Saddle?

[zburkett]

Does anyone know if a Buena Vista saddle dates back to the war. I have it heard both ways but can find no period reference or photograph. I know many rode to war with the saddle from home and I can find many references to "plantation" saddles, just no good description.

 

[Frederick14Va]

There were many variations in what is known as the Plantation Saddle... depending on the respective maker. Most of these are quite similar to what is known today as an English Saddle... but not exact...

Buena Vista Saddle is a design variant upon the then popular Plantation Saddle style... True Buena Visit saddles first appeared about 1885 originally made by Buena Vista Saddlery in Rockbridge County Va... In 1895 the pattern and design was taken over by Bona Allen in Georgia... who continued making them well into the 1900's... Other people are still making and marketing saddles labeled as Buena Vista's, that most have evolved and are not true to the original design.. and/or some have taken on an altered Western Saddle influenced style design.. yet still calling it a BV saddle...

 

[zburkett]

Thanks. Mine is a real Buena Vista given to me by an old friend. I knew it was at least a century old but I didn't know if it was a saddle a farmer would have used during the war.