How to Make an Indian Saddle Tree

Native Americans did not typically use saddles. Most often, the men would ride their horses bareback for both hunting and warfare. However, there were occasions when they would use a packing saddle. In the latter part of the 1800s, saddles became more common amongst Native American tribes. Even though men did not use saddles, it was a sign of prestige and honor for a woman to have a well-made and beautifully decorated saddle. Women spent a great deal of time making their saddle beautiful and decorated them lavishly. An essential part of any saddle is the saddle tree. It is the frame on which the rest of the saddle is built. Without a sturdy saddle tree, any saddle is fragile and essentially worse than useless, because it can actually pose a danger to the rider. This article will give you some details on how to build a saddle tree for an Indian saddle

Things You'll Need

  • Flexible wood, pine or willow
  • Wood glue
  • Leather
  • Rawhide
  • Leather straps
  • Decorating materials
  • Drill
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Sketch out a design of the saddle you want to create. You do not have to be an artist for this step, just have the ability to draw a basic shape with some details to help you stay on track with your original idea.

    • 2

      Measure the back of the horse that you intend to wear the saddle. Measure from the withers to the loin and from the withers to the middle of the girth area. Be sure and write these down and keep them handy.

    • 3

      Mark these measurements and cut your wood into slats. They should be no more than 4 inches wide.

    • 4

      Soak the wood for 24 hours to make it more flexible for the shaping process. After 24 hours, bend the wood into your saddle tree shape and mark where the slats cross one another.

    • 5

      Drill a hole through the ends of the slats where they line up together, and secure these with leather straps and glue. You will need to do this one piece at a time, and one side at a time, in order to make sure that the saddle is being bent and aligned properly.

    • 6

      Allow the saddle tree to dry and harden for at least 72 hours.

    • 7

      Wrap your wood in wet rawhide and sew it on tightly with leather straps. Allow it to dry for another 72 hours, during which the rawhide will tighten as it dries, providing even more stability to your saddle tree.