Every one is a unique work of art. The best Western saddle brands hire expert saddle craftsmen. Other positions; , , and center fire are placed progressively further toward the rear. Our superior quality, craftsmanship and performance have made our reining, working cowhorse, silver show, ranch versatility, cutting, roping, barrel racing and trail Dennis Labus, LaCrosse, WI, sent us photos of this Furstow saddle with numerous maker's marks: There are multiple stamps on the saddle and under the fender there appears to be a signature from "T J McNeil". Now I am able and surely want to. and became Heiser Keyston Lichtenberger to late 1960s. Photos of the Price McLauchlin saddle below courtesy of Howard Nicols. There would be little use in having a rear cinch on a center fire rigged saddle, although they occasionally appear. We are a family owned business in Alberta's Peace Country. From helpful blogs to considerate customer service, the Reinsman saddle company made me feel like a part of the family. In regards to skirting leather, there are two choices- Hermann Oak and Wickett and Craig. Performer Western Saddle Pad 32"W x 32"L $235.95. !Sometimes we think that we know everything . This allows the rock in the bars of the tree to be specified within inches. In order to do this correctly, Ted uses top-tier tree makers like Warren Wright and Rick Reed. Check out these used saddles by Dakota, Billy Cook, and more brands. We pledge to set industry standards for producing saddles that fit rider and horse, offer tremendous durability, and which stand out aesthetically. I started this site as a place for customers to see pictures of our work. Both types endure because of their traditional use and the ease and economy of making them. Sometimes buying a used saddle can be a more cost-effective choice if you don't have the money to invest in a high-quality new one. Circle Y started making saddles in 1960; Big Horn in the1960s. He died 5 years later at the age of 84. We take great pride in making Bobs Custom Saddles and understand the trust our customers place in a ride they can count on. We have tried them all on our own horses. 1. We incorporate the philosophy of the 3 Ds in our tooling, using unique Design, great Depth, and intricate Detail. Contact us on (716) 257 9574 to schedule a fitting clinic for your group or organization. She was fortunate enough to become an apprentice under Billy Cook for 7-1/2 years, who she considers one of the top saddle engineers ever in the industry. The Dakota saddle brand was started in Flat Rock, Alabama in 1987. The saddlery continued in business until 1982. Western Horse Saddle Parts What Makes Your Saddle Work? These items can be ordered separately or built along with your saddle to match perfectly the color, tooling and hardware. Born in 1900, Pete Verbeck began his apprenticeship with Al Moreno at Al Furstnow's Saddlery. Gordon Andrus. In 1989, Jack and Mary Lou Deibel bought Miles City Saddlery and reinstated saddlemaking. The firm was active as a leather goods, harness and saddlery store at that time, but as the years went by, adjusted to progress by selling motor car accessories (tires, batteries) and even later, household appliances and furnishings. What are the advantages of a Western horse saddle? We use and ride our products every day making Texas Saddlery tried, tested, and true. Bonaparte Allen established his saddlery and tanning company in Buford, Georgia in 1873. Famous horse riders such as Martha Josey and Julie Goodnight only authorize Circle Y to design their saddles. Custom Saddles. And, for your peace of mind, we offer a 100 percent satisfaction money back guarantee! But one thing is sure, i like nice and elegant leather work.ThatDakota Saddle.Wow!! As executed by Seidels, the skirts and the rigging are fitted together around the front and rear of the tree bars and stitched together so strongly that the saddle could be ridden with the rigging pieces in place but without any screws or nails driven into the tree. After all, the best form of flattery is imitation, but you deserve the very best. Drawing by Verlane Desgrange. Select from a variety of custom Wade saddles, endurance saddles, Amish saddles and many other western trail riding saddles. Killeen, TX 76549. Customers outside the USA must contact us directly. Henry T. Obrien was born in 1848 in Ireland. On top of this, the Billy Cook company also makes lots of horse riding accessories. This type of rigging differs from the inskirt style by incorporating the pieces that make up the flat plate itself as shown in the illustration. Adding a suede seat or roughout jockeys can help with that! $2.00. The improved looks are an added bonus. There are actually some slight differences in ring rigging and Dee or EZ rigging, but they each generally share basic functional characteristics. From the 1890s through the 1960s, Porter's Saddles employed two dozen or more master craftsmen, who tooled and sewed the saddles. This has the effect of making the lump under the rider's leg at the forward ring even more prominent, and in addition to discomfort, causes isolation from the horse and the ability to feel his . Replacements, additions, or finishing touches. Every saddle is individually hand crafted right here in the USA. Here