How to Repair Broken Stirrup Leathers on a Western Saddle

Stirrup leathers on a western stock saddle are made of thick, heavy-duty leather to protect your leg from the sweat of the horse, while reducing the potential for damage from being torn by brush or hooking cattle horns. Nevertheless, it is possible to tear or damage a saddle's stirrup leathers, whether you catch one on a fencepost while riding past, or the buckles that hold the leathers together rip loose.

Things You'll Need

• Leather hole punch
• Sharp knife
• Rawhide lace
• Water

Instructions

1. Use a sharp knife to cut the edges of the rip, tear or cut. Cut any jagged edges to make them smooth and even. If the buckles have broken, cut the remaining leather edge off even and clean.

2. Use the hole punch and make holes along one edge of the cut. Space the holes approximately 1 inch apart, and no more than a quarter-inch away from the edge. This will allow you to lace the edge to the opposite edge of the cut, while minimizing the damage to the leather itself.

3. Lay the opposite edge of the cut over the holes you just punched, with enough overlap to allow you to punch matching holes in the new edge. Mark the desired locations of the new holes so they align with the first set of holes. Punch the holes in the second edge.

4. Soak the rawhide lace in water to soften it, and lace it through the holes in the stirrup leathers, securing the edges of the leather together. Tie off each end of the rawhide lace with a stopper knot to prevent it from slipping out as it dries and hardens. The rawhide will dry hard, repairing the cut or tear.

Tips & Warnings

• When soaking the rawhide, leave one end dry so it stays hard, allowing you to use it like a "needle" to drive through the punched holes.

References

• "Making and Repairing Western Saddles;" Dave Jones; 1982

Resources

• Rooster's Saddlery and Repair