WW1 Military Saddle Restoration

This week Jason has restored a WWI Military saddle for a local client. The restoration included new saddle felts and maintaining its original leathers where possible plus replacing broken straps. The client will keep riding in the saddle, but vows to maintain it for exhibition and historical purposes.

This swivel tree saddle is stamped 1914 and is correctly known as the 1912 Universal Pattern Saddle. It is called a swivel tree because the front and rear steel arches are hinged to the boards which sit on the horse's back, allowing it to fit a wide variety of shapes and sizes of horses. Military saddles from 1902-1912 were a fixed tree and from 1912 onwards they kept the same  saddle design but changed the tree to swivel. 

The Overseer Pack Saddle’s tree is based on this same Military saddle design; proven as a superior design by the Australian military from the early 1900’s. It allows diagonal flexibility and fits many styles and shapes of horses.