Blevins Buckles

The length of stirrup leathers are adjusted with the use of “quick change” buckles on most modern saddles. The old timers had to struggle with leather laces that made changing the lengths for different riders a real chore.

The most popular quick change buckle is the Blevins buckle. The Blevins buckle has a leather-covered sleeve with one or two metal pegs (horizontal or vertical) that insert into corresponding holes on the leathers. The holes must be positioned exactly the same on both leathers to ensure balance between the two. The buckle should be positioned so that it falls between the rider’s ankle and knee, which provides the best comfort and movement.

Blevins buckles are a saddle part that needs checking and periodic replacement as the leather sleeve can wear. When purchasing replacements, make sure you match them to your existing ones, as Blevins buckles come in different sizes and layouts.

Stirrup Leathers: Full or Half?

The stirrup leathers are long straps that attach the stirrups to the saddle tree.

Traditionally stirrup leathers have always been “full,” meaning the straps went from the tree all the way down to the stirrups. It is another layer of leather under the fender.

This style makes for the strongest and most durable construction. It will limit the amount of stretching caused by getting on and off and from standing in your stirrups as ropers do.

The drawback is that full stirrup leathers add quite a bit of bulk under the rider’s leg and interfere with close contact with the horse. “Half” leathers were designed to solve this problem.

Half leathers go only from the tree to the top of the fender. The bottom of the fender is then extended to create the bottom of the leathers for attaching the stirrup. This design eliminates that layer of leather under the fender.

You’ll typically find the half leather style in close contact saddles such as reiners and cutters, but they’re becoming increasingly popular with all around and trail/pleasure saddles for their comfort and lighter weight. You’ll still see most roping and ranch saddles with full leathers.

When you have a custom saddle built, this is one of the choices you get to made. I had half leathers put on my custom wade saddle to minimize the bulk on what is a relatively wide saddle. They work great for me.