Horse SaddlesEvolution of Western Horse Saddles
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The Early History of Horse Saddles
(Consider the word "saddle" to refer to a seat or pad used to support the rider on an animal, chiefly a horse.) Exactly when man domesticated the riding horse is questionable. Which of the many human societies first utilized the horse as a mount is debatable. But the fact progress went from a walk to a gallop once man and horse became partners is undeniable. However, we know the Chinese, Assyrians and Persians were skilled riders 3,000 years before Christ. Early History of Western Horse Saddles
The Western Horse Saddle, that we know today, was greatly influenced by the Spanish Vaquero (cowboy). The following is a condensed excerpt from a highly informative and beautifully detailed article that documents the history of the Cowboy. Historians are aware that America's story owes something of significance to the "western Horse Saddle," ergo the metaphor - what the motorcar was to the American 20th century traveler, or working employee, (who used a motor vehicle to make a living), the saddle was to the early American travelers and cowboys. What was under the hood, be it horses or horsepower did not change much. Rather, it was the drivers' seat and all its appearances that we have obsessed about. Henry Ford invented the first motorcar and the Spanish Vaquero invented the first western cowboy Horse Saddle.
Military Influence on Western Saddles
While more utilitarian than civilian models, the military Horse Saddle was nonetheless affected by cultural influences. Some periods were more ornate, some less, reflecting then-current fashions, concepts of national identity, and prevailing views of the military. The Horse Saddle reflected a much more significant influence as well. In the early days of the nation, the American military Horse Saddle was a dead ringer for English and French gear. During the expansion West though, concepts of cavalry changed, as did the conditions and needs of the fighting man, at the same time that Americans were making increased contact with the outposts of the Spanish empire. Spanish saddles and techniques learned from the Moors in ancient wars, and well adapted to use on the vast expanses of the new world, were far better suited to frontier conditions. The practical men of the fledgling United States picked them up rather quickly beginning in the first quarter of the 19th century, both in terms of a series of military saddle designs, and in the evolution of what we now call the "western" or "cowboy" saddle. The shapes of the saddles changed, as did concepts of equitation. In the first half of the 20th century, free of the demands of Indian warfare, and without much other fighting to do, the cavalry drifted back to English and French-influenced equipment and techniques, in search of European style and finesse.
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