Western Saddle Gallery

VINTAGE E.F. HUTCHINGS SADDLE
Dennis from Arizona
This saddle is a real dandy. Made around the 1880's by Canadian saddle maker, E.F. Hutchings for the original Mounties. E.F. Hutchings would later merge his business with others to form the the Great West Saddlery Co., which became the largest saddlery firm in the British empire through the first quarter of the 20th century. This saddle is in great shape for it's age and has a deserved place on display in Dennis' home.

VINTAGE CAYUSE CHIEFTAIN SADDLE
Megan from Washington
Little is known about this unusual saddle other than a maker's mark of "Cayuse Chieftain Saddle" stamped on it. Megan has had it for a year and bought it from an old cowboy at the Packwood, Washington flea market for $100. Megan has it hanging in her home as decoration. Never leaving the family this one. I think this is one for Western Horseman Magazine's "What is it Worth?" feature.

VINTAGE PLEASURE SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Lydia from British Columbia, Canada
This handsome vintage saddle (thought to be from the 1950's) was purchased and wonderfully restored by Lydia and her husband. Unfortunately, there are no marks to identify the maker. Lydia reports that it's a super comfortable ride. A wonderful representation of pleasure saddles of that era.

1977 SIMCO SALINAS CHAMPION SHOW SADDLE
Jennifer from Cambridgeshire, England
This saddle was purchased new in 1977 from a Western Shop in London, England for £350 amd Jennifer purchased it for the same amount from the family of the original owner in 2010. It fits every horse Jennifer has put it on and she still rides it today. Simcos from this period were well made and made to last. The saddle came with a matching breast collar, headstall, reins, saddle bags and a nifty 'pistol' snaffle bit.

VINTAGE HAMLEY BRONC SADDLE
John from Utah
This was John's grandfather's saddle and was known as a Bronc Style. He ordered it in 1928 for approximately $95, which was significant money back then. John's grandfater made his living  raising horses for the Cavalry and also sold cattle. This was an everyday work saddle for over sixty years and is still in beautiful and usable condition. John shares that he is, understandably, very proud to know own it. A wonderful family heirloom, and very good example of how quality saddles will last forever.

VINTAGE FRED MUELLER RANCH SADDLE
Bill from Kansas
This classic Fred Mueller saddle was found in an old barn in rough condition. Three months of hard refurbishing with small brushes brought it back to all it's glory. (To see the "before" picture, check it out on our Facebook page.) Fred Mueller had a saddlery and full-service shop for the cowboy in Denver, Colorado in the late 1800's/early 1900's. He sold hi shop in 1917 and it continued in operation until 1957. Fred Mueller saddles wer known as sturdy and dependable saddles. This one is a fine representation of those qualities.

SHOW SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Kati from California
Kati tells us that this show saddle has only been riden in about two dozen times by the original owner and has been stored well in a protected area since 1990.  The saddle has a 17 inch suede padded seat, acorn tooling, a dark oil finish, and silver conchos and horn plate. The saddle doesn't carry a maker's mark, but has the look of a number of makers from the 60's-80's such as Simco.

CUSTOM KEN DOOLEY RANCH SADDLE
Ken from Washington
Ken tells us that he taught himself to build saddles and the saddle pictured here is his first one. We'd say that's a darn nice job for his first go. The saddle is made on a Sid Special tree by Bowden saddle tree company and has a 16" seat, quarter horse bars, basket weave tooling and a natural oil finish. The saddle fits Ken's Paint horse perfectly and is comfortable to boot. Nice job, Ken.

VINTAGE AL STOHLMAN TRAIL SADDLE
Cindy from California
This is a handsome saddle made by Al Stohlman. Stohlman was a talented saddle maker and leather craftsman (1940's-80's), but became even more well known for his books on leathercraft and saddlemaking, most notably, The Stohlman Encyclopedia of Saddle Making (Vols 1-4). Cindy has spotted an illustration of a saddle that looks remarkably similar to this one in one of Stohlman's books.

