Our Readers Are Craftsmen, Too

I’m discovering that a number of our readers are quite talented craftsmen in their own right. We thought it would be fun to share their work with you from time to time.

Michael Greschny is a painter and jeweler from France who is very interested in western saddles. He sent this photo of some beautiful fish-themed silver conchos that he’s made.  You can also visit Michael’s website.

 

I shared with Michael that one of my favorite silversmiths is Jeremiah Watt. Jeremiah is a wonderful saddle maker, too. He has a great blog where he goes into detail on the saddlemaking and silver cratsmanship process. Check him out:

Jeremiah’s website
Jeremiah’s Blog

 

Used Saddle Pick of the Week: 16″ Circle Y Arabian Saddle

The "Used Saddle Pick of the Week" 
Every week we scour the Internet searching for a particularly juicy bargain on a high quality used western saddle and feature it here on the WSG Saddle Blog. The saddles featured are listed for sale on ebay as of the date of the post.

The Western Saddle Guide is not the seller of the saddles featured and does not make any representations about them. We encourage all potential buyers to do their own due diligence on the seller and the saddle before purchasing.

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Well, the buyer of last week’s "Used Saddle Pick of the Week" got a very juicy bargain. The Mint Condition 15" Hereford Tex Tan saddle sold for only $456! That’s a great buy and the saddle will be a great ride.

This week, we’re looking at an older Circle Y that has seen some use, but is still a great saddle. Don’t tell the folks at Circle Y I said this, but the older Circly Y’s are much better quality than the newer Circle Y’s. You can pick up some great saddles by looking for Circle Y’s from ten or more years ago.

This week’s saddle is a 16" Arabian saddle with some style. The saddle is fully silver-laced, which you don’t see much these days. The finish is a handsome dark oil and the leather is in good condition, but there are some worn areas such as a tear on the horn. (The seller is very upfront on the condition of the saddle, so definitely read through their description.)

The "Buy it Now" price is $589 with the starting bid at only $299. If you have an Arab or a horse with Arab-type conformation (wide, short, flat back, and withers with a flat pitch), this is a saddle you’ll want to check out.

We present The Saddle Blog’s "Used Saddle Pick of the Week":

Used 16" Circle Y Arabian Saddle

 

Coming Soon: Saddle Maker and Saddle Company Directories

We frequently are asked for the names and contact information of certain saddle companies and for custom saddle makers. In response, we’re in the process of developing a Directory of Saddle Companies and a Directory of Custom Saddle Makers.

These two directories should be valuable resources to western riding enthusiasts, and the most complete listings available.

There is no cost for a basic listing in either directory. The only requirement is that the company or saddle maker must be an actual producer of saddles. No retailers please (A retailer directory is on the drawing board for the future.) We hope to launch the Saddle Company and Saddle Maker directories in early March.

To submit a saddle maker or saddle company, complete the form for the applicable directory:

Saddle Company Directory Entry Form

Saddle Maker Directory Form