at Bobs Custom Saddles, we are pleased and very excited to be able to announce and bring to you a new brand of team roping saddle. ex.) So yes, these saddle brands were around during Westerns. Only 1 left in stock. The most common position is because it seems to fit the widest variety of horses well. Unfortunately, making and assembling the saddle became much more difficult for the maker, but the benefits in strength and appearance justify the trouble and expense. Was this post helpful? A graduate in engineering and design at Georgia Tech, Tom's first career took him into the upper management levels of several large corporations not associated with riding or saddlery. In 1890, Jim Coleman and R. J. Andrew came to San Angelo, Texas from Lampasas, Texas and began the Famous Concho Saddles company. Photo courtesy of Kay Mathews. The foundation of a great saddle is the tree upon which it is built. Photo courtesy of Eddie Hartzell, at H. Porters, Tucson, in 1971. In addition to building custom saddles, and offering TLC saddles repairs. Even so, the Big Horn Saddle company still makes great western saddles. Bates Saddles. Sage Creek Stock Saddle Company. Bobs Custom Saddles has been building quality custom saddles for 40 years and we want to thank our customers for letting us know Bobs Custom Saddles have and are still delivering that quality ride today. We are trained in the Sheridan style of tooling and can duplicate any tooling you like for your new chaps, spur straps, bridles, or breast collars to match your existing saddles of any type. In this saddle making brand, you will find a wide array of many western saddles. To order the saddle fitting kit, you can click the "saddle fitting" tab at the top of the home page, or any green button that says, "order saddle fitting". Changing the rigging position does not change where the saddle sits on the horses back. The Dakota saddle brand makes stellar western saddles. The variations that occur in tree types, riggings, stirrups, and accessories are primarily responsible for the variations. Top quality handcrafted Western saddles. Andrew stayed as foreman and manger, bought to shop around 1909 and ran it til his death in 1936. Ted has fine-tuned the process of fitting the horse and rider to ensure that both are as comfortable as possible. MEET THE MAKER. His professional education, wide experience in the saddlery industry, and personal experience as a horseman give him insight not available to others who are less adept in one or more of these areas. All of these options are INCLUDED in our base pricethe options that are cost additionally are tooling, silver, leather lined, inset swell, and other specialty high end custom treatments. If the saddle fits the horse properly they will be happy. Read learned saddlemaking beginning at the age of 17 working for Cornish & Walton in Ogden Utah during the 1870s. We still individually inspect each hide delivered to our shop. For me, a saddle WAS a saddle . Thanks for your comment. Located in the United States, they make quality handcrafted saddles that are often budget-friendly. In 1986, Tom and Charon struck out on their own, establishing the Caldwell Saddle Company in Toccoa, Georgia. Avoid: Buffalo, Double T, any saddle made in Asia or Mexico. shop in Phoenix with clientele in Tucson and southern Arizona serviced by a traveling sales wagon. Keiths philosophy is to be absolutely certain we produce a saddle that works for both rider and horse. Whether in the arena or out on the ranch, the Cowhorse All Around saddle features a versatile design ideal for the cow horse, cutting, roping and ranch versatility events. We carry Quarter horse bar saddles, gaited saddles, draft saddles, mule saddles, custom tack to match your saddle and much, much more in our online tack shop! Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm Friday 9am -4pm CST. Caldwell Saddles and tack are geared to the working horse and rider: cutters, reiners, barrel racers, team penners, and ropers, etc. In 1868, James Keyston began Keyston Bros. James began making whips and lashes in the stable of his father's home on Church Street in San Francisco. PleaseDO NOTpurchase one of these saddles expecting to receive a true Caldwell Saddle! We realize some saddle shops specialize in a particular style or type of saddle, such as ranch, reining, roping, or cutting. They have owned reining and cutting horses for 25 years. Jan 16, 2020 - Explore FX Saddle Co.'s board "Saddle Maker's Marks", followed by 1,003 people on Pinterest. But i will go to bed tonight with more knowledge about those pieces of art.. Hi Pierre. We will occasionally have a customer who will request that we build their saddle using skirting leather in a thinner or heavier than normal thickness. In 1936 he returned to Furstnow's, but left again to work at Miles City Saddlery, and later returned again to Furstnow's. Editor's note: The Tucson Porter maker's mark above definitely looks like "N. Porter Co.", 1918 custom-made No.4 saddle by Miles City Saddlery. This company is loved by many big-time horse riders such as 4-Time NFR Qualifier Barrel Racer Clinician Sharon Camarillo. 