Considering a DIY saddle...Possible journal.

secuono

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Ordered this tree-
https://www.ralide.com/product/model-1450/
products-d_28.jpg

5 3/4inch gullet, smallest I could find that still was a 14 inch seat. I'm hoping the rock & twist will match or be close to my pony, but it can't be any worse than all the others I've tried/bought...Right?...Ugh.
If its terrible, it'll be resold.

Anywho, I'll be dressing it up skeleton style. So just the bare essentials with my English leathers & irons for further weight trimming & leg contact.

This is an example of a skeleton rigged saddle-
500x500_images_catalog_image179.jpg


If anyone else has done this, please share!

I'm currently looking at 2 finished saddles that are supposed to be 5.5". If I like one of them, I'll buy it, have it shipped and pray that it fits. If not, I'll be even more poor, until it sells.
 
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greybeard

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Have you looked into Mexican type saddles? The ones I see at the Plaza de Toros Guadalarajara and the
charreada Cala de Caballo events aren't much more than bare trees, but they do all have a huge pommel.
 

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Emailed the company, since they didn't send me a confirmation email nor a ship date.
Got an email back minutes later. Bizarre. Since all my previous emails they never replied to...
Anywho, she said it should ship by the end of the week, slow company. Or maybe Amazon prime has ruined me, lol.
 

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Just ordered a few things for this project.
Back cinch, straps + connector strap.
Four 3" dees, for the front and rear cinch connections.
Cinch strap + off billet strap.

Got padding measured & cut out. Pondering if its possible to glue them to the tree or have them built into the saddle pad instead. It seems saddle makers think its best to use a pad.
Working on figuring out the straps on the tree that will have D rings.

Drew up a quick picture of an idea I have, but still researching other methods that involve no screws/nails.
20181204_182317.jpg

After I taped the felt panels to the bars, I retested fit, then hopped on to get a feel. He was being an arse to the younger gelding, but nothing slid, so that's good. Was able to hop off w/o the tree tumbling off right after me. *phew*
 
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