VINTAGE BRONCO TRAIL SADDLE
Will from Idaho
Will picked up this saddle, together with another saddle and some other tack, for $80. Quite the bargain hunter. The man selling it shared that he had bought it used in 1962. Many a mile on this saddle great old. Will is working on restoring it.

VINTAGE HIGHBACK SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Tom from Texas
This is a very handsome antique saddle and a wonderful example of the highback loop seat style. Tom bought this saddle several years ago and had new fleece added and some leather work done.  There's a bit of cracking, but the leather is still supple.  Tom reports that it is a comfortable ride.

VINTAGE RHOADES SADDLE
Cindy from California
This is a wonderful vintage saddle by Roy Rhoades of Kansas City, Missouri who worked in the 1920's-30's. In 1931-32, Rhoades worked for the famous spur maker, Oscar Crockett, and made all the saddles in the Crockett catalog. It's unclear whether this saddle was made during that period, but probably isn't as it carries the Rhoades mark and not the Crockett. Either way, it's a beaut. Cindy tells us that the saddle is owned by a gentleman who's mother bought it from the maker himself.

ROCKING R CUTTING SADDLE
Nick from Minnesota
This is Nick's brand spanking new custom cutting saddle from Rocking R. Nick reports that it is probably one of the most comfortable saddle he's ever ridden.

VINTAGE PORTER SADDLE
Andrew from ??
This is a great old Porter saddle. Andrew describes it as single rigged with iron rings, and floral tooling in the skirting.

ROCKING R BARREL SADDLE
Nick from Minnesota
Nick shared this very light oil Rocking R barrel racing saddle that appears to be brand spanking new. Its flame pattern gives it some pizzazz for the competiton arena.

VINTAGE BEAR TRAP SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Paige from Texas
Paige came across this saddle, priced in the $200 range, in an antique shop. It doesn't carry a maker's mark, so the maker remains unknown. Paige feels it has an RT Frazier look to it. The small seat and bear trap swells indicate that it was probably designed for colt breaking/bronc riding.

VINTAGE EDLEBROCK & SON RANCH SADDLE
John from Texas
John tells us that this great old saddle belonged to his great grandfather, John Bassett, of Dallas County, Texas.  Mr. Bassett was a cattle buyer in North Texas. Joseph Edlebrock started his saddle shop in Fort Worth in 1876 and his son joined him in the 1890's. They sold in the 1940's to Atkins & Boothman and the saddlery changed hands several more times after that.

CUSTOM ROSS MILLER LADY WADE SADDLE
Ross from Montana
This beauty was made by Ross Miller of Dillon, Montana. It is a Ray Hunt Lady Wade with a pumpkin in-laid padded 15" seat with carved buck rolls, featuring a pumpkin welt to match the in-laid seat, and a pumpkin Mule hide horn wrap. Some lady just got herself one beautiful, well-crafted saddle.

CUSTOM GRETCHEN JOHNSTON RANCH SADDLE
Gretchen from Oregon
This solid saddle is from Gretchen Johnston of Vernonia, Oregon. Greatchen has been making saddles since 1999 and was taught by our good friend, Saddle maker and teacher, Dusty Johnson. Dusty's Pleasant Valley Saddlemaking School has turned out quite a few handy saddle makers in it's time. Gretchen's hallmark is a strong, comfortable saddle.

POSSIBLE STOHLMAN TRAIL SADDLE
Angela from Indiana
Angela acquired this saddle after a friend, who had it for 30 years, passed away. Angela has been told that it's a Stohlman but there is no makers mark, so the origins are in dispute. Stohlman saddles usually carried a very prominent mark. Either way, it's a very handsome saddle with a fascinating hand-tooled pioneer theme.

Al Stohlman was a leather craftsman and the author of numerous leatherworking books that are still in use today, including his most well known - "Stohlman's Encyclopedia of Saddle Making."

