Here’s a procedure that I’ve incorporated in my saddle building: an inexpensive laser that has a cross beam that allows me to be very precise when installing my riggings. It is absolutely critical that the rigging be symmetrical, otherwise the saddle will want to ‘rack’ on the back of the horse especially in gaits faster […]
The Timetable and the Timeless
From the novel based on his life experiences, “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts: “But its most sublime beauty, it seemed to me, was found in the cathedral interiors. There, the limitations of function met the ambitions of art, as the timetable and the timeless commanded equal respect.” Roberts was describing his observations of the Victoria […]
Thoughts for Today
Reflecting on the many conversations with such great craftsmen/artists this past week in Oklahoma City at the annual Cowboy Crossings exhibit and sale, I was reminded of a quote that is credited to James Michener: “The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his […]
Big Fender
This is a 23 inch fender that is 10 1/4″ wide. I use a wider pattern for tall customers so that the fender width looks balanced against the longer length. Most of my customers these days are folks that I don’t have the luxury of meeting face to face to write the order. I rely […]
Therapy
This is a common view of my shop. There is some music on the Bose, a couple dogs for company, morning sun streaming in, and a fender to flower carve in front of me. Life is pretty good when you’re blessed with work that is also your therapy. The saddle I am working on here […]
Alone Again, Naturally
I grew up on a farm in Idaho before all this fooforaw we have now. You know, cell phones, endless choices of television channels to choose from, etc. Looking back, it seemed like a lot of time was spent entertaining myself when I wasn’t helping out on the farm. One of my favorite past times […]
Beaver Tail Bucking Rolls
It was about 1987, and I was trying to gain traction with my saddlemaking business with a main street location in Salmon, Idaho. I’d become acquainted with a local rancher who was related to an old timer in the area by the name of Sid Williams. Sid had been a mink rancher and did some […]
Wood Post Swell Fork
This is a nice letter from a customer: Dear Cary, After speaking with you the other day, I thought a lot about our conversations over the past couple years. When I first talked to you I thought maybe I was looking for something similar to a cutting saddle that I could rope on, and that somehow evolved […]
The Classic Halfbreed on a Swell Fork
The halfbreed saddle has become a classic over the last twenty years or so. Most of the ones I’ve made have been on a Wade tree. This was a nice exception…it is a Lewellyn tree made by Warren Wright. The front (fork) is thirteen inches wide and is covered without a seam. I’ve taken extra […]
2012 TCAA Saddle
I hadn’t considered making a miniature saddle until a couple years ago. This is my recently completed saddle for the 2012 ‘Cowboy Crossings’ exhibit opening at the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City. Several months ago I was visiting with my mentor Chuck Stormes about half scale saddles. We agreed that a common mistake is […]