Sowter & Co Saddle

Small Change · Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:20 am

I was wondering if anyone might be able to tell me more about Sowter military saddles please? We have a few old saddles tucked into the tackroom, including a nice military saddle in pretty good condition. Someone once told me it was a McClellan, which I accepted and never really gave much thought to. When I was tidying the tack room yesterday though, I picked up the saddle and found a label that says it's actually a Sowter & Co saddle.

My Googling skills have only come up with a few pictures and the information that Sowter & Co was established in 1848, then sold to Harry Hall in 1967. Could anyone please tell me anything more, particularly about their military saddles? I'd love to know who used them, a guesstimate of the age, etc. I've found some bits from the Royal Dragoons tucked away, and wonder if the saddle came from the same? Any information would be much appreciated.

I'll try to find time to get some pictures, if anyone might be interested.

Pat Holscher · Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:34 am

Photos would be helpful. Without photographs we can't really tell you what you have, as Sowter is apparently a manufacturer, rather than a type.

Small Change · Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:37 pm

I hope these will show up... My apologies for not putting the saddle on a stand; I hope these are still useful!

Right side
Left side
Makers mark on stirrup bar and remnants of label

Pat Holscher · Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:14 pm

Small Change wrote:I hope these will show up... My apologies for not putting the saddle on a stand; I hope these are still useful!

Right side
Left side
Makers mark on stirrup bar and remnants of label

This is not a McClellan saddle. If its a military pattern (and I'm not saying that it is) my guess is that it might be a Yeomany pattern saddle of some sort. Several of the participants here are very familiar with all types of English military saddles and may be able to answer that definitively.

This site has a section to forums below this one that's the "UP" forum. UP stands for Universal Pattern, which this is not, but the UP was the British military standard and many British topics are also posted there. You might want to duplicate this post there. Most of us read both, but may concentrate on one forum or the other.

Brian P. · Tue Feb 25, 2014 7:14 am

It looks to me to be a MK IV British Officers Saddle. That would be from the WWI period. This is another thread that could be copied to the UP saddle section.

Pat Holscher · Tue Feb 25, 2014 7:52 am

Brian P. wrote:It looks to me to be a MK IV British Officers Saddle. That would be from the WWI period. This is another thread that could be copied to the UP saddle section.

Thanks Brian.

I will move this thread to the UP section, but leave a shadow up here for those following it. I'll do that later today.

Small Change · Tue Feb 25, 2014 7:57 am

Thank you! I knew the saddle wasn't a McLellen as soon as I started looking into it a bit, but just wasn't sure what I actually did have.

My apologies for not putting this thread where it should have been in the first place.

Pat Holscher · Tue Feb 25, 2014 8:09 am

This thread now appears down here in the UP forum, but still has a "shadow" in the general forum.