We hope this knowledge base will be a valuable resource for those who use and distribute our saddlery and manufacturing products. Learn about new Toowoomba Saddlery products, discover how to choose the right products for you as well as how to use and maintain them. If there is anything you want to see in our blog please contact us.
With 2018, we celebrate 50 years in business – what better time to treat our customers to a new and improved online experience. We hope this new website is easier to use, with features both stores, manufacturers and riders will find useful.
Continue reading Welcome to our new website !
One of the most common saddle questions we hear is “Which saddle size do I need?”
When answering this question it is important to know how the saddle is being measured.
To help you better understand Toowoomba Saddlery saddle sizes we have prepared a brief guide.
Skip to: Saddle vs Seat Size | Size Comparison | Saddle Parts | Other Measurements | Fender Length
You may already know that Western style and Australian stock saddles are measured differently to English style saddles. It is also worth noting that some saddleries may take their measurements from different points on the saddle.
Toowoomba Saddlery’s saddles are available in up to 5 saddle sizes. These diagrams and table should give you an idea of how each saddle size compares to the seat size and saddle length.
Saddle Size Measurement
Measure from front-most part of the pommel to inside back seat.
Seat Size Measurement
Measure from the back of the pommel to inside back seat.
INTERACTIVE: Select a saddle size from the box to see the relative saddle size and length.
(A) SADDLE LENGTH
21″ (53.4cm)
(C) SEAT SIZE
11.5″ (29cm)
| (A) Saddle Length | (B) Saddle Size | (C) Seat Size |
|---|---|---|
| 22″ (55.9cm) | 14″ (35.5cm) | 11.5″ (29.0cm) |
| 23″ (58.4cm) | 15″ (38.0cm) | 12.5″ (31.5cm) |
| 24″ (61.0cm) | 16″ (40.5cm) | 13.5″ (34.0cm) |
| 25″ (63.5cm) | 17″ (43.0cm) | 14.5″ (36.5cm) |
| 26″ (66.0cm) | 18″ (45.5cm) | 15.5″ (39.0cm) |
A. Pommel
B. Kneepad
C. Cantle (The raised curved part at the back-top of the seat)
D. Seat Flap
E. Fender
H. Seat Dip Measurement
Can be measured by placing a ruler or straight edge on pommel and top of cantle. Take measurement from this ruler to the lowest point of the seat.
I. Kneepad Height Measurement
Measure from the base of the kneepad to highest point of knee pad.
J. Chamber / Gullet Width Measurement
Measurement taken from the saddle tree (for consistency).
The benefit of removable fenders is that you can easily source spares or replacements as well as being able to mix-and-match saddles with fenders for a better fit. E.g. For a child with long legs you could purchase a youth-size saddle, then replace the standard youth size fenders with an adult size pair.
Standard adult size saddles fenders: Adjustable from approximately 19” to 26” in length.
Shortened adult size fenders: Adjustable from approximately 17 ½” to 24 ½” in length.
Standard youth size saddles fenders: Adjustable from approximately 14 ½” to 18 ½” in length.
How we measure fender Length
Measure from the top of the webbing (where it hooks over the stirrup Bar) to the bottom of the leather.
Spare saddle fenders are available, and supplied by the pair.
Click here to view fender options ►
Ready to compare saddles? View all Toowoomba Saddlery saddles ►
At Toowoomba Saddlery, we craft our saddles with durability in mind.
With proper care, your Toowoomba Saddlery saddle will provide many years of service.
Toowoomba Saddlery recommends a light initial oil prior to your first ride (avoid over oiling) to protect the leather from the elements. It is normal for the leather to slightly darken after oiling.
Toowoomba Saddlery uses and recommends Oakwood Leather Conditioner and leather oil and also Joseph Lyddy leather care products.
It depends… but as a general rule you should oil your saddle before your first ride, and perhaps every 2 – 6 months there-after depending on how often you ride and your climate. If you ride in very dry or very humid conditions, you may need to oil or condition your saddle more often.
Wiping down your saddle after every ride is a good habit every rider should establish. As with conditioning, how often you perform a thorough saddle clean depends on how often you ride and your climate.
Once dry (after cleaning), you can lightly brush rough-out leather with a stiff bristle brush to give it new life.
You oil rough-out and smooth-out leather in exactly the same way.
NOTE: Toowoomba Saddlery does not pre-oil suede or rough-out leather on our saddles prior to dispatch as some riders prefer to use them without oil, to increase the grip this leather finish provides.
Suede is a split leather, thinner than full grain leather and as such requires a little more maintenance. Over time, with the constant friction of riding and cleaning, the nap can ‘slick’ down, however as with all leather products, proper maintenance will extend its life as much as possible.
You can pre-treat with waterproofing and stain preventing spray before the suede is used.
Regularly remove surface dust and refresh the nap with a nylon bristle brush (similar to a nail brush). Raising the nap helps remove dirt and debris trapped between fibres and keeps the grippy texture. For heavier soiling, clean gently with soapy water and brush. Try not to oversaturate. For stains, you can try a ‘suede eraser’ which acts similarly to an eraser on pencil-marks.
