The Origins of Horse Saddles
When horses were first domesticated they were used in harness rather than being ridden. It was the invention of horse saddles thatrevolutionised the use of horses as riding animals.
Prior to the invention of saddles all riders rode bareback – a difficult feat in itself, let alone if you are carrying out military maneuvers!As you can imagine it also was particularly uncomfortable, especially when riding for long periods of time. It was from this that the idea of a saddle – which would act almost as a cushion between the horse and the rider – came about.
The invention of horse saddles cannot be linked to one person or even a group of people. Over time many cultures contributed to the development of the saddle as we now know it. This has resulted in a lack of widespread consensus of the full origins of horse saddles.
When first invented, saddleswere very rudimentary and looked more like cloth pads that were attached to the horse using a piece of equipment similar in appearance to what we would now know as a surcingle.
Over time these simple saddles became more refined and complex; they changed from cloth pads to leather making them much more durable. They were decorated with felt, hair and even gold; often indicating which tribe or group of people the rider was a part of.
Perhaps the biggest milestone in the history of saddle development came in the creation of a saddle tree; a feature that continues to be an important part of saddles these days. The leather was now stretched across this saddle tree. Thishelped by keeping the rider’s weight off the horse’s back which was found not only to improve the comfort for the rider but also to help the horse’s comfort and allow him to be ridden for longer periods of time.
Whilst there is some evidence of leather stirrups being in existence from approximately 5th century BC, it is widely accepted that the development of stirrups as we now know them began around 300 – 500 AD in central Asia. The introduction of stirrups made riding far safer by giving the rider greater balance.
Nowadayshorse saddles come in a huge range of styles, usually aimed at general use or a specific discipline, e.g. dressage or western riding. They can be made in leather or a synthetic material and are available in a huge variety of sizes to suit every horse and rider.
A huge range of leather and synthetic horse saddles are available at great prices from www.EquestrianClearance.com.
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