CELTIC SADDLE - PAGE 2

I tried to find a detailed picture and descriptions of the Welsh dragon as possible, as i wanted it o look as 3D as i could for Bob to get the feel of what i wanted, i mentioned that i wanted the scales and muscle definition on the dragon, and as you can see below, Bob did such a good job and he really captured exactly the detail i was hoping for.

The pic below shows the Prince of Wales Feathers emblem.

Also , one of our Prefix

The lettering has been stamped not like the knotting and the dragon ect which were all drawn and maticulously carved by hand.

And one above of the Daffodils, and below Bob carries on with the rest of the saddle.

Here Bob shows the class he is teaching the stage by stage work involved with my saddle.

The cantle binding consists of six layers of leather and is sewn by hand, using an awl, two blunt point needles and six cord linen thread. I am pushing the awl through the leather.

This picture shows the saddle after the padded seat has been installed and the cantle binding has been sewn.

With a leather bound ring and Knife holder.

With stailess steel covered stirrups and a little more carved detail on the inside of the stirrups, and with the saddle colouring having been applied in layers and worked in.

The matching brestplate.

When i sent a cheque over to Bob for the saddle, he took it into the local bank, who obviously dont see cheques from Wales very often, they asked Bob the story behind the cheque and once told, they were intrigued and asked if after the saddle was completed if they could have the saddle on dislay for a week, for the customers to have a look at it, so with stirrups and conchos left to put on thereafter it duly went to the bank for a weeks display.

Customers in the Bank at Meeker , Colorado looking over the saddle and the short story behind it.

After an exciting wait the saddle arrived, and here it is on one of our horses, there will be ones of it in use very soon,
Ive got to say it was a really good experience from start to finish and im extremely pleased with the saddle, it was a pleasure doing business with Bob and making the accquaintence with both Bob and his wife Anne, i really hope that one day we may get to meet them in person,
If anyone reading this hasnt had the experience they hoped for riding in a western saddle, i hope this article has helped a little in choosing the right one for you and your horse.
Id really like to thank Bob for continuously sending me pictures when requested as he knew i would be putting this piece together, im sure he had better things to do at times, but without his help i wouldnt of been able to do this article in the first place with such detail,and he was very helpful and patient throughout,
I know its been something new for both of us and there is nothing like furthering your horizons and knowledge, no matter what your age and we have both enjoyed it and learnt something from the experience.
Ive given the last word to Bob to end the saddle pages...

Thanks to the internet and e-mail Sue’s saddle is a reality. In this electronic age its no different to work with a customer in my next county or the other side of the world. It is just a matter of e-mailing a written message, photo or even a phone call. With the advent of the digital camera I found it convenient to photograph what I was doing and send it off to Sue so she was abreast of her saddles progress at all times. Her request for a saddle to represent her Celtic ancestry caught me in the dark; I didn’t have a bit of knowledge about Celts, their lives, their ancestry or traditions. It seems that my vocabulary does not contain the word “no” so I never considered a thought like, this isn’t for me, or I do only floral carving, or I can’t do this. Thanks to Sue’s help I found all the help I needed to get a feel for what she requested. Sue’s saddle is different in many ways from what I have traditionally made. It is these little differences that make it ride and look as she wanted it to look while at the same time fitting the horses she rides.

It was a pleasure working with Sue, making her saddle, and expanding my horizons. I look forward to the day that I can come to Wales and meet her and the many fine people in her country.

Bob Klenda,