Western Saddle Gallery

VINATAGE UNDERCUT SWELL SADDLE
Stephanie from Arizona
This interesting saddle is from an unknown maker with no marks of any kind. Stephanie purchased it for only $200 from someone cleaning out their tack room. It looks to have relatively little wear, but it's styling - the large swells and heavy weight (40lbs) - is from a bygone era. I suspect that it is likely of Mexican orign.

GEORGE LAWRENCE ROPING SADDLE
Anita from Washington
This is a nice vintage saddle (Anita thinks around 1940) from the George C. Lawrence shop of Portland Oregon. It has a 14.5 inch seat and 7/8 rigging. The saddle has been re-furbished with new wool, skirts, fenders, and stirrups. Anita says that although the saddle has seen many hard miles, it has never made a horse or rider sore.

K&B SADDLERY ROPING SADDLE
Mark from Sweden
Mark has had this solid saddle for eight years and it's stood up to some hard use and is still going strong. He's found it to be a great fit for both himself and his warmblood.

CUSTOM WILLEM MUIJS SADDLE
Loes from The Netherlands
Loes had this A-fork saddle built for her three years ago by Willem Muijs. The saddle was named "The Native Saddle" for the Haida figures of the wolf on it. Loes says the saddle is a great fit for both her and his horse.

CUSTOM VAQUERO WESTERNZADELS WADE SADDLE
Louis from The Netherlands
This unique saddle was made by Louis van Kerkhoff of Vauero Westernzadels in the Netherlands. Vaquero is the oldest saddlery in the Netherlands.

CUSTOM MARTIN KOSEL RANCH SADDLE
Martin from Montana
Martin built this handsome dark oil saddle on a bowman wood and rawhide tree. It has a #4 dally horn wrapped in latigo, flat plate rigging in the 7/8ths position, a 16 inch traditional seat and floral carving on parts of the saddle.

CUSTOM EARL TWIST RANCH SADDLE
Colby from Illinois
This handsome and beautifully proportioned saddle is the work of Earl Twist, a Montanan saddle maker of some forty years. We are blessed in Montana with a riches of wonderful saddlemakers such as Earl Twist. Colby had been pining for his very own Earl Twist saddle since he met Earl back in the 1970's. It's a beauty and worth the wait.

VINTAGE RICHARDS & SCHOEN SADDLE
Helene from Sweden
This saddle is a real gem. With a makers mark from the Hawaiian Islands and a date of 1883, it's an unusual saddle. While it's obviously had quite a bit of wear, Helene says it's still a comfortable ride for both horse and rider. She's curious as to how this saddle made it to Sweden by 1940, and so are we. Helene might want to have this saddle appraised by a western collectibles appraiser to determine its value.

CUSTOM BONDO BOB RANCH SADDLE
Bob from Michigan
This custom saddles is styled after the early 1900's saddle designs, with the John Wayne saddle that's in the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma as its inspiration. It features plate rigging, a Texs dally horn and large ornate floral tooling popular in the early 1900's. A handsome "old timers" style saddle.

CUSTOM RON ROSS SLICK FORK SADDLE
Ron from Indiana
This very handsome saddle was created by Ron Ross who has been a professional custome saddle maker for 46 years. I'd say he's definitely gotten the hang of it. The saddle was exhibited at the 2009 International Federation of Leather Guilds Show that was held in Indianapolis in September 2009.  In the Masters Division, it placed first as well as Best of Category.

VINTAGE HAMLEY SADDLE
Ted from Georgia
This saddle is a wonderful representation of the high end of the Hamley brand from about 50 years ago. Ted has the original bill of sale and shares that it was made by Duff Severe when he was still with Hamley, who is the only saddle maker to have his work recognized by the Smithsonian Institute. The saddle is in excellent condition and riding shape.

ROPING SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Jan from New Hampshire
Jan bought this saddle at a yard sale. It doesn't have a maker mark on it other than a number, which is probably a model/serial number. I suspect the maker's mark probably has fallen off at some point. I believe this to be a production saddle and could be from any number of saddle companies. Brings to mind a Blue Ridge saddle, but have no way of knowing for sure.

MARTIN KOSEL CUSTOM RANCH SADDLE
Martin from Montana
This handsome saddle was made by Montanan saddle maker, Martin Kosel. It's a Wade tree saddle built on a wooden/rawhide covered tree and has flat plate rigging in the 7/8ths position.

VINTAGE VANCO RANCH SADDLE
Stan from California
This wonderful high-back saddle was owned by Stan's great uncle; a real family heirloom. The saddle was made by A.A. Van Voorhees Voorhies & Co (their brand was Vanco) in the early 1900's. The saddlery was founded in the 1850's and changed it's name to the Van Voorhees Voorhies-Phinney Co. in the 1920's when they took on a partner. (They had a real flair for company names.) They operated until the 1940's. Stan is conditioning the saddle in preparation for packing for the US Forest Service. It should be a great ride.

VINTAGE STOHLMAN PLEASURE SADDLE
Cindy from California
This interesting saddle was made by prominent leather crafters, Al and Ann Stolhman.  Their saddles are rare as they were more known for their tooling work and craft patterns sold by Tandy Leather. Both have now passed on, so this saddle is a piece of history.

VINTAGE FURSTNOW SADDLERY CO. SADDLE
Roger from Somewhere in the US
Roger says: "This is a Furstnow, model 06 in their #36 catalog that I think came out in 1930 or so.  It's called the Sid Special in the catalog.  According to the information I was given by it's previous owner [I bought it at a local auction], it was originally owned by a cowboy in the Ekalaka country of Montana.  New at that time it cost $85.00 and I bought it for $75.00 and then had my son, who makes and repairs saddles, replace the woolskin and the strings."

CUSTOM PULLIN LEATHER WADE TREE SADDLE
Mark from Alberta, Canada
This custom Wade tree saddle is built on a hand built rawhide tree. Floral carving, stainless bell stirrups, inlaid seat and bucking rolls combine to create a really handsome rig.

VINTAGE SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Shondra from Ohio
This lovely old saddle was given to Shondra by a dear friend who was getting out of horses and into minnies. Someone has told her that they thought the saddle was from around the early 1900's, but nothing is really known about it. Shondra still rides this obviously well built saddle.

VINTAGE SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
David from Belgium
David bought this handsome and interesting vintage saddle from an unknown maker off of ebay.

CUSTOM CORDELL HATCH RANCH SADDLE
Cordell from Idaho
This handsome saddle was was a built by Cordell Hatch for a customer from Utah. It is built on a Bill Bean tree with in-skirt rigging and hand tooled floral carving.

VINTAGE PORTER SADDLE
Jeff from California
This great little saddle was in a package deal with another vintage saddle and miscellaneous tack. Jeff bought the package for $150 as a gift to his wife, not knowing what a find he had. Jeff says it's a comfortable ride but is too small for her so he'll be selling it.

VINTAGE DON BENTLEY SADDLE
Gail from North Carolina
This handsome saddle was made by Oakland, California saddle maker, Don Bently in the 1950's. Gail's understanding is that is was made for Julie Nichols, who road it in parades including the Rose Bowl.