Home About Us Why Hand Made? New Saddles Repairs Restoration Customisation Accessories Tooling Designs Saddle Components Photographs Price List Recommendations Contact Us

Why Hand Made In this section we try to point out some of the problems involved in buying a saddle off the shelf and the problems commonly encountered with mass produced saddles and finally explain why our saddles could solve your problems Volume saddle manufacturers in order to be competitive have to produce saddles cost effectively and with labour and material costs always increasing short cuts are inevitable - at the top end of the market quality is maintained but most mass produced saddles have little regard for horse or rider With a mass produced saddle its only when you get the saddle home and try it out do find out whether the saddle fits the horse and the amount of comfort it offers to the rider - this is the major disadvantage of buying a saddle off the shelf To ensure volume and control cost most manufactured saddles are machine sewn - machine sewing is not as durable as hand sewing. However machine sewing is acceptable on many parts of a saddle but the critical areas of the horn and cantle bindings inevitably cause problems. Machine sewn horn and cantle bindings will not have filler leathers anchored to the tree - in time when the glue breaks down both horn and cantle bindings will become loose Next to the tree the most important part of the saddle is the rigging - lift the seat leather at the front - is it solidly screwed on? Are there any lug straps holding the skirts tight up against the bars? We have seen riggings which have only been stapled !! Lift rear jockeys - are there any lug straps holding the skirt tight up to the bars? Turn the saddle up and inspect the lining - is it genuine heavy sheepskin or a cheaper synthetic material? Most decorative designs on mass produced saddles are pressed into the leather under extreme pressure - this compression damages the fibres of the leather and retards oil penetration. Also it is not unusual for the pattern to be out of alignment to the outer edges thus spoiling symmetry Some manufacturers only lacquer leather for a smarter initial appearance but once lacquered the leather can't be oiled. The leather becomes hard and dry - fender legs treated this way have been known to break off when a stirrup was twisted around to set it in a proper position Be it plain or ornate a properly built saddle on a quality fitted tree will survive the rigours of most riders. Unlike other saddle designs the North American Western Saddle was designed not only to carry the rider but to do a multitude of jobs - be it roping, pack carrying etc A good tree is of little value if it is poorly rigged - the rigging must be properly installed so that it is securely anchored to the tree and the leather must be heavy and firm. A good saddle should withstand long periods of rain, freezing cold or blistering heat without affecting its usability Celtic Western Saddles are hand made to the highest standards using only the best materials - our saddles will more than meet the requirements outlined above - if you have any queries please do not hesitate to get in touch as we will always try to give the best possible advice and try to clear the grey areas that tend to exist regarding western saddles