Western Saddle Gallery

VINTAGE SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKERY
Nancy from Iowa
Another wonderful vintage saddle of unknown heritage; most probably dating back to pre-1930. Nancy bought it used from a neighbor who had purchased it used 30+ years earlier. She paid $300 for two saddles, and miscellaneous tack and split it with a friend who took the other saddle. I'd say she got a real bargain. Nancy tells us that it is well made and heavy, with supple leather. She finds it to be well balanced and and a great fit for her horse.

VINTAGE RT FRAZIER SADDLE
Donna from Michigan
Donna bought this handsome saddle in 2011 from a man who said it belonged to his Grandmother. It has a 13" seat and a bear trap style pommel and high cantle. It's stamped in several places with the RT Fraizer logo. RT Frazier was a very successfull saddlemaker in Colorado from around 1880 into the 1930's. In 1917 he was the largest producer of stock saddles in the US.

VINTAGE TRAIL SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Amanda from New Hampshire
Amanda just bought this saddle for $100 from someone who wasn't using it. There isn't a makers mark, but it does have some numbers. It's in excellent condition and Amanda says it's a great fit for her and her horse. The style and fancy buck stitching probably places it in the 1960's. I think Amanda got a great deal on a classic saddle.

VINTAGE TRAIL SADDLE
Susan from New York
This solid trail saddle holds a saddle mark of "AA," but Susan hasn't been able to find any information on a maker with that mark. It has the look of a 1960's-era saddle with fancy buck stitching and full floral tooling. It's a heavy, substantial saddle with a wide tree.

O.N. ROMNEY RANCH SADDLE
Tammy from Washington
Tammy got this saddle from a family member a few years back, but hasn't been able to find out anything about the maker. The saddle has a mark that says Colonia Dublan Mex, which was an old mormon settlement in Mexico. Could it be that the maker might be related to presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney?  Whoever, the maker, it's a well made saddle with a high back, oversize swells, and large rounded fenders.  It has a brass horn and brass hardware. Top Notch.

VINTAGE STOCK SADDLE
Susan from New York
Susan picked up this handsome vintage stock saddle from a barn sale in upstate New York. She cleaned and oiled it and brought it back to life. Everything is in tack and the leather is quite supple. Pretty amazing for a saddle of this age that was stored in a barn.

VINTAGE MEXICAN RANCH SADDLE
Marshall from Texas
This is Marshall's personal saddle and has no maker's mark. Marshall explained: "Most all the northern Mexican ranch saddles are made from mesquite trees, the seat is fairly small, leather covered horns, swells and hi-backed cantels. Usually have small saddle bags made into the saddle for worm-medicine bottles, etc."

VINTAGE TEXTAN PACKER SADDLE
Marshall from Texas
Another one of Marshall's Packer saddles made for the WWI military by several different makers. This saddle was made by the famous TexTan Saddlery of Yoakum, Texas.

VINTAGE MEXICAN CHARRO SADDLE
Marshall from Texas
Marshall bought this saddle from a dealer some years back and estimates it dates from the 1940's. It has seen many miles but is still in solid shape. The large Mexican-style horn is wrapped with black rubber for dallying.

VINTAGE MEXICAN RANCH SADDLE
Marshall from Texas

Another great example of a Mexican Ranch saddle from around the 1940's. These were true "working" saddles.

VINTAGE MILIARY PACKER SADDLE
Marshall from Texas
Marshall tells us that this interesting vintage saddle is a U.S. Military Packer saddle from around 1917. The These saddles are relatively rare and Marshall has managed to aquire six of them. They are handsome saddles.

VINTAGE MEXICAN CHARRO SADDLE
Marshall from Texas
This interesting saddle is a Mexican-style western saddle commonly known as a Charoro saddle, and was designed for a female. Marshall believes it dates from the 1930's and wasfound in the tack room of a Mexican ranch that his father bought in 1956. The horn has inlaid tiny pieces of wood, probably mesquite.

VINTAGE BRONCO TRAIL SADDLE
Connie from Minnesota
Connie bought this saddle 18 years ago at a tack shop in North Dakota. The only marking she can find on it is "Bronco" and a number. We haven't heard of Bronco before. It could possibly be a Canadian brand. The saddle looks similar in style to the 1960's/1970's Simco trail saddles.

VINTAGE FRAZIER PUEBLO SADDLE
Lauren from Idaho
Lauren's dad has had this saddle for as long as she can remember.  It's a beauty. Frazier's (originally (S.C. Gallup & Frazier Saddlery) was formed in the 1880's in Pueblo, Colorado. Their trademark was a steer, which appears on this saddle and their tagline was "Builder of the Famous Pueblo Saddle." Frazier was a savvy marketer who made the brand famous. In 1917 Frazier Saddlery was the largest producer of stock saddles in the US. The Saddlery closed in 1958.

