Western saddle help/advice please!

tobiano1984 · 29 January 2013

I've ridden western quite a bit in the past in the US, but never actually bought the tack myself nor can I say I know much about it!

I fancied trying Rupert in western tack as he looks the part and it would be fun just to hack out in it, so I bought a saddle off ebay although I have no idea what it is! To be honest I didn't expect to win it, but I did - and the person selling it inherited it or something and doesn't know anything about the size/age etc. If it doesn't fit Rupert or one of the others I'll just sell it on.

The brand is Texas Tanning, and from a quick search it looks like this brand changed it's name to TexTan in 1940, which would mean this saddle is at least 70 years old...! although it doesn't look it to me. If there are any western tack experts out there, please have a look and let me know if you can shed any light on the brand, or what type of saddle it is - from my limited knowledge it looks like a pleasure/trail saddle..?
Here it is:

and this is who I hope it fits:

Spring Feather · 29 January 2013

The saddle looks to be in very good condition. If I were you I would take it to a saddler and ask them to give it a check over to make sure no leather has rotted away and that the bars are structurally sound. Old saddles like the one you have (if it is indeed that old, I'm not convinced!), in the right circles can be worth a decent amount of money. Textan is a very old saddle company who work out of Yoakum Texas and their saddles are generally well thought of. The company has changed hands many times though so you're unlikely to find out the real age of it. The saddle will have a tag with its number on it and maybe if you search hard enough you can find a bit more info on its year of manufacture.

tobiano1984 · 29 January 2013

Thank you - I haven't actually received it yet, it's on the lorry as I write! Can a normal saddler check it? I don't think there's a western specialist near me.

I didn't think it looks very old, but it's definitely Texas Tanning! Once I have it I'll have a better look at any numbers/details on it. The seller said it's sound and usable, just needs a good oil as it's been in storage. At least it's been stored in a house rather than a shed, so hopefully won't have been damp.

Spring Feather · 29 January 2013

It might be worth your while downloading some pictures of what the inner workings of a western saddle look like just in case the saddler doesn't know how they are put together. I'd think that a regular saddler should be able to track all points on the saddle, even though it is western, and find out if there are any weak points in it.

tobiano1984 · 31 January 2013

Saddle arrived today! Does seem to be pretty old, but in very good condition - to the untrained eye it seems sound. The seat is incredibly hard so I think I'll be investing in a seatsaver if it fits the horse!

Thoughts/comments welcome:

Rhandir · 31 January 2013

The stirrup leathers are not safe to ride in as they are, ie the laces tying them in position. You will need a pair if blevins buckles to link them together properly.