10999 Persia Rd We will personally work with you during each step in the construction process to ensure the best possible fit for your horse resulting in a saddle you will enjoy! This is a Miles City #8 Bronco or Contest Saddle that originally sold for $66. If it is set fairly high on the saddle it gives the least wrap around the barrel of the horse, requiring the tightest cinching to keep the saddle in place. We specialize in making traditional Wade style saddles, but we offer to make a saddle any way you wantany style, fit to any horse (or mule), and fit to any rider, guaranteedfrom basic to elaborate. NP Medium Ring from $1.87. If you don't see what you want,call or e-mail us chances are we've got it or we can get it. Custom saddlemaker who also ran "Bill Long Saddle School." I also repair most types of leather items and modifications with very reasonable pricing. From the gleaming silver work to the beautiful leather, this saddle is fit for a rodeo queen and king! Contact the saddle's manufacturer for information about the saddle's age. Any time I rode a horse, it was to take a picture of me sitting on a horse. I will try to provide answers to frequently asked questions; if you have a question that has not been answered, please send me an email, or join us on Frecker's Saddlery Facebook page. The saddle was made by W.E. Simco Leather Company, Chattanooga, Tennessee, active 1933 to present. The story is that some people were coming from England to Australia around the 1900s and they brought some sea chests for their journey. Leather Rosettes 10 PK from $8.38. This can be either by making saddles for years or by going through a rigorous saddle making education. A full rigging position is the one that sits furthest forward on the saddle, therefore locates the front cinch closest to the front leg of the horse. Red Ranger Saddlerywas a production saddle maker out of Chattanooga, Tennessee in the 1950s to the 1970s. Please feel free to call (307-587-1200) or email us with any questions you may have. Each saddle is built to order using your measurements. Porter's was frequented both by your average cowboy and a whole string of celebrities. No two are repeated. An angelic Big Horn saddle? Check on the back, the skirts or on a plate underneath the jockey. I really loved the one that is on the photo here. You can find many interesting saddles from the Reinsman saddle brand. What would be your top choice out of these 5 that has the best bang for the buck? The types include barrel racing, cutting, ranching, reining, roping, cutting, trail, show, and more. Perhaps I can also send this to a friend of mine who owns a couple horses. When he died in 1926, he left the company to his employees. This is affected by the horses withers, shape of their back, slope of the shoulder, etc.) Love it. See more ideas about makers mark, saddle, saddles. Our products are divided into several areas of interest. Arena Saddles. On a single rigged saddle, with only one cinch, in order to more nearly equalize the downward pull of the cinch, front to rear, a or center fire rigging position might be used. Western Saddle Styles. Pam Cordier shared a picture of J.L. For several years the saddle-making went dormant. The pieces of the rigging have edges that restrict stirrup freedom of movement. . Gall Salve for Horses. We offer assorted tack items such as western headstalls, split reins, Mecate reins, halter bridle combos, rear cinches and breastcollars. Take your Bob's Custom Saddle to the Ranch Horse pen because we are Ranch Versatility. Each saddle receiving some amount of tooling is treated to an individually drawn pattern that is a one of a kind. During this period, the cattle range started closing up and there was a corresponding decline in the need for saddles. Please allow 10 - 12 weeks to build your Custom Saddle. The pieces can be precut because they are adaptable to all seat sizes and tree configurations. Want lightweight? Meet our custom saddle makers, office managers and members of the Out West Saddlery family of Colorado. $15.00. Or a unique Billy Cook saddle? Gainesville is just across the Red River from Oklahoma. If the Dakota saddle brand is loved for one thing by me, it would be their agreeable prices. J.G. Crutcher Sonora, Texas William Elmo Crutcher was born in 1871 and died in 1952. However, the Circle Y saddle brand also makes other necessary products for western riding. The stitching forms pockets around the ends of the tree bars front and rear, and the flat plate itself is fastened by screws and nails into the bars. This could mean the brands I saw depicted the period that was showcased in the movies I watched; or a lack of interest in the saddles brands. They made the pony saddle below. Porter.". I enjoy watching my favorite actor Mike Douglas jump on his horse with his saddles special brand, or the Bonanza family riding on their special horses with their brand of saddles. Build times can fluctuate greatly throughout the year, so be sure to ask at the time of your build. In later years, they bought out several other companies and became the largest manufacturer of saddles and harness on the Pacific Coast. By the early 1900s, they had set up. LJ's Saddlery. Her experience as a horsewoman, her training as an engineer, her artist's eye for detail, and her experiences with the "problem horses" combine to give her great insight into the