|
On our Hidden Trails riding tours we usually indicate what tack is being
used during your vacation. Please, keep in mind that even when we
indicate "English" on our riding tours - usually it is a subcategory such
as "endurance" or a variation of a "McClellan" saddle that is based
on a light military saddle with a split back. It is not likely that you will be
riding any dressage saddle on any of the riding tours.
Click on the different types on the left to see an image of the saddle type.
The Early History of Horse Saddles
The first horseback riders rode bareback, in fact for hundreds of
years they traveled, hunted for food and even waged war with their
enemies, all while riding without a saddle.
In 365 AD, a tribe called the Sarmations is thought to have invented not
only the first saddle, but also the first metal stirrups and spurs. The
Sarmations were known as serious horsemen, using their horses in battle
and sacrificing them to their gods. The Huns invading from Central Asia
brought the Sarmation’s saddles and metal stirrups to Europe, the
Europeans finding the metal stirrups great for mounting, as well as
aiding the riders balance. Riders now could use the weapons of war of
the time, swords, axes and lances, with more skill and efficiency. The
next major improvements in saddles would wait for the medieval knights.
The saddle we now know as the western saddle is actually an evolved
version of the Spanish Vaquero’s saddle used by the working cowboys in
Mexico. Things from the areas of New Mexico, Mexico-New Spain, and Texas
in the early 19th century were often referred to as Spanish, and the
saddle that we now know as the western saddle would in fact have been
referred to as a Spanish saddle.
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 Horse 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.
|
