Catalog Saddles

Here are 3 different Catalog saddles, all from the year 1892. These were the type of sidesaddle marketed in the United States, as the name states via mail order. They were mass produced to keep the prices low and although interesting and unique, they lacked the durability and safety features of other higher quality Western sidesaddle (like the Good Night Saddle... but that will be another post!)

Let's compare.

This one is classically Western. You can see the rimmed seat and the nail heads along with the leather tooling. Sadly there is no leaping head.

This one too has beautiful leather tooling and a much deeper seat, but again - no leaping head.

Here is the classic Victorian ladies saddle. It has the carpet seat, the slipper stirrup and an overall very feminine appearance. This model does have the leaping head. You have to wonder how some of these saddles survived at all though. I am sure that cloth seat was easily damaged, either by wear, the elements, weather or infestation!

This is a catalog saddle belonging to Angelina Fuoco. She purchased it from Sidesaddle Heaven. A friend of Angelina's helped to restore this saddle by fiber glassing the tree, putting an entirely new western rigging and saddle rings on it. She tried to sell it but then her 4-H kids wanted to learn to ride aside. Angelina decided to keep it.

She told me, "It is a very solid little saddle and now it fits the kids well and is very balanced so I don't worry about them learning to lean or it slipping."

Great West Saddle

Michelle Chauncey was kind enough to share this interesting Western sidesaddle with us:


This is a 1903 Great West saddlery saddle. Made in Calgary, NWT (now Alberta). Western rigged with an offside purse and narrow pommels.

Goodnight saddle built by Great West Saddlery Company of Calgary, North West Territories. This company, the largest harness and saddle-making company in the West at the turn of the 20th century, made many of the saddles used by western ranchers of the period as well as the Canadian Mounties. The saddlery stamps on the corners of the original skirting date the saddle to between 1902 and 1903. It was model number "25".

19" long seat measured from the front of the upright pommel to the rear of the seat. The seat measures 15" wide. The saddle has the typical double skirts with border tooling and a very nice off side purse. The rigging rings are leather covered with the exception of the ring under the purse, which is not visible.


This saddle has wonderfully supple brown leather with some light crazing to the surface in spots. It has been professionally cleaned and re-conditioned. The leaping head has light scuffing. The fixed head has a small tear at the end, but nothing that would affect the ability to ride in the saddle. The seat is smooth leather and quite supple. The flat seat allows a more athletic riding style than the inexpensive, bowl-shaped catalog saddles of the same era.

The saddle uses a metal side saddle stirrup and recently had the stirrup strap replaced. The skirts and underside have been refleeced with real shearling and hand sewn into the original stitching holes.

The tree is a medium wide fit measuring 7 inches in the gullet. This allows a nice, stable fit on broader horses than many older side saddles! This saddle is a real find, and a part of history!

NO EXCUSES!

Most ladies believe that riding aside is elegant and charming - a wonderful reflection of the past... They are right...BUT - that does not mean that you cannot ride sidesaddle in any discipline. Yesterday I posted some beautiful hand crafted Western sidesaddles and here is another one...


















..Well, here are some inspiring pictures for all of us! There is NO reason why we cannot enjoy our sidesaddles outside of the show ring and in the confines of a costume.



















Now ~ Let's all go TRAIL RIDING!!!

For my Western Girls...

...some real eye candy for you! A big thank you goes out to both Jessica Parker and Shannon Granger for sending me these beautiful pictures. These are new sidesaddles made by:
http://www.skyhorse.com
http://www.tattersallssidesaddles.com

A Western Sidesaddle To Drool For...

Wow!!! The tooling...the design.... the leather! ...and what do you suppose the hook is for on the off side of the saddle?? Maybe to carry a rope?

Western Style Sidesaddle Fashions

Sidesaddle - Western!

Here is a collection of Western Sidesaddles. Some are obviously (even to a novice person) Western. This one has quite a bit of silver details...what a beautiful show saddle!

This one has just a bit of silver!

Love the offside pocket on this one.

This one could have fooled me when I first starting learning about riding aside..but it is indeed a Western Saddle.

Love the beautiful tooling on this one.