This is a special project saddle that I pecked away at for 6-7 months in-between my regular schedule. A saddle that I've wanted to build for several years. It's built on a Swanke tree with a Lewellyn swell with a #4 dally horn. It's built out of 10 oz skirting and fully lined and stitched with 2-3 oz Hermann Oak. I wanted a fully functional build that was both attractive and versatile to be used hard.
The tooling and flowers are my interpretation of a flower called a Chocolate Cosmo. I rarely draw patterns out on paper, instead choosing to draw directly on my leather, however I took the time to create 2-3 rough drafts for this saddle. I've found that paper is a great tool to establish rough lines and flow but I rarely draw something iron clad. My drawing patterns tend to be rough and scattered, with different colored pencils I've robbed from my children so I can avoid using an eraser. Perhaps the product of a messy mind. I have a wide variety of stamping tools, ranging from Barry King, Lonnie Height, Richard Brooks, antique unmarked stamps, McMillan's and several I've modified for my own purposes. The triangle border tool is a McMillan I found in a box of junk in an antique store.
Round skirts are highly functional for the horse and keeps weight down for the rider. I love the flow and sweep that round skirts can give a saddle if proportioned correctly. The sterling conchos were made by Bev Gilger at Dubois Leather. I've laced up the back of the jockeys with chocolate kangaroo lace that I cut and bevel by hand. The edges are dyed with Feibings Mahogany and the background is Maroon. This saddle has a light oil and Cordovan antique finish. Last but not least the stirrups are a plain Nettles wood stirrup that I sanded and stained with a dark Mahogany to match the overall color scheme.
There's often a perception by the public (and oddly other makers) that rough outs are built for working and tooled saddles for show.
Just because something is beautiful shouldn't mean it isn't made for it's intended purpose. A saddle is first and foremost a tool. No different than a hammer or a drill bit. How it's been decorated has little to do with how it functions. This idea that tooled saddles hide flaws or are less useable than a rough out is laughable to me. Sure it's gotta function well but why can't it be attractive too? Boggles my mind...