Old West Saddles, Will Ghormley - Maker, Historically Accurate, Quality

Saddles

For many folks, including myself, the stock saddle of the American West is the highest form of functional art. I can't think of anything that compares with a hand built saddle from the Old West. Maybe it's the way it feels under you as you rock back and forth headin' down the trail. The rhythm of the horse pulses through the solid construction straight into your body, horse saddle and rider are one. I don't want you to think I'm goin' "Zen" on ya' here, but unless you've felt it, you're not going to know what I mean.

I specialize in saddles from the 1800's. You can't hardly get me to build anything else - and I'll tell you why. When men lived in their saddles, the saddles had to be sturdy, comfortable, durable, functional and versatile. The long cattle drives of the 1860's through the 80's pushed saddle development to its limits. The stock saddle had to be adapted to survive over six months of constant use under the harshest conditions and weather extremes without major failure. The saddle had to be built so minor repairs and replacement of worn parts could be done on the trail. You had to be able to fix it with a pocket knife and a rock. These requirements are what developed the stock saddle of the Old West. When the open range was fenced off, and cowboys went from trailing cattle to ranch work, the saddle began to change. In some cases it became specialized for specific ranch tasks, in other cases it just became less. New fashions and trends began to drive saddle construction. For me, this was the decline of the development of the saddle. That's why I've worked so hard to preserve the old ways and the old styles of the American Stock Saddle of the Old West. A saddle just doesn't get any better than that.

I'll be more than happy to build you the specific saddle and matching tack you need. Base price for a plain saddle is usually around tree thousand bucks, depending on the specifics. They can run as high as fifty thousand bucks, as in the case of the reproduction of Roy Rogers' saddle.

On this site, I've included a few of the more interesting saddles I've made, just to give you ideas. Have fun dreamin' of your next saddle.