Saddles that Shaped the West

Though cowboys & indians, horses, and cattle herds are storied as hallmarks of the American West, it was the indispensable western saddle that made the days and weeks of roaming this hard terrain possible. This exhibition features the artful, half-scale examples of this indispensable gear crafted by the internationally renowned Carson Thomas, a second-generation saddle-maker. Thomas was raised in the cow camps and saddle shops that ranged from Montana’s Wolf Mountains to Arizona’s Sonoran Desert.

This display of 12 saddles is a preview to the exhibition “Ride Through History”that the Museum will host, opening in October, 2016.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website