Submitted photoThis elaborate saddle wasn't created on a production line, but was crafted by the hands of an artist. Saddlemaking and braiding skills will be the focus of a demonstration at the Nevada State Museum this afternoon.
Master Saddlemaker Fred Buckmaster and his 17-year-old daughter, Kadee, will demonstrate their skills of saddlemaking and braiding 1-3:30 p.m today at the Nevada State Museum.
Buckmaster, a native of Fallon who teaches at Churchill County High School in Fallon, has been making custom saddles for more than 20 years.
"The good majority of saddles today are production saddles, factory-made, mass production," Buckmaster said. "Speed and numbers are the main key (for them). The attention to detail isn't there."
Buckmaster said to make a good, comfortable saddle, you fit the horse and rider. You start with a good saddle tree (for the horse), then fit the person.
"You have different seats according to the person," he said. "And you make it comfortable for the horse. You build it with leather underneath and shave it down.
They're made of wood, rawhide and leather. "(During construction) I see if I like it. If not, I work on it some more."
Buckmaster said he builds between one and five saddles a year, usually getting orders for about 10.
"It depends on how fancy they are as to how many I make. And how busy I am chasing kids. I have two. I'm also a full-time woodshop high school teacher in Fallon, and also instruct athletics."
Buckmaster said saddlemaking takes a lot of time, and is an expensive investment.
"If you're going to get one (of mine), the depreciation over the years is minor compared to production saddles. You could go through five to eight of them in the time it takes you to go through one custom-made saddle.
"By base price is $3,000. A production saddle might be $400 or $500, up to $3,000 or $4,000."
Buckmaster primarily makes saddles for the working cowboy. He makes them for cowboys in Montana, Wyoming and Nevada.
"It's not so much a lost art, just not as prevalent as it once was."
Buckmaster will have saddles in various stages of production with him and will demonstrate carving and stamping, while daughter Kadee shows her skills at braiding in rawhide and leather. She will bring extra leather for anyone who wants to try their hand at braiding.
Buckmaster's demonstration is provided in partnership with the Folklife Program of the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Advance registration is recommended, regular admission fees apply.
The museum is at 600 N. Carson St. Use the Robinson Street entrance.
For information or reservations, call Deborah Stevenson, curator of education, at 687-4810, ext. 237.
- Contact Rhonda Costa at rcosta@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.