mane hair mecate and a horse hair shu-fly.

Click on the pic and ya can see the rope tracks on
the rawhide cantle binding, from draggin' em to the fire

.

Dave,
The first picture is terrific. It looks extremely cold, and I am sure situations like that require learning the best way to stay warm, or as warm as possible. There is certainly a lot of gear in the second picture. I had to look up was a mecate is. I never would have known that it was made of horse hair. The shu-fly is cool too. Where does it "hang" when everything is in place? I also never would have guessed that the binding on the cantle was rawhide. I can see that would be a "vintage" way to protect it very well. I like that the rawhide is used instead of some "modern/man made" product.

I reposted the third picture because I had a question I noticed in it. What is all the wrapping around the base of the horn, and what is it's purpose? Thanks for all the pictures and information and sorry for all the questions.
Larry

 

[Mule Packer]

Dave,
The shu-fly is cool too. Where does it "hang" when everything is in place?

What is all the wrapping around the base of the horn, and what is it's purpose?
Larry

Larry, I notice Dave isn't "on board" at the moment, so I hope it's okay if I butt in and answer your questions. If I miss something, Dave can add more info.

A shu-fly is a bundle of horse hair that can either hang from the throat latch where it dangles underneath the jaw or from the girth where it dangles beneath the belly. The purpose, as the name implies, is to keep the flies away.

In the picture below, if you look closely, you can see a small shu-fly underneath Lil' Trooper's jaw and a longer one underneath him. You can see it right behind his front leg in the picture.

As for the wrapping around the base of the horn...it's called "mule hide," and a lot of folks really believe that it's made out of mule hide, but in reality it's split cowhide. It's used to provide a bit a friction when one dallies (or wraps) a lead rope (if leading a pack string) or lariat (if roping calves or steers). You'll see some cowboys wrap the horn with a chunk of inner tube, but the "mule hide" is a little more forgiving and lets you slip your dallies a little easier. Hope that answers your questions.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Do you remember the maker of your vintage saddle? Got any pictures of the saddle or horse to share?

I do not remember the maker of the saddle. It was black with brown rigging. I think the skirt was black, too. Bad memory! Sorry!

I do have a picture of the horse - it's almost 20 years old and not a great picture because it's tiny so it blurred when I enlarged it.

Wait!!! It was 2005. I found more.

 

[huntsman22]

The only 'vintage' saddle I have is a Heiser square skirt highback made in the early '20's for an eastern colorado doctor. His granddaughter gifted me the piece when I commented on it and told her my uncle worked for Heiser after WW II. He lost all the fingers on his hand in a saddle skirt stamping accident while there. She even gave me a pic of her grandpa riding the saddle in a parade. I actually used it for several years elk hunting. When the only horse I owned that it fit died, it was again retired to home decor......

 

[boykinlp]

The only 'vintage' saddle I have is a Heiser square skirt highback made in the early '20's for an eastern colorado doctor. His granddaughter gifted me the piece when I commented on it and told her my uncle worked for Heiser after WW II. He lost all the fingers on his hand in a saddle skirt stamping accident while there. She even gave me a pic of her grandpa riding the saddle in a parade. I actually used it for several years elk hunting. When the only horse I owned that it fit died, it was again retired to home decor......

huntsman22,
Thank you very much for posting the pictures of your fantastic Heiser saddle and telling us the story behind it. I bet that highback helps keep you cemented in the saddle going up the steep slopes of Colorado. In the third picture, is that an elk quarter in the white bag?

I didn't know we had any forum members that had a relative that worked for Heiser. I am sure that makes the saddle super special to you. How did you determine it was made in the early '20's? Also, has your uncle's history of working at Heiser caused you to be a Heiser holster collector?
Larry

 

[huntsman22]

Yes, elk front quarters on the stock saddle. The hind quarters and head was on a little packhorse. The woman that gave me the saddle was unsure what year the saddle was actually made, but the pic she gave me was from 1925. I only have a few Heiser holsters.