We recommend Oakwood or Joseph Lyddy saddle soap.
We use and recommend Oakwood Leather Oil, or Joseph Lyddy Neatsfoot Oil.
Always use a quality leather conditioner.
We use and recommend Oakwood Leather Conditioner.
NEVER WASH YOUR SADDLE WITH BOILING WATER !
Leather is the same as our skin, if the water is too hot for our bare skin, it is too hot for leather. Many times, we have seen where very hot water has been used on saddles (mainly to shape fenders and the like), destroying the leather surface.
NEVER OIL A WET SADDLE!
This can trap moisture in the leather, potentially leading to mould or rot.
NEVER USE HOT OIL !
This will damage the leather.
NEVER USE MINERAL BASED OILS
e.g. engine/motor oil etc… as this will dry the leather out.
NEVER DRY YOUR SADDLE WITH DIRECT HEAT!
This includes blow-dryers, heaters and direct sunlight. This can shrink, harden and crack the leather.
DO USE ONLY TEPID WATER
when cleaning your saddle.
DO CLEAN & OIL YOUR SADDLE REGULARLY!
If the leather dries out you risk decreasing the life of the product.
DO PERFORM REGULAR GEAR CHECKS !
Check your girth, girth points, stirrup leathers and bridles. Only use a reputable saddler for repairs.
DO LET YOUR SADDLE DRY NATURALLY!
in a well-ventilated, shady area.
Both Oakwood and Joseph Lyddy leather care products have a long history in Australia. Make them part of your regular leather care regime to get the most out of your leather products.
View our leather care products ►
In August 2018 Toowoomba Saddlery celebrated 50 years in business.
We’d like to extend a big thank you for all the saddlery stores, saddle makers, and riders that have chosen Toowoomba Saddlery products. Follow our history to see how we got to where we are now.
Toowoomba Saddlery was founded and established by Garth and Sandra Delbridge in 1968 in a timber double garage located behind their house at 227 Taylor Street Toowoomba.
The foundation of the business was producing leather strapping for Butler Brothers in Brisbane as well as saddle repairs.
When Toowoomba Saddlery first opened there were more than nine saddleries in Brisbane including Blair Saddlery, Butler Bros, C.A. Stephan, Edward Butlers, Schneider Saddlery, Syd Hill & Sons, Theo Dalton, Uhl Saddlery and Wrights Saddlery as well as six in Toowoomba and many private saddle makers that worked from their homes. There were also many tanneries in the Brisbane area tanning leather for the saddlery market including Fulcher’s Tannery, Gibson Tannery, Granlund’s Tannery, Johnson Tannery, Maggs Tannery, Packer Tanning, Pills Tannery, Slayney Tannery while Toowoomba had Coonan’s Tannery.
Today, Packer Tanning at Nerangba is the only tannery that remains operational. In 1969 leather strapping and repairs remained the backbone of the business, however with growth it became apparent that a retail premises was required, so a house and disused chemist shop was purchased at 60 Anzac Avenue Toowoomba. In 1969 Mr Robert (Bob) Edwards became the first employee and apprentice at Toowoomba Saddlery.Back then a saddlery Tradesman’s pay was $58 per week and a first year apprentice was only $10.85 per week. It was a forty hour week with only two weeks annual leave. The saddlery apprenticeship back then lasted five years.
The business grew and an agency for Syd Hill and Sons Brisbane was established. The sales of both the new Syd Hill Saddles and leather strapping increased at such a rapid rate a brick shed was constructed behind Garth and Sandra’s house in 1974 just to store the saddles.
During its agency for Syd Hill and Sons from 1973, until 2010, Toowoomba Saddlery sold in excess of thirty-five thousand Syd Hill Saddles. The wholesale price for a new Syd Hill Barcoo Poley in 1973 was $210 and a side of saddle leather from Johnson Tannery was $15 per side.
By 1977 the business was growing at such a rapid rate a vacant block of land at 106 Hill Street, Toowoomba was purchased and a 430 square metre retail shop, offices, warehouse and factory was built. Demand for Syd Hill products was increasing and two to three hundred brand new Syd Hill saddles were carried in stock for immediate despatch from the Hill Street premises. Toowoomba Saddlery continued to do repairs and some leather strapping manufacturing.
In 1979, the vast distances in Australia were no longer practical to travel by road, which saw the need for air travel, and Garth obtained his pilot’s licence as well as a brand new Cessna 172 aircraft, this really opened up Toowoomba Saddlery to the remote parts of Australia. Travel was now possible by air to locations such as Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin, Kununurra, Broome, Derby and more.
Australia now had it’s own flying saddler.
Due to the long distances (some of which had to be flown at night) a twin engine Beechcraft Travelair was purchased in 1982. This aircraft was faster than the Cessna 172 and carried more fuel which made travel from Toowoomba to Darwin possible in ten hours with one fuel stop as opposed to four full days by road. In 1986 a more modern, even faster six seat Cessna 210 Centurion was purchased to cover these long distances.
