McClellan Saddles

[MBlanchrd@aol.com]

Hi, Campers,

  Forgive me for not remembering who wrote asking about McClellan saddles. One
of my co-workers is a Civil War re-enactor, has his own McClellan and all the
period gear and tack. The one problem I have with his comments is that it's
the ONLY saddle he's ever ridden, and he's never had a formal riding lesson in
his life. He's one of these folks who rides a horse because it's required for
his hobby of re-enacting, not because he has horse in his bones, like us horse
crazies...

  Anyway, I'm translating for him. It sounds as if it's akin to riding an
English saddle western style. He "sits on his back pockets" (in his words) and
his pictures of him in saddle show it. His feet are thrust a little more far
forward then we normally ride. I don't know if this is his style or if it's
the way the stirrup billets are rigged. However his feet are NOT underneath
his hips.

 He says that he's beat after a day in the saddle, but then again, take his
non riding background into account. 
I've seen many "true' McClellans..some have been almost a hundred years old
and still in great shape. HOWEVER...our horses of today are not conformed to
fit a century old saddle style. The real McClellans had narrow trees because
the horses back then had narrow withers, knifeedged backs and flat ribs. An
antique McClellan would hurt a modern horse. No, pads aren't the answer! Fit
the saddle to the horse!

"Modern" style McClellan saddles are available. Look in the back pages of a
Western Horseman magazine..there's ads for them.
'Michelle