A celebration of the design, style and grace of the western saddle
Amarillo, Texas – The western saddle is one of the great executions of form merging with function.
But for a collection of saddles on exhibit at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum, the saddle is all art.
The Art of the Western Saddle features 16 glorious examples of the saddle maker’s art: silver-mounted saddles from private collections and museums across the country. The collection focuses on their unique design, craftsmanship and graceful merging of silver, gold and leather.
Many of the saddles have never been exhibited in public, and the exhibition will be a unique opportunity to see the pinnacle of craftsmanship embellishing the primary tool of the American cowboy.
The exhibit is open and runs through July 31, 2010 at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum in Amarillo, Texas.
Saddle design is built around use, lightness, durability and fit to give the rider the ability to stay on board while at the same time not getting in the way of the horse all the while being able to hold an 800 pound steer by only a rope wound around the saddle horn.
But more than a tool, western saddles are iconic. They are as much a part of the cowboy way as a hat and a pair of boots, representing work in a unique vocation.
Like any tool, the saddle became an extension of those who used it and because of that became subject to personalization. That unique personalization and embellishment – call it character – is the focus of this exhibit.
Web Information: AQH Hall of Fame & Museum, Amarillo CVC
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Also: More Texas travel information
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