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CERTIFICATION CRITERIA FOR
MASTER WESTERN SADDLE MAKER

     Able to make these saddle features:

     1.     Horn
                   Leather covered, finished edge
               Leather covered, leather bound edge
                  Leather covered rawhide bound edge
                 Rawhide braided
                Wood post style
                Standard metal styles

     2.     Fork
                   Slick fork
                   Swelled welted fork
                   Smooth pulled down leather cover, with no welts or lacing

     3.     Seat
                    Full seat, smooth, no padding
                   Overlaid padded seat, full and partial
                   Inlaid padded seat
                  Men’s seat and ladies’ seat
                  Looped seat
                  Half seat

     4.     Skirts
                          Square
                          Square with round corners
                          Round
                         California round (butterfly)               

     5.     Rigging
                          In skirt
                          Flat plate
                          Standard D-ring
                          Dropped

     6.     Cantle binding
                          Standard bound, leather and rawhide
                          Cheyenne roll, leather and rawhide
                          Rope laced effect

     7.     Fenders/stirrup leathers
                          One piece
                          Two piece

     8.     Stirrups
                           Stitched
                           Laced

     9.     Flank cinch
                          Roper style with tunnel loops
                          Bellybands without tunnel loops
                          Billet attachment with loops making it removable

     10.     Decorative treatments
                            Carved, both full and partial
                            Geometric stamped, both full and partial
                            Use of silver on the corner plates, horn caps, conchos, etc

     11.     Repairs
                           Miscellaneous re-stitching anywhere on saddle
                           Replace latigos
                           Replace flank cinches
                           Re-rig saddle, either standard rigging or flat plate
                           Re-cover horn with either new horn covering or cap & wrap style
                           Re-cover fork
                           Re-line skirts with sheepskin
                           Re-string a saddle
                           Cut down fenders, install Blevins, or twist fenders to new shape
                           Repair pack saddles
                           Repair tack

     12.     Knowledge base
                       Understand differences in design between roping, cutting, barrel, trail, reining,
                                  cowboy, show, and endurance saddles
                               Know how to fit saddle tree and saddles to various type of horse’s backs
                               Understand different riding styles for competition
                               Know basic horse anatomy and locomotion
                               Have a basic knowledge of most horse breeds, how they different and
                                  how they are similar
                               Understand leather, leather care, and leather terms
                               Understand usages for leather and various cuts of leather
                               Know about hardware for western saddles and tack and  be conversant with all metals terms
                               Know about silver and silver working techniques for silver trimmed saddlery
                                   and show equipment






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