Here is the Saddleseat prototype! It isn’t pretty, that’s for sure, but I know know how everything will fit together. I didn’t make a girth, add stirrups, or anything “extra” since this is my first time trying out the pattern. One of the biggest errors I see is that I need to make a long skirt longer.

Today was cut out and dye day.
I use tooling calf leather. I like it better than the out right tooling leather. The tooling calf leather is more flexible.

And this is my favorite tool to thin leather with.

The Saddleseat pattern is finished and read to be tried out!

At the Ride For Pride Show, I noticed that there was one performance class that didn’t get alot of entries. That was Saddleseat, the gaited horse class. Now Saddleseat tack really isn’t made to be used in any other class. It’s made exclusively for the gaited horse class, unless you have a really really creative explanation to use it in something else. Saddleseat really isn’t on the top list of diverse types of tack.
So I’m going to try to enter into a “smaller” type of performance class to see how my tack fares. Yup, I’m going to attempt to make a Saddleseat set.
Google images is like a tack catalog so I got plenty of pictures of all the different views of the saddle. It has much straighter flaps than a Huntseat saddle.
 I drew and used multiple drawings and cut outs to get it right. That’s the patience part of tack making. Get the paper drawing right so that no leather is wasted.  Better to waste paper than leather!

I only have the top flat and skirt done, but so far is looks like it could be a saddle!