Re: Saddle Rigging

["AJ's Classical Gas" <ajsgas@imt.net>]

Lauren Horn Wrote: 
>
>I like english style girths with buckles. If I found a saddle with
>western rigging (cinch), is there any way to re-rig it to use buckles?
>
You sure can Lauren, I did this with a light weight western saddle for my
daughter.  We even did the unthinkable and cut off the horn and capped it
with a leather rosette.  We had the whole saddle taken apart and all the
rigging checked for security, then off the cinch rings on the saddle we had
a single inch and a half billet put on, it now buckles onto a western style
buckle cinch.  I cinches very quickly and is very secure.  We also had him
take the fenders off the original leathers and replace them with heavy duty
one inch leathers to which we reattached the fenders (much lighter weight)
and now we can use safety irons on the saddle for my daughters safety.  One
draw back is the 4-H people don't like this....they aren't sure that this
should be used in 4-H equitation classes, as it might not be safe without
the horn..... and those stirrups?1?!?  :-) 
Anne Kennedy & Horses
(Dyskrete, Stuffy, Hadia and Tifla)

Jim Kennedy, AJ's Classical Gas
(Yellowstone Park Buses, White Trucks, parts and NOS)