Has Anyone Used an Old Saddle as a Decoration?

[MyLilShowGirl]

Hi everyone...

I have a really old english saddle, and the tree is not sound enough to sell it as a riding safe saddle....so figured I could keep it and do something with it to make it a conversation piece for in the house. The only problem is, I don't know how to make it happen! Id like to get creative with it.

Does anyone have any ideas??? or has anyone done this with an old saddle that they could share how they did it ..pictures?

Thanks

-Kristin.

 

[A Little Blessing]

I have an old saddle of mine sitting in my living room. I wouldn't dream of altering the saddle at all, but it sits on a nice saddle stand. Maybe buying or building a nice saddle stand would be enough.

 

[Trinity Farms]

I had a friend that used a saddle on a saddle wrack as a magazine holder. She had a wooden saddle wrack with a shelf like thing on the bottom that she put the magazines in. It looked very nice and classic in her room. Are there any other ways?

 

[MyLilShowGirl]

Yes, I could put it on a nice wooden saddle stand ...but was just wondering if there was anything else creative I could do with it.

In my crazy mind I was thinking of hanging it sprawled flat on the wall (might involve breaking the tree?).....but not sure if that is even doable.

If not, I will just do the magazine holder or something

 

[anoki]

I was given an old supposedly Chinese wooden saddle as a gift. I have it hanging flat on the wall in my workshop...though it doesn't have any 'fittings' on it at all.

Why do you say the tree is too bouncy? What type of saddle is it?

Just curious

~kathryn

 

[BBH]

I have seen small pony saddle wehn out grown hung my one stirrup over fireplace.....another friend has a stand made out of old rustic fence posts like bois d'arc Osage orange, with wood varnished and an old saddle hanging on it.....looks like some cowboy just threw his saddle over the fence in her living room.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

I have a old english saddle (hunt) sitting in the living room.I just have it sitting upright, and have a pair of old hunt boots, with a old riding crop stuck into the boots sitting alongside of it. Above it..I have a picture of a 18th century horse standing in a aisleway, (englsih type) waiting to be saddled, and off to the side on the picture is a snaffle bridle and english saddle, all in the hunt theme. The picture just seems to pull it all together. Then I also have old english hunting scene valance for the window, and matching throw pillows. What are you really going after with this saddle, just a decoration piece or to do a room in a theme? Its pretty easy to pull things together for interior decor.

I'm not sure I know what you mean by "too bouncy" your not talking as in posting are you??

Corinne

 

[MyLilShowGirl]

Thanks for all the ideas!

By "too bouncy" I dont mean posting with it, I just mean when you "squeeze" it together to test the soundness of the tree...its too "squishy" to be sound...make sense ?(sorry, sometimes I make my own phrases and expect people to totally get what I am saying

...)? I don't think the tree is broken....just "well used"....as it is quite old!

Anoki,

Hopefully my explanation of what I meant by "bouncy tree" will answer part of your question....and for the rest of your q, it is just a plan old close contact saddle... not even sure of the company it is made by....it looks like it could of been a nice saddle in it's day.

 

[ruffian]

What about putting it on a wooden bar stool? You could probably drill screws in from the bottom into the tree.

 

[anoki]

If you put pressure on the cantle & pommel and it moves a lot (there will be a tiny tiny bit of give on a sound saddle), then the tree is broken or a rivet has let go from one of the springs. Is that how you are testing the tree? Not that it matters, I'm just wondering....I see a lot of saddles come in that people say weird things about!!

But if it is that old, you are probably right in taking it out of work!

I have some ideas on how you can make it flatter (also how you can double check if it is in fact broken or not)...pm me if you like

~kathryn

 

[MyLilShowGirl]

Anoki,

Yes that is how I am testing the tree....I already had it checked, thank you.

Either way, it will still be kept just as a decoration.

 

[luv2ridesaddleseat]

I think that would give me an excuse to buy "Butterscotch" and place the saddle on her!!

 

[funnybunny]

Sometimes we hold a Kentucky Derby Party.

As the "centerpiece" of the table, we use a small English saddle, a helmet covered with a silk cove, a crop, etc.

We serve mint juleps in our silver julep cups.

We have our own wagering system for winning money and prizes.

We watch the Derby and have some fun.

 

[jacks'thunder]

If your taking it out of commission, what about drilling some holes, attaching some brackets and hanging it in a corner! Maybe with a crop and gloves on one side and an old helmet on the other! That actually could be pretty cool looking!

Leya

 

[anoki]

I think that would give me an excuse to buy "Butterscotch" and place the saddle on her!!

ohhhh, now there's a tempting idea!!! LOL

~kathryn

 

[wantminimore]

I have seen small pony saddle wehn out grown hung my one stirrup over fireplace.....another friend has a stand made out of old rustic fence posts like bois d'arc Osage orange, with wood varnished and an old saddle hanging on it.....looks like some cowboy just threw his saddle over the fence in her living room.

Do you have or can you get a pic of the rustic fence the saddle is on? I'd like to see it

 

[BBH]

I don't think I could get a pic, but it was basically two old bois darc fence posts with some othrers cross pcs on a base, coat of varnish/shellac and was supposed to be a quilt or blanket holder......but she put it in the living room with onr of her hubby's saddles on it. There are alot of old bos darc posts around here and they probably got them from some farmer taking down a fence -- this area is getting very urbanized. Does that help......?? I think i remember some old horshoes on it too....