Saturday, July 16, 2011

A Brief Look At Equestrian Saddles, Then And Now

By Linda Newman


Some people use the Western saddle when riding, some use the English style saddles. It depends on whether they are riding for pleasure or they are in some kind of competition. Some people just have a favorite type of Equestrian saddle. Many will use both at different times with different horses.

English saddles are quite small in comparison to a Western saddle and not nearly as ornate, most times. The English style is functional, being barely there, it seems. It is just a way to stay on the horses back and there is not need for all the trappings of a western style saddle. Even among the smaller saddles, there are distinct differences and uses for each kind. Jumping and dressage take very opposite looking and feeling saddles.

The all purpose saddle is a combination of the dressage and jumping style. It can be used for a variety of competitive events at non-professional levels and for pleasure riding. The Lane Fox saddle is used for gaited horses such as the Tennessee Walking Horse, while competing. They are not as comfortable for the rider for pleasure riding since they are made to keep the rider in a position of control during competitions.

In the good old days, the primary mode of transportation was the horse. The ladies of that time loved to ride horses also but they wore long dresses in those days. They needed a saddle that could accommodate them, retaining a fashionable look and an elegant way to travel. Thus the side saddle was brought into being. The ladies would sit in the saddle enabling them to hang one knee over one of the two horns. It provided much security while the horse was in motion either trotting or galloping.

Used often by pleasure riders is the Western style saddle, with a larger and more comfortable seat. In years past, cowboys used their horses to herd cattle and so forth, making a sturdy saddle a necessity. The cantle was slanted back farther, allowing a more comfortable position to be attained. The prominent horn was constructed in such a way as to secure the rope used to capture critters at branding time. After the cowboy lassoed the calf or yearling, they would wrap the rope around the horn and the horse would back up to take up the slack in the rope as the cowboy jumped off to tie up the struggling animal. Saddles were truly indispensable items.

Not all men who rode horses were good guys, there being bad guys that rode as well. They used the saddle in a much different way, as far as what they attached to the leather strings or placed in the saddlebags. The good guys carried much more mundane items like their extra clothes and other personal items.

Along with saddles, the pad placed between the saddle and the horse was a crucial piece of riding equipment. It protected the horse from any small protuberances on the saddle. These could easily cause a saddle sore, making it uncomfortable for the horse to be ridden. The fenders, or side flaps, were large and provided cover for the horse at high speeds through bramble bushes in pursuit of straying cattle.

The leather straps hanging from the four corners of the back of the saddle were used to tie rolls of bedding and other equipment or even extra food. The Equestrian saddle was a very important part of our history, both the Western and English style.




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