1991 The Hill Street shop was more than doubled in size to 900 square metres. In 1992 Toowoomba saddlery became an agent for Wintan Tannery, Located at Wingham NSW. The agency for Wintan was in place until the close of the tannery in 1997. This agency was the beginning of another growth phase for Toowoomba Saddlery, emerging as a saddlery supply merchant. As Toowoomba Saddlery was now seen as a supplier to manufacturers in the saddlery trade, we needed hardware and raw materials. A trip to Taiwan was made and distributorships established for the manufacture and supply of saddlery hardware and raw materials. We are still purchasing from these companies to this very day.
Demand for quality saddlery leather was increasing so in 1994, with many tanneries in Australia closing, Toowoomba Saddlery was appointed as a distributor for Hermann Oak Leather Company, USA. This distributorship is still in place today. We could not believe how popular this leather was!Our first shipment was only two pallets, which sold virtually as quick as it was unpacked. We then realised that the only way to seriously import this quality leather from the USA was buy full container lots. First a couple of twenty foot shipping containers were imported from Hermann Oak, now forty foot containers are regularly imported.
This now did present one problem – storage space. It was evident that the 900 square metre warehouse in Hill Street was now outgrown and a new warehouse had to be found, so the search was on.
A brand new 1400 square metre warehouse and office complex was purchased at 266 – 268 McDougall Street, Toowoomba in 1994. Continued growth saw the addition of a 600 square metre mezzanine floor for increased storage area in 2008 which was expanded in 2011 for the same reason.
Having been a part of Australia’s manufacturing industry for many years, it seemed fitting to recognise this in 2006 by becoming a member of the Australian Made Campaign, which allowed us to use the official Australian Made logo on our Australian made products.
By 2012, Toowoomba Saddlery was importing more than sixty-four tonnes of leather each year and supplying 1200 stores and saddlers throughout Australia. To keep up with demand Toowoomba Saddlery took delivery of a custom-made leather cutting press from Taiwan.
Over fifty years, Toowoomba Saddlery’s range has expanded to include synthetic tack and other products.
We have also leveraged our overseas contacts to import select lines of quality tack and accessories. But we still continue to make our Australian Made leather saddles here in Toowoomba, of which we sell around 750 each year.
We continue to supply hundreds of stores around Australia, as well as our overseas distributors and numerous saddle and tack manufacturers.
Tanned in the USA since 1881
Hermann Oak has used the traditional pit tanning method since 1881 and is now one of the last tanners of vegetable leather in the world still using this system. Hermann Oak does not cut corners, their processes and practices are a key component to the leather quality, worth the extra time and effort, and every penny of additional cost. Their system results in tanned leather that is superior in many ways:
Their tanning system takes up to six weeks for the thickest leather. This is two or three times longer than more modern pit tannages, and over ten times longer than vegetable
drum tannages. Their leather is not “pickled” with salts and strong acids like modern vegetable and chrome tannages. This longer exposure to natural vegetable tannins and milder organic acids in Hermann Oak’s traditional pit tannage, imparts a unique density to the leather. Saddles don’t get heavy because they don’t absorb as much oil as do other leathers.
Hermann Oak® leather starts a little firmer than others, helping the leather maintain shape throughout its life, and stretch less. Customers tell us how soft the leather becomes when wet for moulding and shaping, yet how well it returns to its firm base when dried. It also performs well in carving, stamping, and tooling. For effective and consistent results Hermann Oak avoids overloading of its liming vats, tanning pits and fatliquor drums, and even under-loads them to ensure quality.
Hermann Oak uses a two-day high-float liming process, which is less astringent and less abrasive to both fibres and enamel, than the low-float one-day process used by most
other tanners. The extra time also allows for the wrinkles and draw to better “let out.”
While other leathers may turn a dull brown with use, Hermann Oak® leather maintains rich colour over the years due to its strong enamel. When new, it oils up evenly and richly, bringing out the natural colours of the underlying bark.
Hermann Oak cleans up the flesh side as best as possible. They also use a custom-designed machine to remove the scud, or hair root, which few other tanners do.
Thanks to their use of mainly organic acid, not the inorganic sulfuric acid used by most other tanners, the condition of ‘red rot’ or ‘acid rot’ which can occur over long periods of time under humid conditions is avoided.
Hermann Oak prevents over-drying (an irreversible process removing ‘bound’ water) through controlled drying. The thickest leather takes as long as three days to dry.
There are additional processes specific to each leather type which contribute to their high quality:
Strap-Tooling-Holster-Latigo lines are lime-split to relax the fibres at an early stage, a difficult mechanical step in the limed state that most tanners have abandoned.
Harness leather is so heavily stuffed with beef tallow that it must be set with a small hand-operated setter and a slicking blade. It then takes a full week to dry, since it is as difficult for the water to escape as it is for water to re-enter. We have found no other leather in the world that contains as much “stuffing” tallow as Hermann Oak® Harness Leather.
View our full range of Hermann Oak leather and discover the difference for yourself: Hermann Oak leather supplied by Toowoomba Saddlery
