Saddle Gallery - Antique Saddles

VINTAGE GREAT WESTERN SADDLE COMPANY SADDLE
Bunny from Manitoba, Canada
Bunny Eastveld is a master restorer or antique saddles and has done a wonderful job with this beauty.  Bunny dates the saddle around 1850-1890. It has a wooden horn, Mother Hubbard Skirts, and a really high (6") cantle, and over-leathers on the fenders.  It's what the old timers call a "beartrap" saddle. Bunny has this saddle in shape for riding.

VINTAGE PARADE SADDLE
Rhoda from ?
This flashy saddle from an unknown saddle maker was given to Rhoda years ago. Her grandson used it for a while for 4H.

VINTAGE SHOELKOPF SADDLE
Bernardo from California
Bernardo bought this handsome high-back saddle from an antique dealer years ago and knows little about it unfortunately.

HOPE TEXAS STYLE SADDLE
Betty from Georgia
This is a wonderful Hope Texas style saddle which which originated in Texas and was popular around the 1850's in the west. This saddle is on display now as it's a bit fragile, but I'm sure it has traveled many miles and would have great stories to tell.

VINTAGE SPANISH SADDLE
Nick from New York
This saddle was purchased in Spain and is thought to be around 60 or 70 years old. It's a hand-crafted saddle with beautiful stitching and still very soft and supple leather. The small size indicates that it was designed for a relatively small breed of horse.

VINTAGE D.E. WALKER SADDLE
Melissa from Connecticut
Melissa bought this wonderful D.E. Walker saddle at the famous Farmington, Connecticut outdoor antique show a few years ago. D.E. Walker was one of the original founders of the Visalia Stock Saddle Company in the 1870's. Melissa has a real piece of history here.

VINTAGE 1940's KIRWIN-NEILSON SADDLE
Dannie from Wyoming/Louisiana
Dannie bought this vintage beauty from a friend in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Now that Dannie's hung up her spurs, the saddle is is just for display. That's a little sad as this saddle obvioulsy has many more miles left on it.

VINTAGE SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Amanda from Oregon
Amanda bought this interesting old saddle together with a vintage Tex Tan for $50. She doesn't know a thing about this saddle, but it's obviously had a long working life with a lot of miles. It doesn't show up in this photo, but the saddle came with a burlap cinch. Ouch.

VINTAGE SADDLE FROM GREAT WEST SADDLERY Co.
John from Ontario, Canada
This beauty is from Great West Saddlery Co., a saddlery based in Calgary, Canada that had it's beginnings in the late 1800's and ceased operations in 1931. Shows you what quality means to the life of a saddle. This saddle looks like it's still a great ride today. (I'd replace those obviously non-original saddle strings with strings that more closely match the saddle.)

VINTAGE SADDLE FROM MILES CITY SADDLERY
Dave from North Dakota
This vintage working saddle is a real beauty. Dave has retired it to a place of honor on a custom-made cedar log stand in his living room, but it looks to me like it has many more miles left in it. Miles City (Montana) Saddlery began operation in 1909 and is still in operation today.

VINTAGE TED FLOWERS PARADE SADDLE
Gerry from Ireland
Ted Flowers saddles are always special, but this one is extra special. What a beauty. And doesn't that horse seem to know he's wearing something special? Gerry tells us that the saddle arrived in Ireland 12 years ago and is now on display at Five Oaks Ranch in Ballyshannon.

1957 TEX TAN HEREFORD RANCH SADDLE
Harry from Florida
Herefords seem to last forever ... and just get better with age. Harry nabbed this gem off of ebay for $350 and put another $125 in materials into it. But lets be clear about the quality here - this saddle cost almost $1000 new in 1957. Keep that in mind when you're shopping for saddles today. You have to pay to get quality.

VINTAGE BIG HORN YOUTH SADDLE
Aine from Ireland
Aine picked this little beauty up at a flea market in Illinois for a song and brought it home to Ireland. It's definitely been around the block a bit, but it's a nice example of of a vintage youth saddle.

VINTAGE SADDLE OF FRENCH ARTIST
Michael from France
This beauty is an early 1900 saddle owned by french artist, actor, and director, Joe Hamman. Joe was a friend of William "Bill" Cody and took part in his famous Wild West Shows.

VINTAGE NOLTE OLSON SADDLE
Shawna from California
Shawna found this antique saddle gem at a recent flea market. It's from Nolte-Olson, which was a popular saddle brand in the the mid 1900's.

TED FLOWERS PARADE SADDLES
Saddlemaker Dusty Johnson from Colorado
Ted Flowers created gorgeous parade saddles in his SPOT SHOP located in Alexandria, Indiana. All production ceased in the mid-70's with his death. These saddles are all currently deteriorating due to age. Dusty has fully restored 103 saddles (so far!). These rigs are a true American icon of the golden age of Hollywood.  See more at: www.pvsaddleshop.com Dusty is the author of some of the best books on western saddles Saddle Savvy: A Guide to the Western Saddle and Saddlemaking: Construction and Repair Techniques.

