ground seat

the next steps on the saddle are installing the riggins, the rigs are measures 8 ways from sunday to ensure that they are each dead on accurate both up and down as well as rigging position.

Then the ground seat is installed. I did not get photos of the ground seat process simply because a lot of the ground seat techniques I use have been shown to me by other saddle makers, so the process is not mine to give out to the public. In a couple of the photos you can see the tools used to shave the ground seat as well as a profile gauge which will aid in keeping the seat even from one side to the other. The gauge is just a little help in the shaving process, most of the ground work is done by feel. Making the ground seat takes many hours or even days of work, the ground seat must have no high or low spots, it must be even from one side to the other as well as maintaining the proper seat shape to keep the rider in balance and giving him a good seat to sit in all day. Basically to make his bum smile.

Once the ground seat is finished with the proper rise and shape for the customer the seat is finished to a glass smooth surface, then we are ready to install the cantle filler.