Today I have several saddles for you that feature some of the newest in fashion. Stingray skin! I understand that stingray skin is super grippy and can see why it is used on seats. The thing I don't get is why people feel the need to dye it funky colors. I Googled "stingray saddle" and was appalled at the plethora of Tacky! Some that I found, like any fad, were quite lovely, take these for example...
This one wouldn't be bad at all if it didn't have the tacky crystal conchos all over it.
From here it only gets scarier. Protective eye wear may be wise. I had no idea when I did a search the sheer amounts of Tacky this would achieve.
EEEEEEEEEEEK!! Big scary zebra print!
Tiger striped and crystals and conchos with crystals!!
More zebra stripes and crystals!
Spiderman? Really?
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AAAAAAH!!! PINK tiger stripes and RHINESTONES!!
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Look!! Here is a chart with all the scary colors you can get a seat in from Double J Saddlery! (Though, I confess, the leopard print one kinda appeals to me for some strange reason.)
Well maybe in a gazillion years they will be somewhat of a collectors item. I call it Revenge for Steve Irwin.
ReplyDeletewtf....why do people feel the need to wear animal print? Wasn't that shit in the 70's and 80's? All retro isn't in style.
ReplyDeleteWow, that top one looks like it would be REALLY uncomfortable to ride. The stirups are almost behind the seat. My hips hurt just looking at it.
ReplyDeleteThat first saddle is quite lovely....but I am with Paul: move the stirrups forward several inches, for those of us with creaky old-lady hips/knees....slap that spiderweb seat on it....and I'd be good to go.....LOL.
ReplyDeleteI could do the cheetah seat, too....on the 5th one down, but silver corner plates instead of the print.
If you search in crafts on eBay, there are a lot of stingray hides on there....including a giraffe print, and everyone's favorite.....camo.
Stingray is great because it's grippy and extremely supple without having to oil it. It lasts forever and makes a pretty boot. I can see why they'd want to use it on seats. But the patterns...aye-yai-yai. That spiderweb takes the cake.
ReplyDeleteI have to be hoenst, though--I really like the two-tone browns of the first zebra-print saddle. Make the zebra areas a solid shade of brown or black to compliment the two-tones and I think you'd have a really gorgeous saddle.
String ray skin? How long before these become endangered?
ReplyDeletewalks off shaking head---
sagebeasties.blogspot.com
The thing I can't get passed on sting ray saddles is that the little white diamond looks like a cooter.
ReplyDeleteEw.
my sister and I were at a tack store that had saddles with seats like these and the seat felt like bumpy plastic. We tried em and they were slippery as snot on a door knob. I hope those were not the sting ray hide cus like I said very slippery. Perhaps bad imposters?
ReplyDeleteUmmm... actully stingray is suposto be slippery... thats why they use it on roping saddles so that the 'cowboys' can get out faster... I learned that from a saddle maker at Congress
ReplyDeleteTails (or whips/barbs) are an extension of the spine. I think that *diamond* is the place where a stingray's tail exits the body.
ReplyDeleteI even found a pink camo-dyed one in my searching....EEEk.....
So.....are they grippy???
Or slick as snot???
Since it's processed like (cow) leather.....I would assume you could put whatever finish you wanted on it??? (suede as opposed to glove???)
If it is so slippery, why use it on barrel saddles? Most of the barrel racers I see are hanging onto the saddle horn for dear life on a suede seated saddle.
ReplyDeleteNow, before you jump me, I have also seen many that CAN ride and don't need to hang on. And don't feed me the lines about having to hang on to help the horse, blah blah blah. They barrel race in other countries in ENGLISH saddles, and I used to use an Aussie with no horn (best barrel saddle ever!). So there.
Still. The diamond looks like a cooter spot! LOL.
ReplyDeleteSome hang on but not for dear life! My best friend puts her outside hand on the horn when she comes around a barrel so she can sit her butt down in the seat better and it keeps that hand from messing with the reins.
Uh-oh. I'm a hypocrite. Leather I'm good with. Mermaids and stingrays make me uneasy when used in saddles.
ReplyDeleteI confess I have an odd attraction to the Spiderman saddle. Who knew Spiderman rode horses??
And I'm dying to know who on earth went deep sea fishing, accidentally caught a stingray, and said: "Blech...not tasty...I know...I'll get it tanned and have it made into a custom saddle!"