This is a Civil War Morgan "Muley" saddle from the western theater. It is a well known fact that the Confederate Army had to make do with whatever weaponry and equipment they could come by. This is especially true when it comes to the Confederate cavalry. Many of the southern horseman provided their own saddles, as well as horses. Officer's on both sides of the conflict were often required to purchase their own equipment, either through arsenals or private contractors. This relic condition example of the Morgan style saddle was found in a barn in Mississippi. The hand tooling of the leather can be found throughout the saddle, from the pommel to the cantle. Examples of this saddle, known as the "Muley", can be found in Dorsey and McPheeters book, "American Military Saddle, 1776 - 1945" on pages 68 and 69. The term "muley" is French in origin and means "without horn", describing the lack of a horn on the pommel. The saddle measures 15 3/4" from the pommel to the cantle, is 12" wide and 9" tall. The tree is completely covered in leather, with many of the high wear areas having piecemeal repairs. The rawhide covering the bottom of the tree is completely missing. This is a common occurrence with these old saddles. There is little to no stitching remaining on the saddle, it has been replaced with small nails and tacks. The areas of the saddle reinforced with leather have beautiful hand tooled markings. This quality craftsmanship can be seen on the pommel, cantle, and seat. Only one of the original brass rosettes remains with the saddle. There are no stirrups with the saddle. There are only short sections of the quarter straps remaining, one sweat and a girth strap. It's a bit rough now, but if this thing could only talk!

Item # AA2755

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