VINTAGE MEXICAN SADDLE
Jasmine from the United Kingdom
Jasmine acquired this saddle in the UK from a friend and, unfortunately, doesn't know much about it. The only clue is the following maker's mark: Juan Galindo Jr.
Fabricante de toda clase de fustes
Los Reyes , Dto. de Texcoco Edo. de Mex. Jasmine says the saddle is very narrow and she has yet to find a horse in the UK that it will fit.

VINTAGE PARADE STYLE SADDLE
Jasmine from the United Kingdom
Jasmine acquired this saddle from the same friend as the Mexican saddle above. Not much known about this saddle either. No maker's mark, but it's obviously an antique. Jasmine's husband reports that it has very early machine-made nuts and bolts on the stirrups.

RANCH/ALL AROUND SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Melissa from Arkansas
This saddle is thought to be around 60 years old and is a great example of a real "using" saddle. This saddle had a job to do, and from the looks of it, did that job well. I bet it's as great a ride today as it was on its first ride.

RANCH/ALL AROUND SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Craig from Australia
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RANCH/ALL AROUND SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Melissa from Arkansas
This saddle is thought to be around 60 years old and is a great example of a real "using" saddle. This saddle had a job to do, and from the looks of it, did that job well. I bet it's as great a ride today as it was on its first ride.

REPRODUCTION OF A 1700s SPANISH COLONIAL SADDLE
C.L. "Lee" Anderson from Arizona
Lee built this beauty to the exact, historically documented specs for this period saddle. It's a wonderful example of a mochilla-style saddle. You can learn more about Lee and the programs he offers at historicaloldwest.org.

VINTAGE LOOP SEAT, HIGH BACK SADDLE
C.L. "Lee" Anderson from Arizona
This beautiful saddle is from the George Lawrence Co. in Portland, OR. It is probably a Lewis and Clark commemorative model made in 1906. Lee fully restored the saddle and rides it daily as an Educational Living History Re-enactor. You can learn more about Lee and the programs he offers at historicaloldwest.org.

VINTAGE MEXICAN-STYLE SADDLE
Linda from California
This is a highly custom saddle with inlaid pearl initials (F.M.) on the horn and a horse head on the fork. Linda picked up this interesting saddle at a swap meet and is looking for any information anyone might have on the saddle. Contact us and we'll pass your comments on to Linda.

VINTAGE HIGH BACK SADDLE
Andrew from California
This high back double rigged saddle is thought to have been made between 1890 and 1910, but doesn't have a maker's mark. It was probably designed as a mule saddle. Notice the nifty pocket beyond the cantle for a map or tool. Andrew has had the saddle for about six years and has used it for mounted hold-up re-enactments and trail rides. It's had a lot of rides, but Andrew confirms tha it's still a fine using saddle.

VINTAGE ARIZONA SADDLERY SADDLE
Denny from Illinois
This wonderful saddle is the work of Arizona Saddlery of Prescott, Arizona which operated from 1918 to 1936. The saddle is in fabulous, ready-to-ride condition. It's such a great example of the quality craftsmanship and artistry of the era that I can understand Denny's decision to put it on display, but I bet it provides one heck of a ride.

VINTAGE HIGH BACK SADDLE
Melissa from Arkansas
This classic beauty was purchased used by Melissa's father in 1939, so it had its start earlier than that. It's not clear who the maker is but there's a worn stamp that appears to be either "TH" or "JH". The saddle has become a bit of an heirloom as Melissa continues to ride in it today and says she hasn't found another saddle that rides as well.

VINTAGE DENVER SADDLE
Amy from Wisconsin
This is a wonderful example of a high-backed saddle by the Denver Mfg. Co., probably from the early 1900's. Amy rides this saddle regularly for both short and long rides. She says she has yet to find a saddle with a better seat. Goes to show you that new-fangled techniques have nothing over old time craftsmanship.

CUSTOM BUCK STEINER SADDLE
Amy from Wisconsin
Custom saddle maker Buck Steiner started Capitol Saddlery in Austin, Texas in 1930. A Buck Steiner saddle was, and is, considered a high quality saddle. Capitol is still in operation today and run by the Steiner family. In addition to making custom tack and boots, Capitol is a full-featured tack store with a gigantic inventory. Amy has this saddle on display in her home.

VINTAGE MONTANA SADDLERY SADDLE
Amy from Wisconsin
There's no markings on this high-backed beauty, but Amy suspects it's from Montana Saddlery, which operated out of Missoula in the first half of the 1900's. Amy's husband rides this saddle regularly. They definitely built them to last.

VINTAGE HAMLEY & CO. SADDLE
Beverly from Florida
Beverly found this classic saddle from the legendary Hamley & Company five years ago in a flea market in West Palm Beach, Florida. This was a real cowboy's working saddle. It has a nickel horn and a high cantle and is in excellent condition. Hamley has identified it as the saddle made in 1931 for cowboy photographer, Howard Wilcox. Beverly has given the saddle a fitting home on display in her living room.