The modern western saddle begins with a “tree” that defines the shape of the bars, the seat, the swells, horn, and cantle. Saddle construction is a very complicated process And, in a pinch with no bunkhouse and no bed roll, our cowboy could use his saddle as a comfortable place to lay his head when bedding down around the campfire on the open range. The development of an independent seat and hands is as critical for western riders as for English riders.Įarly vaqueros and modern ranch cowboys, alike, are also known to use their saddles for carrying a small bed roll, a canteen of water, a yellow slicker to combat wet weather, and saddle bags with maybe an extra pair of socks, a few fence tools, and some corn dodgers for nourishment. However, this may be misleading the horn is not meant to be a handle for the rider to hang onto, and the high cantle and heavy stirrups are not for forcing the rider into a rigid position. For a beginning rider, the western saddle may give the impression of providing a more secure seat. Its history and purpose is to be a working tool for a cowboy who spends all day, every day, on horseback. The Western saddle is designed to be comfortable when ridden in for many hours. Without a solid tree, the rider’s weight in the stirrups creates abnormal pressure points and makes the horse’s back sore. The invention of the solid saddle tree also allowed development of the true stirrup as it is known today. While early saddles were tree-less, the development of the solid saddle tree was significant because it raised the rider above the horse’s back, and distributed the rider’s weight on either side of the animal’s spine instead of pinpointing pressure at the rider’s seat bones, reducing the pressure on any one part of the horse’s back, thus greatly increasing the comfort of the horse and prolonging its useful life. Much like in modern times, to show off an individual’s wealth and status, embellishments were added to saddles, including elaborate sewing and leather work, precious metals such as gold, carvings of wood and horn, and other ornamentation. These were held on with a girth that included breast straps and cruppers.įrom the earliest depictions, saddles became status symbols. The earliest known saddle-like equipment were fringed cloths or pads used by Assyrian cavalry around 700 BC. There is evidence that humans first began riding the horse not long after domestication, possibly as early as 4000 BC. And, while history doesn’t record exactly when riders first began to use some sort of padding or protection while horseback, we do know that a blanket attached by a surcingle or girth was probably the first “saddle.” This early saddle was followed later by more elaborate padded designs. Assyrian archer on horseback, about 650 BC.
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