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1870 - 1880’s HALF
SEAT TEXAS SADDLE – AS USED ON THE EARLY WESTERN
FRONTIER BY CATTLEMEN, HUNTERS AND IMMIGRANTS – A SCARCE
EXAMPLE IN VERY GOOD CONDITION:
This is a scarce example
of a ca. 1870 - 1880’s “Texas Saddle” which has survived
in very nice condition, and it is a striking example of
one of the true stock saddle patterns
ridden by the cattlemen, buffalo hunters and immigrants
in Texas and throughout the Western Frontier. Under
appreciated by modern militaria collectors is the
historical fact that saddles of this style were also
popular with army officers in the West. Being free to
purchase their own horse equipment, more than a few
frontier serving officers were influenced by their
exposure to cattlemen and the hunters pursuing the
buffalo herds, and opted to ride one of the many styles
of saddles popular on the frontier, including the Texas
Saddle.
The famous “Hope”
Saddle, created by the Hope Brothers of Washington
County, Texas in the 1830’s, quickly became a popular
and enduring standard which continued to have
considerable influence the on the characteristics of the
saddles which were developed in the post-Civil War
West. This saddle retains features from that earlier
design while incorporating some of the gradual changes
which began to appear in the 1870’s and would lead to
the prominent features of the saddles which would emerge
from the saddle makers benches in the late 1880’s.
This Texas Saddle
retained the half seat built on a rawhide covered tree.
The front half of the seat, including the horn and the
upper pommel fork, is not covered with finished leather.
The horn still retains a flat, low profile, which had
not yet developed into the higher slender horns designed
for roping which would appear in the 1890’s. The saddle
is fitted with the Samstag rigging with the straps
looped around the horn – a rigging style which became
popular in the mid-1860’s. This saddle features a
second set of girth rings – “double rigged” – a
development which began to be more common on Texas
Saddles after the Civil War. The “double rigging”
provided the additional flank cinch which served to
stabilize the saddle and prevent it from tipping forward
when roping cattle.
The seat retains the
flat unpadded seat, characteristic of the Hope Saddle,
rather than the later seat designs which had a distinct
rising slope up the forks of the pommel. Departing from
the lower cantle on the Hope Saddle, this saddle has a
higher profile “Cheyenne” cantle, which provided a
deeper seat.
The stirrup straps
attach to the tree through slots in the two side bars,
and each strap features free sliding sweat leathers (or
fenders). The stirrup straps are full length, very
strong and appear to be original to the saddle. The two
matching iron stirrups are fitted with leather hoods,
the leather matching that used to dress out the seat of
the saddle. The iron stirrup frames appear to be from
the same period as the balance of the saddle, and would
have been far more durable than wood frame stirrups – an
important consideration when traveling through rough
country long distances from where replacements for a
broken stirrup could be obtained. This pair of stirrups
is very interesting in that they incorporate a feature
which appeared during the Civil War – that is the
leather hoods which have had the center of the front cut
out to allow the rider’s boot to seat deeper in the
stirrup for a more secure purchase on the stirrup
tread. This modification was quite common during the
war and was the result of a narrow tread stirrup being
shrouded in a close fitting hood prevented the rider
from setting his boot deep in the stirrup.
Full square cornered
skirts are attached to the underside of the tree,
protecting the horse from the two large girth rings on
each side. There are smaller jockeys – rounded profile
on the front of the saddle and square cornered behind
the cantle – set over the larger underskirts. There is
a third jockey on each side which spans the space along
side the seat between the front and rear jockeys to
protect the rider’s legs from rubbing against the
stirrup straps. The edges of the jockeys, skirts, and
sweat leathers are stamped with a very simple matching
geometric design.
The rawhide covered tree is strong with no movement or
loosening and the seams of the covering are intact. The
rawhide covering has a beautiful aged color, and is
strong and intact throughout, with the exception of the
rawhide that once covered the horn. The rawhide is
still present around the neck of the horn and under the
rigging straps, but has been worn away above the rigging
– likely the result of the cowboy resting his hands on
the pommel and the friction caused by the dallies he
took with his rope around the neck of the horn. Nothing
more than honest wear and evidence of years tending his
cattle on the open range.
The Sam Stag rigging is fully intact, with strong,
pliable straps and they depend down to the large iron
girthing rings on both sides. The straps are decorated
with silver colored conchos and leather discs.
Full length girthing straps are present on all four
girthing rings.
The leather half seat is
in excellent condition - fully intact with no splits,
tears or weak points, and it retains a bright shiny
smooth surface.
The square cornered
skirts are original to the saddle and have survived in
remarkable condition. While showing the expected
evidence of use that comes with having been ridden over
countless miles, the skirts are full form. The surfaces
of the skirts and jockeys still hold a nice shine, the
border edge stamping is still legible, and the leather
is pliable. Accompanying the saddle is an original
period girth which was attached to the girthing straps
when I acquired the saddle - a nice added value which is
seldom found with these early saddles.
Overall, this Texas Saddle is a
very attractive specimen, and as noted above, this is a
historically accurate representative specimen of the
saddles in use on the frontier in the years following
the Civil War. If subjected to extended use and poor
storage, saddles of this vintage simply did not survive
in significant numbers, and that this one exists in such
high condition is not only remarkable, but it is a rare
opportunity to add a true early Western Frontier saddle
to your collection.
(0826) $1500
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