Hereford Tex Tan serial number - any ideas? My mother has an older Hereford Tex Tan barrel racing saddle that she's had for many years. A while back, we cinched it up on the usual horse that wears it only to discover the gullet was sitting on his withers; because the tree is broken. I just bought a gorgeous Tex Tan Hereford from the classifieds section (eeeek, excited) and wanted to find out more about it--age, official color, type of saddle it's considered. The seller sent me the serial numbers but I can't find anywhere online to decode them. Where is the serial # on a Tex Tan Hereford saddle? I have been looking at a Tex Tan Hereford brand saddle that is for sale online. The seller can't tell me anything about it (such as gullet size, bars, etc.).
The saddle you have purchased is imprinted with a unique serial number. This serial number identifies your saddle alone, providing information about its type, its size and often its color as well as other information the saddle maker deems important. The serial number is often located with or near the manufacturer's saddle mark -- a design or logo that identifies the saddle maker's brand.
Locating the Serial Number
The location of the serial number might vary depending on the make of the saddle. According to a Tex Tan representative, their saddles are marked with the serial number inside the left fender near the blevins buckle; however, they may be located in other areas. The serial number is often in two parts, several numbers followed by a dash or a space, followed by another series of numbers. It may be located immediately under the model number. The model number is easily recognized: on older Tex Tan saddles, the model number begins with a 08, while on newer models it begins with a 292.
Tips
Some older Tex Tan saddles do not have serial numbers. If you cannot identify a used saddle using the string of numbers you have found, it is possible they were put there by a previous owner and not the manufacturer.
Reading the Serial Number
Recently manufactured Tex Tan saddles have the two-digit model year imprinted as part of the serial number. The year code may stand alone or it may be paired with numbers identifying the month in which the saddle was made. Tex Tan recommends that a buyer with any further questions about a saddle serial number contact a local dealer or send an email to alex@actioncompany.com.
Include as much information as possible when sending an email, including the model number of the saddle. It may take several days or more to receive an answer to an email, as the company receives many requests each day.
Tips
Including one or more pictures of the saddle and the serial number when sending an email can expedite your request. Send pictures of any numbers you may find on the saddle if you have any question about identifying the right one.