Society of the Military Horse

Had to notice - the 'Coca-Cola' sign painted on the roof of the building in the distance...

Yep, it's a little off the topic road, but who knows... Does ANYONE have any reliable published reference to the 'Sante Fe saddle' BEFORE 1939? I've been looking at this for some time, and nearly all the references are from the 1950s and later - except for a single article (yet to be accessed) from ...

Lady astride - how risque!

Well, by 1922, probably not so much, though I'm sure there was some judgey looks from the oldsters.

Note in the QMD specification drawings from 1920 show the measurement being taken from the top of the bit branches. This was ALWAYS the method used to measure 1909 bits, as shown in this Nov 1911 Rock Island specification drawing. It can be a bit confusing as people assume that it refers to the widt...

Here is best shot of those you sent - something was odd with those images so that forum wouldn't post - I'll have to investigate that. This is definitely a Weymouth bit, nearly identical to military bits - although it might be nickel and not steel. However, it is not a military issue bit. Note there...

Guessing it looks a lot like this one: The 'BTC' are contractor marks for 'Bridgeport Tool Company' , iirc , a prominent WW1 US contractor. The 'US' marking shows US military issue, and numeric mark is the size code ( 1 to 4 ). The contractor mark is usually found on the outer surface where the mout...

Many Ordnance Dept and Quartermaster blueprints are available for the '36 equipment set, and perhaps some for the other you mention. I'm curious as to what saddle you are speaking of with the title "Ordnance Model 1916' - there were quite a number of experimental types in that time period, and ...

Common military-style field saddle, probably circa 1920-1940. A photo of the front of the saddle looking at the head might be useful - if there are slot openings, then it might have been a military field saddle that used the 'bayonet'-style pommel bags.

Might be useful to see the back - sometimes the fastening device and any makers mark can help id these.

I don't believe it's US military, as they inevitably have a motto included in their designs. The fleur-de-lis WITHOUT a motto makes me think Pat has a good track.

Steffens supposition isn't supported by his own evidence - and to be truthful, it wasn't even his own assumption! He was trying to find an artifact that was similar to the 1834 drawing example discussed by Stanley J. Olsen, in 1955. [https://www.militaryhorse.org/1833-dragoon-saddle/steffens-dragoo...

Rodent damage is real - sounds like a good solution for collection that doesn't have a 'viewing' requirement. Once you start mixing up certain requirements, like being able to view and handle with preservation and security, then the tradeoffs start. Here's an example of some rodent damage - I can't ...

Here's an example of some museum grade storage solutions that I thought were exceptional.



The conservation of a McClellan Saddle, and a custom mount

This one has puzzled me for quite a long time, and I'm always interested in how others have handled this problem. At one time, I had a number of fairly complete saddles, and just finding a place to keep them was difficult. Too many modern methods are primarily aimed at organizing tack rooms, for 'wo...

Generally speaking, this is a style of 'park saddle' that was popular from 1890s through the 1920s. The Whitman name was a highly recognized brand and used on variety of actual saddle types. The early hard-frame military seats aren't related to this particular saddle - it can be confusing. While it ...

Looks like usual WW1 contractor version - note the brass/bronze stirrup loops. These were made in 1917 and 1918 - most actually made in 1918. The initials 'D B' would most likely be the ordnance dept inspectors. These ordnance department inspectors (typically civilians) were located in the actual pr...

All the more interesting as it looks like he's riding a stock saddle, fitted with hooded stirrups. Looks like a BIG horse too.

Plus these are static poses - this might be an affectation, rather than a reasonable depiction of the person's actual riding form.

Mounted Marines find warm welcome in Emmett

Good to see they're still at it!

Interesting article on the use of the McClellan in Africa. It's still a very popular design and seller there.

https://www.ridinginafrica.com/tack/mcclellan-saddles/

For everyone's information, our old friend Dallas Freeborn passed away on April 8th. Here is one of the published obituaries:

https://www.penwellgabeltopeka.com/Obit ... /Topeka-KS