proper design, fit, and function of the equipment associated with riding. We enjoy incorporating tasteful amounts of silver on a customers saddle. If they don't meet our demands, we won't use them. Shop Western Tack, Double Diamond Halters, 5 Star Saddle Pads, and Horsemanship Flags available at Bitterroot Saddle Company! He sold his business to his employees in 1917 and it continued till 1957. In the 1930s, Harold moved to Tucson and set-up a brick and mortar store, strictly saddlery, on Congress Street. Some of their best include saddles for barrel racing, Cordura, reining, roping, show, trail and training. Build times vary with the seasons and how busy we are. This saddle making brand produces many different western saddles. "Any order shipped within a month of its due date is considered timely.". An example of the need to be selective is in having to cut the pieces for the stirrup leathers from a location in a hide based on an entirely different set of qualities than those for the swell cover. Western saddles are usually available in five tree sizes ranging from 5 inches for a pony up to 8 inches for a draft horse. Some makers try to include various little flaps of leather here and there to minimize the problem, but this is just a coverup of the underlying problem. William N. Porter was a saddlemaker in Phoenix 1950s-1960s. Being comfortable while knowing your horse is comfortable makes your trail riding experience so much more enjoyable. Ariat Boots and Belts. By using high-quality materials, your saddle wont wear out quickly or fall apart; ensuring that it lasts for many happy horse rides with your horse. What started as a steel manufacturing project evolved into full-on saddle making by 1998. I do custom unique leather tattoo carvings, saddle cleaqning and leather sealing and polishing. If you don't see what you want. Thank you for your comment. Custom Breast Collars wait time: 5 weeks, YES, wait times and all in-stock saddles are CURRENT today and updated to-the-minute. His brother W.S. Big Horn Gaited Saddle Review High Quality, New Saddles, Big Horn Cordura Saddles Lightweight, Affordable and Easy to Clean, Big Horn Arabian Saddle Review The Saddle That Keeps Your Horses Withers In Mind, Used Billy Cook Saddles Great Saddle, Fraction of the Price, Billy Cook Team Roping Saddles Review How Saddle Fit Affects Your Roping. ", Frank Bregenzer made saddles in Rifle Colorado from 1908 to 1925. Even the best raw materials must be incorporated into a saddle correctly to produce a high quality finished product. Well, that's what we've done. Over the years, we have added more information that will help you understand more about what we do. They are American-made, premium handcrafted, and beautiful! A FQH bar is going to be at least 7" and made to fit a more mutton withered horse. Neither do we wish to throw too much detail toward a person who may be unfamiliar with saddle terminology or construction specifics. (All saddles have one place where they tend to want to sit on a given horse. The tannery had a fire in 1981 which closed it down. The company changed hands a number of times and Carl Wilson closed the saddle shop in 1982. Ernst and his family moved to Sheridan, Wyoming in 1900 where he worked at several jobs including making saddles for George Parmeter. It is made on a Coggshall's Improved Roundup Tree and has a 15" swell. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. This web site is designed to help you get to know us, as well as to find what you need, along with the DVD we now offer to show a lot of what this site discusses. Customers find the lines of the seat, jockeys, rigging, skirts, fenders, and other components all in proportion in size and flow and therefore very pleasing to the eye. Custom design your own work of art from our many models and options, or scroll down for "in-stock" models that are ready to go! With that little touch of black. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Look for the manufacturer's name and logo to be stamped in plain sight on the saddle. All our Saddles are Custom Made to Your Specifications. Vintage and Antique Saddles. We encourage that, since it lets us watch a smile spread from their seat to their face when they sit in their new saddle for the first time. Ted feels that Dale Harwood and HorseShoe Brand (Jeremiah Watt) are the best choices for rigging and uses them exclusively. Our Ranch Versatility saddles offer the same great ride and performance you've come to expect in a Bob's Custom Saddle, specially designed for the Ranch Riding, Ranch Trail, Ranch on the Rail and Versatility Ranch Horse events. These arent saddles stapled together on a production line in parts unknown. The Billy Cook saddle company has an endless amount of products that you can choose from. If the pieces are of high quality in material and workmanship, we can, in most cases, mount the pieces for them. Around 1903, Coleman sold the shop to Bernie Alexander. Only 2 left in stock. show saddles, do not always use the rear cinch since it may not be needed) will generally be found using a full, or rigging position. Starting with the foundation: to maintain the consistency and quality of our saddle fit, we have stayed with the same quality tree manufacturer since day one.