Tapadero question

[wwy]

So in the late fall and early spring I pretty much leave the taps on as it can get damn cold and I like the extra cover. Then for late spring and summer I change out, but occasionally I have to ride in bad bad conditions and I was wondering if any of you veterans had any "quick change" stirrup ideas.

Undoing the stirrup bolt and changing stirrups is a pain. I wind up going without the taps and having cold feet or leaving them on and sweltering. Any ideas, Mike I am counting on you!! Anybody?

[Mike Leonard]

Well I ride taps year round for lion hunting. I prefer bull dog or monkey nose taps for brush country hunting and cow work. I do have a set of semi-eagle beak longer taps that I keep on an old Visalia and I do love the way they look and balance, but they are not very good in the bad brush, you just tear the heck out of them. I have also seen short horses clammering and climbing and slipping actually step on the tap bill on the high side, and it can cause a wreck. Out in the desert of the great basin and such where sage is the biggest brush you have to encounter for the most part they are ok. When I am riding a green horse or one that might be a little humpy and pitch on me I like to ride my oxbows so I don't blow a stirrup and get planted in the middle of nowhere. But these days I try to steer away from them if I can. I learned to appreciate the bull dog taps while hunting and catching wild cattle in southeast Arizona. Lord you talk about brush and rocks but they can sure save your boots.

Now then I don't find them too hot for me, but I have mine cut pretty full sized so in the winter if I want I can put a sheepskin liner up in the front and help keep my toes warmer.As far as quick change unless you lace your stirrup leathers just loosen the leathers hobble strap and take it off, pop the Blevins buckeles loose, and drop the entire stirrup off it shouldn't take more than a minute and you are back in business. You look in my tack room and it looks like Capriola's junk yard but I try to have at least two of everything. because if it can break I will break it, tear it up, tear it off, or lose it. LOL!

Right now I am waiting for R Severe to give me advice about re-stringing some of the kacks that I beat up. Buck Proffit my old saddle maker and repair man has gone over the great divide but I should have had him teach me more of those leather tricks instead of bending his ear so much about horses. LOL!

[frs123]

just curios mike if the r severe you were talkig about was out of south idaho. my dad and him are good friends and kinda cool to here a name i know on here.

[frs123]

ive got a quick disconnect buckle on my stirups and it only takes a few minutes to switch back and forth. or you can just get a new saddle and keep one for summer and one for spring lol

[Mike Leonard]

No, this R. Severe is our very own R Severe on this forum from Oregon.

The Severe name is one of the most famous in custom leather and saddles in the US. He also happens to love hounds and cat hunting.

http://www.severesaddles.com/

[frs123]

learn something new every day, only thought there was one severe saddle maker. robert/bob in s idaho is pretty good so thought maybe same one. good luck and tree many.