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A Saddler's Life. Eighteenth-century saddlers furnished to order hunt saddles, postilion saddles, racing saddles, sidesaddles, and also all sorts of what was called "horse furniture". They offered harnesses, bridles, girths, surcingles, brushes, curry combs, and sponges. 
In the main, a saddler's raw material was steerhide. His primary tools were the crescent-bladed round knife, the pricking iron, and the wooden-handled stitching awl. Like today, the colonial saddler used two steel needles to stitch his pieces with waxed flax cord. Customers often required decoration of their harness, so the saddler also needed a talent for ornamentation. 
Saddles were built on a wooden tree, tailored to the customer's measurements and those of his mount. The tree was strengthened with iron plates and fitted with hardware to secure the stirrup leathers. Harnesses were sewn from strips of leather cut on the premises and mounted with rings, bits, and buckles from the founder and the blacksmith. Saddling at our shows. As in years gone past, a saddler at a Living Heritage Craft Show will demonstrate the true art of this fascinating skill. |
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