VINTAGE VISALIA RANCH SADDLE
Steve from California
A gorgeous photo of a gorgeous classic saddle. This is Steve's Grandfather's Visalia Stock Saddle No. 158 with the famous 3B fork made around 1920.  Steve's grandfather was a rancher in the Arroyo Seco area of the Salinas Valley and this saddle was recently restored for display in our home

VINTAGE HAMLEY PARADE SADDLE
Belynda from Georgia
Belinda belives that this fancy Hamley saddle is a parade saddle (has attached saddle bags and lots of bling) and from what Hamley says it is one of the first 100 saddle they ever made but due to a fire the exact number cannot be determined.  It was made for a man named Orville Adams and purchased from a farm in Iowa. It certainly is an unusual Hamley saddle, that's for sure.

CLAIR (MULLIN) KEHRBERG RANCH SADDLE
Clair from Oregon
Another beautiful custom saddle from Clair Kehrberg (formerly Mullin). Clair builds a fine saddle. I'm a bit partial as I love a slick fork ranch saddle. Just seems what a western saddle was meant to be ... and there's just no better ride.

TRAIL/PLEASURE SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Rachel from Wisconsin
Rachel bought this saddle in an auction about 15 years ago for $200. She hasn't been able to find a maker's mark or brand on it. The saddle, unfortunately, ended up being too big for her.

CUSTOM SHANE MARTIN CUTTING SADDLE
Shane from Australia
This handsome cutter is just the third saddle Shane has ever made. With some past leathercraft experience, Shane jumped into saddlemaking using "The Stohlman Encyclopedia of Saddle Making." This saddle was completely handmade with Hermann Oak leather, hand tooled and hand stitched.

CUSTOM GORDON ANDRUS SADDLE
Jeff from Idaho
This beautiful custom saddle is the work of Gordon Andrus and his Sage Creek Saddle Co., located in Cody, Wyoming. Andrus is a wonderful artisan and craftsman, and makes a darn good riding saddle.

VINTAGE BOB MARS SADDLE
Kristina from ?
Custom working saddle made by the Bob Mars Stockman Saddle Shop in Amarillo, Texas in 1954 for a Texas ranch manager. The current owner of this saddle has a copy of the actual bill of sale and a description by the saddlemaker.

CUSTOM JOSEPH VRANA SADDLE
Gail from Michigan
Custom made by Joseph Vrana of Vrana's Saddle Shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Gail's uncle had it custom made for her in 1968 when she rode his Saddlebred filly. When her uncle sold the horse, the saddle went with her. Several years later Gail was able to purchase back the horse and the saddle too. Later she sold the saddle and it now lives on in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

CUSTOM NORTHERN RANGE COWBOY GEAR WADE SADDLE
Roger from Wyoming
This very handsome saddle was made by "Northern Range Cowboy Gear" in Billings Montana.  It's made on a Bill Bean, wade tree, 3/4 flat plate in skirt double rigging.  The half flower and half baske carving is beautiful and the seat is inlaid into the fork which makes for a smooth classy look.  Although it's almost too good looking to ride Roger plans on using it. 

DAKOTA BARREL SADDLE
Therese from Sweden

Therese bought this saddle used in 1994 in a Western tack store in Stockholm and sold it in 2010 after 16 years of use. She rode her warmblood trotter and young Nordsvensk trotter in the saddle.

VINTAGE RED RANGER TRAIL SADDLE
Jenna from Pennsylvania
Jenna picked this nice trail saddle up on the Internet five years ago. Red Ranger was a production saddle company operating in Tennesse in the 1950's and 1960's. Jenna likes the comfortable 17" seat and matching breastcollar and backstrap. And, as Jenna mentioned, the nostalgic look of buckstitich is popular with lovers of mid-century style.

CUSTOM REESE MARCEAUX RANCH SADDLE
Reese from Louisiana
Reese built this fully tooled handsome ranch saddle with King box stamp and barb wire border for Sweetlake Ranch for the 20 year anniversary of ranch hand Stanley Broussard. It is built on a Sunny Felkins Association tree. Reese used Seigal of California leather, 7/8 plate rigging, custom-made Bork bronze dees, and Campbell conchos, buckles, and cantle plate. Don Orrell custom-made the red cedar stirrups.

BUCKSTITCH TRAIL SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Ron from Holland
Ron submitted this saddle with no information, so can't tell you much about it other than it's a relatively recent saddle and is of the pleasure/trail type.