Saddles - wood vs metal

[hihobaron]

For a little detail on the packsaddle design, here's an excerpt from John Mionczynski's The Pack Goat (used with permission):

"Some homemade saddles... have design flaws that can be devastating. The angle of the tree should be eighty-five to eighty-seven degrees. A ninety-degree angle, which is easier to build, will not distribute weight but will put excessive pressure on the goat's vertebral processes (the side wings on the vertebrae) and eventually cause debilitating sores. Sharper angles will hurt the ribs and constrict breathing. The inside surfaces of the bars should be beveled on top and bottom for a better fit and to compensate for wider or narrower backs. An overall tree length of 12 inches fits most goats of packable size (150 to 300 pounds)."

Hello Nanno
Thanks for the Excerpt and especially the sizing.
They call this area of South Carolina the Dark Corner.
Mainly from Prohibition times. BATF Agents would come in to bust up Stills and never come out and no one knew what happen to them. 
I might not have the bare rock and desert here but I do have lots of very over grown wash areas you have to cross or walk the ridge tops to get anywhere. I'll admit I don't want to take one of my horses into them.
Happy Trails
hihobaron