Anybody know anything about these? How to tell if it is vintage or reproduction? Value?




Thanks,
Jason

They make dandy packsaddles...

11 1/2 inch seat, I know I won't be sitting in it.

They fit differant than pleasure saddles. the average size man 5'9" can fit in a 11 1/2 inch saddle.they are designed to fit like a glove, the open center is to keep pressure off your prostate, that is a real problem for men that spend all day on a forced march. that saddle appears to be a McClellan design. it may have a tag on it with his name .There are a lot of chinese made reproductions out that sell new for $300.00 or so they are junk the leather on the repos is thin and cured with Urin.and fit very few horses. there are good repos made in the US but they cost around $900.00 If your saddle looks cheap it is most likley a repo made in china. I have a china repo I can take some pictures of if you like. I bought it for comparsion to the real thing for anyone that wants to know about them.

I don't know for sure,but didn't actual McClellans have US Calvary on them some where if they were used/owned by the calvary.I know harness and headstalls usually had brass hardware on them so marked.

Those saddles were design for the comfort of the horse,not the rider.I never heard about protecting the prostate,although I guess it could be true.Don't know if they even knew about the prostate back then, though I'm no history buff for sure.
I always heard it was to keep the saddle off the horse's spine.

Years ago,I was at an auction at the federal prison in Canyon City,Co and they were auctioning off all the horse drawn and riding stuff they had. Anything with a brass US Calvary button on it went for 3-4 times higher if not.Antique dealers were going crazy.I managed to come away with a set of nonmarked harness

My understanding of the center slop was to facilitate use as a pack saddle, allowing things to be more easily hung on the saddle.

Thanks for all the info.

The leather does not look cheap but, there are no markings or stampings that I could find on it. I told her it was probably a repro and paid accordingly.

They probably were not as informed as we are today about the prostate. but knew if you spent all those years riding a horse all day long that something went wrong between your legs and taking the pressure off in that area prevented it. ask truck drivers about prostate problems.

Don't need to ask anyone,I'm very familiar with the problem as I bet you are too.

About sixty years ago we had a saddle in an old then shed. My father called it an old army saddle. It was made like two short planks on an angle with the gap in the center. Not as well shaped as the picture here. I wondered how anyone could have used it. That would have been long before any reproductions.

Looks like the real McCoy. Where is the rest of it?

Over the years I have owned several...down to just one now. It is a 1904 pattern with a centerfire rigging. Your saddle would have had the same quarter strap rigging.

The hole in the saddle was designed to keep pressure off the horse's spine and some say for cooling. This design allowed for the horse's loss of weight and conformation change that occured on extended campaigns.

I find the saddle comfortable to ride and the rigid deep seat helps keep you in the saddle. The only drawback is the rider is seated more vertically and just to the rear of the horses center of motion.

I only have one horse on the place that the saddle fits properly. Old Bullet.

I cannot have a prostate problem---no prostate anymore..

Here is a repo on my horse Babe. she is a sweetheart TW. I rescued her from an abusive owner..

Gotta love a purple K-State saddle!

Just enlarged the pic. Is it just the lighting?

I believe it is the light conditions that gives the saddle a purple hue in the first picture. Second picture is very accurate.

Both saddles, very very nice.

Hubert.I had mine microwaved.

You microwaved your "saddle"?

Hubert, did you ever feel the need to ride with a surcingle?

Wayne

No the other thing Hubert mentioned. They stick a wire up your ha-ha and turn on the juice.

I knew what you meant.

I found a pic of saddlesore in his younger days on his McClellan saddle. This was just before he switched to mules......can't figure out how to get the pic copied, so ya gotta click the link.

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/civilwar020812/s_c01_09170338.jpg

I think it was at hunting camp, judging by the tent<grin>

Ha, thats pretty funny!don't think its saddlesore, stirrups are way to long.

No,do you mean to just use a surcingle alone or use with the saddle? I have been thinking of getting a Bareback pad with the stirrups to reduce the weight on my horse. but I beleive the weight is distrubated better on the horses back with a saddle than riding bareback and all my weight would be under my boney butt.. what do you all think about bareback riding. my horse is fine with me riding anyway I want.she is neck trained and leg trained.

Yep,except for a little pony way back then, my feet never extend down past the bottom of the rib cage.That guy does look familair though.

I am talking about applying a surcingle over the saddle. Not in favor of bareback riding, however will swing up on a horse now and again for expediency.

Were surcingles issued with the later model Mcclellan's

The 1904 (version I) pattern was the last McClellan with a centerfire rigging and was issued with a surcingle. The rigging was altered with a version II that allowed the quarter straps to be adjusted to move the girth forward, closer to the front leg, about 3-4 inches behind the horse's elbow, thus no surcingle required. But some will question that the quartermaster requirements of later patterns shows there was a surcingle issued. Not true. The item they are referring to is a "cooling strap." Regulations required the trooper to leave the saddle blanket on the horse for a short time after un-saddling. The strap was fastened around the blanket and horse to keep the blanket in place

The only downside to the rigging change that I can decipher is it created more bulk under the rider's leg.

The reason I asked if Hubert rides with a surcingle is his repro saddle and rigging is pre-1904 style that places the girth further from the horse's elbow than it should be for safe riding. The girth needs to be positioned on the horse's heart girth or apply a surcingle.

Here is a write up about sursingles and an intersting web site.

http://cavalryrider.blogspot.com/2009/06/surcingles.html

Thanks guys for all the info. I will have to buy a surcingle to try it.