catkin
Well-Known Member
Sorry if this seems a bit of a daft question - but if you don't know and don't ask you never find out
What is the reasoning and mechanics behind the different shapes of buckle guards on short girth-billet saddles? (I know what they DO
.....)
On my older saddles the buckle guards are long, are attached at the top of the straps by the webbing and cover the whole of the holed bit (I like these - very easy to quickly alter the girth from up-top and seem to allow the girth straps to nestle into place even on rotund natives who can be a bit hard to fit)
A new saddle I have (well, new-to-me, but doubt if it's more than a couple of years old) has small buckle guards threaded onto the leather strap bits themselves. Personally I'm finding this a bit of a faff after the older style - the straps 'fix' the distance so there isn't the 'settling' of the girth and I keep getting the things in the wrong place on the strap so they don't always cover the buckle. (my temporary fix until I get them replaced by the longer versions is to loop 'em onto the spare strap only which is a bit better - until I drop one in the mud of course)
Is there a reason for this design that I'm missing?
What is the reasoning and mechanics behind the different shapes of buckle guards on short girth-billet saddles? (I know what they DO
.....)On my older saddles the buckle guards are long, are attached at the top of the straps by the webbing and cover the whole of the holed bit (I like these - very easy to quickly alter the girth from up-top and seem to allow the girth straps to nestle into place even on rotund natives who can be a bit hard to fit)
A new saddle I have (well, new-to-me, but doubt if it's more than a couple of years old) has small buckle guards threaded onto the leather strap bits themselves. Personally I'm finding this a bit of a faff after the older style - the straps 'fix' the distance so there isn't the 'settling' of the girth and I keep getting the things in the wrong place on the strap so they don't always cover the buckle. (my temporary fix until I get them replaced by the longer versions is to loop 'em onto the spare strap only which is a bit better - until I drop one in the mud of course
)Is there a reason for this design that I'm missing?
They can make a right mess of them particularly if they're thin flaps to start with so if you treasure your saddles please always use buckle guards.