VINTAGE G.W. GRAVES SADDLE CO. SADDLE
Grant from Tennessee
Grant picked up this very nice old saddle about 10 years ago in a trade for some wood carvings. Nice trade. Little is known about this maker other than it was located in Plainsview, Texas. Square skirts were common on Texas saddles. It looks to have gotten a lot of use and stood up to the task.

VINTAGE N. PORTER SADDLE
Nina from Montana
Nina's dad bought this saddle for her mom, early in their marriage. While her mom swears it's the most comfortable saddle in the world, Nina's backside complains after being in it less than 10 minutes. Different strokes for different folks. Newton Porter opened his first saddlery in 1875 in Texas, but later moved to Phoenix and established the famed N. Poter Saddle and Harness Co. in 1895. The company is still family-run and in business today.

VINTAGE MILES CITY SADDLERY SADDLE
Nina from Montana
Nina's descripton of this saddle: "The Miles City Saddle, isn't a bad ride, if you're not over 5'7" with shortish legs. It's pretty high and narrow in the tree, so probably wouldn't fit a modern QH, but I'm sure it would fit my arab fairly nicely." Miles City Saddlery was founded in 1901 in Miles City, Montana by buying out the E.E. Coggshall Saddlery and the rights to use the famous Coggshall brand on their saddles. The saddlery part of the operation was sold off in 1962, but revived in 1997.

VINTAGE FRED MUELLER BEAR TRAP SADDLE
Nina from Montana
This great old saddle from a storied maker was given to Nina by her uncle. Fred Mueller opened his shop in Denver in 1891 and the shop wasn't closed until 1957. Nina's uncle used to use the saddle for starting and training horses and Nina has carried on that tradition. She says she has yet to find a horse that could separate her rear from this saddle. And Nina reports that it's a comfortable saddle to boot.

GREAT WEST SADDLE CO. TRAIL SADDLE
Clayton from Alberta, Canada
Clayton just picked up this handsome, solid saddle and knows it to be at leat 30 years old. Great West is a Canadian saddlery based in Calgary that had it's beginnings in the late 1800's.

VINTAGE TRAIL SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Jim from Texas
Jim has had this saddle for about a year. Prior to that, it had been stored in a barn for 70 years. The tooling on the saddle consists of a design commonly thought of as a swastika. But that design has origns that go back as far as ancient Greece and Rome and was a popular symbol used by indians of the southwest. I'd bet that the saddle comes from these native American roots. Jim believed the saddle is from around 1890 to 1910, and that looks to be a good guess.

JOHN P. CHUMBLEY PARADE SADDLE
Cyndi from Massachusetts
There's little information available about this maker. Cindy has traced him to Colorado. But despite his lack of renown, Cindy shares that this is an extremely well made saddle.

VINTAGE PACKER SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
Jim from Texas
Jim bought this saddle off ebay for $300. That's a great bargain. There are no maker's marks on the saddle, only the number "142" and an "X." Jim feels this saddle is likely an early 1900 Packer saddle, but does not carry any military markings. Packer saddles were used in the military by those responsible for taking care of the of the "pack train." and typically combined elements of the McClellan military saddle and a traditional stock saddle.

VINTAGE AJ SALIZAR SADDLE
Justin from Misourri
Justin recently bought this handsome saddle that carries the maker's mark "lapopular AJ salazar  Hermosillo." Nothing on AJ Salazar can be found, but the saddle is obviously of Mexican origin and hails from the city of Hermosillo located in northwestern Mexico. The saddle is well crafted with attractive tooling and is still in great riding shape.

VINTAGE KC SADDLERY PACKER SADDLE
Bill from Arizona
Bill bought this handsome saddle in 2011 for $1100 and has ridden it regularly. The saddle carries the date of 1917 and the makers mark of the KC Saddlery Co. of Kansas City, Missouri. Bill tells us that this type of saddle was made for military use, but was used primarily by those soldiers in charge of the remuda or a herd of cattle. That is why they have a horn and the skirting, different from typical military saddles of this period.

VINTAGE SADDLE FROM UNKNOWN MAKER
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.