This afternoon I picked up two saddles, a bridle with a good D-ring snaffle, an old, but good saddle pad, and a rifle scabbard, for $380.

I have been looking for a saddle to take on the big ride, because it doesn’t look like I’ll get the repairs to my Hamley finished in time. I have been shopping for good used saddles, because I don’t want a squeeky-new saddle to break in on the trail. Not only that, since I am operating on somewhat of a budget, I can buy a very good used saddle, even if it’s a little beat-up, for less than I can buy a very poor new saddle, not to mention a good one. I had already called on a couple saddles advertised for sale in the northern Utah area, that were priced in the $650-850 range, and was tempted on a couple in the $1100-1500 range. The problem I always ran into was that they were either Full-Quarter Horse bar saddles, or Regular-Quarter Horse saddles, both of which would be too wide for my high-withered, narrow backed fox trotters. I needed a saddle with a gullet width of about 6″ and a fairly tall gullet.

When I came across an ad for two saddles for $400, under 100 miles away, I took a closer look. Although the ad didn’t give many specifics, other than that one was old and one was in good condition, and that they were 15″ seats, one photograph showed the gullets of both saddles, and I could see right away that they were not the usual QH bar saddles. I called on them and the seller agreed to meet me halfway, up on Soldier Summit.

When I arrived at the designated meeting place, I was met by a man in his seventies, who greeted me with a smile. He opened his camper shell window and tailgate and slid the saddles back to where I could take a look at them. He said he had kept them around for a long time, thinking he would buy another horse, but has finally conceded that he never will. So they were for sale.

I could see right off that the newer saddle was in very good condition. The only thing detracting from its value was a large “44” carved into the stirrup sweat leathers. This one was won by somebody at a show or rodeo. The leather was in great shape, as was the skirting and fleece.  I checked under the front jockey and was pleased to find a rawhide-covered wood tree bar. Recognizing that this saddle alone was worth pretty much what he was asking for the whole shootin’ match, I stopped inspecting this one and turned my attention to the older saddle.

This saddle was probably 75 years old and in need of some pretty extensive repair to the leather work. The seller apologetically showed me some rodent damage to the seat jockey and other parts that he hadn’t seen before he put them in his pickup. The mice have chewed a large part out of the lower part of the seat jockey, chewed off the corner of the right front jockey, chewed off the end of the cincha keeper, and chewed off a couple of saddle strings. There are scars on the pommel as well. Additionally, the leather straps all need to be changed out and the cantle binding was coming loose. However, this saddle, too, was built on a rawhide-covered wood tree that is very solid. The rawhide appears to be in very good shape. I Couldn’t find a maker’s mark, but it is a very well-made ranch/working saddle. It’s just in poor condition.

On the bright side, the seller had the skirting fleece replaced professionally a few years ago, so it’s in great shape. The seller said he was told it might be a Hamley, but I have a Hamley and I don’t believe this is one. I figured I could do the repair work to turn this back into a good riding saddle.

I inspected the bridle and found it has a usable pair of braided para-cord reins as well as a good egg-butt D-ring snaffle. The bridle needs oil, but is in good shape.

The saddle pad has some rodent damage in one place, but in fact it is still a good pad – wool blanket over a foam insert and wool-felt pad. The saddle scabbard is in rough shape and coming unstitched at the seams, but the leather is good and re-stitching it will take me an evening at most.

After looking the old saddle over and over, I offered the seller $350. He thought a few seconds and countered with $375. I smiled and told him I didn’t have a $5, so I’d give him $380 for bundle. He smiled again and we shook hands.

This evening, when I had a little time, I inspected both saddles a little closer. I had looked pretty well at the older saddle and learned nothing new this evening, except that the stirrup leathers are still in good condition and might be used on my Hamley saddle in a pinch. I also like the old-style tin-covered wood Ox-Bow stirrups. They are also in good, usable condition. The fleece has been replaced, but was done by a professional who did good work, but wasn’t too concerned about looks. He could have done a nicer job. This saddle needs a lot of work, but will be a good, solid saddle when I’m done. I’ll probably replace some leather and sell it to make back the purchase price of the deal.

The newer saddle is in very good condition, made by the Utahn Saddle Company (I found the maker’s mark on the latigo keeper), that once billed itself as “The saddle maker’s saddle maker”. The company is gone now, but once was a good saddle maker out of Vernal, Utah. This saddle is a cutter, and has a broad set of swells, almost like a “form-fitter” tree, 4″ cantle, padded seat, wide Cheyeand wide, cutter-style covered stirrups.

The tree, as I mentioned, is rawhide-covered wood and is very solid and heavy. It came with a very nice mohair-blend cincha and a nice flank strap. The fleece is in excellent condition and is a thick, premium-style fleece. The leather is in very nice condition, but needs a little cleaning and oiling. This is a very solid and good saddle. I figure this saddle alone is worth about double what I paid for the whole bundle, even in its current condition.

Both saddles measure what would equate to “Semi-QH bars” and gullet width, so they will fit well on my fox trotters, with their tall withers and narrow backs.

Can’t wait to get the Utahn saddle on my horses. I think that’s the one I will be taking on my big pack trip.

It was a good day.