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I picked up a pack saddle with panniers today that I "think" must have been originally made for a miniature horse or donkey. I can't find a name brand anywhere. The rigging is like a horse saddle. The tree bars are a composite and the forks are aluminum. It looks to me like the bars are adjustable. The breast collar has a strap and clip that goes between the front legs to hook it to the front cinch. The back cinch has a crupper attached to it. Everything is very adjustable with plastic two part clips and webbing. The tree is actually sewn into the "pocket pad" at the "O" ring so it's not removable like the NW pocket pad.
saddle 1.jpg (Size: 41.47 KB / Downloads: 57)
saddle 2.jpg (Size: 38.2 KB / Downloads: 58)
saddle on dude 1.jpg (Size: 52.46 KB / Downloads: 58)
saddle on dude 2.jpg (Size: 53.24 KB / Downloads: 57)
saddle on dude 3.jpg (Size: 38.33 KB / Downloads: 57)
saddle on dude 4.jpg (Size: 38.77 KB / Downloads: 58)
saddle on dude 5.jpg (Size: 29.15 KB / Downloads: 58)
Goatberries Happen!
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10-11-2015, 09:02 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-11-2015, 09:07 PM by IdahoNancy.)
That is a Northwest Packgoat saddle with the mountain saddle straps in the back. I don't recognize the breast strapping but my saddle are a few years old.
Not sure what a "tree bar" and "fork" are. I call the top part a cross buck which is aluminum and the paddles which sit on the goats back are a composite. The hardware, welding, buckles, and design of the saddle in the picture are from NW Packgoat & Supply. There are no manufacture marks on these saddles designed by Rex Summerfield.
Good score buying it.
I personally can't use the mountain strap in the back. That top center buckle rubs a hole in the goats hide. It is plastic but sways back and forth over the spine as the goats walk.
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yes, this is the miniature horse saddle from Northwest. The goat type has a not a rectangular side board. Also the breast strap in V-form is for horses.
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Sabine from Germany
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I was pretty sure it was horses since the rigging was similar to my horse pack. This isn't on his website. Does anyone know how old it may be?
Has anyone used this saddle on goats? I'm curious now how well the rectangular side board will work with a goat.
Also - can someone tell me how to adjust the sideboards? Thx!
Goatberries Happen!
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Hmm... if that's a miniature horse saddle, I'm guessing it would be too wide for the average packgoat. Which means it might actually fit Pac-Man! You should try it on him.
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from what I remember about the few miniature horse saddles I sold to people over here the dimensions are almost similar to the packgoat saddle except that the side bars of the packgoat saddle have a small portion cut out.
Adjusting the saddle is fairly simple. Take a screw driver and some pliers (or a wrench socket so hold the nut). Loosen the screw and you can move the sideboard and change the angle (you have to take the sideboards out of the pockets of the pad for that). If this isn't enough to adjust the saddle, you can take out the screws completely and insert the sideboards either higher or lower along the forks - take care to mount the strap holders, too.
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Sabine from Germany