Saddle

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A saddle is a seat for a rider fastened to an animal's back. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures.

Types of modern equestrian saddle
In the Western world there are two basic types of saddles used today for horseback riding, usually called the English saddle and the "Stock" Saddle. The best known stock saddle is the American western saddle, followed by the Australian Stock Saddle. In Asia and throughout the world, there are numerous saddles of unique designs used by various nationalities and ethnic groups.

English saddle
English saddles are used for English riding throughout the world, not just in England or English-speaking countries. They are the saddles used in all of the Olympic equestrian disciplines. The term English saddle encompasses several different styles of saddle, including those used for eventing, show jumping and hunt seat, dressage, saddle seat, horse racing and polo.

To the casual observer, the major distinguishing feature of an English saddle is its flatter appearance, the lack of a horn, and the self-padding design of the panels: a pair of pads attached to the underside of the seat and filled with wool, foam, or air. However, the length and angle of the flaps, the depth of the seat and height of the cantle all play a role in the use for which a particular saddle is intended.

Although to the untrained eye all saddles of a similar design look alike, the "tree" that underlies the saddle is usually one of the defining features of saddle quality. Traditionally, the tree of an English saddle is built of laminated layers of high quality wood reinforced with spring steel along its length, with a riveted gullet plate. These trees are semi-adjustable and are considered "spring trees." They have some give, but a minimum amount of flexibility.

Stock saddles
Western saddles are saddles originally designed to be used on horses on working cattle ranches in the United States. Used today in a wide variety of western riding activities, they are the "cowboy saddles" familiar to movie viewers, rodeo fans, and those who have gone on tourist trail rides. The Western saddle has no padding of its own, and must be used with a saddle blanket or pad in order to provide a comfortable fit for the horse. It also has sturdier stirrups and uses a cinch rather than a girth. Its most distinctive feature is the horn on the front of the saddle, originally used to dally a lariat when roping cattle.

Other nations such as Australia and Argentina have stock saddles that lack a horn but have other features commonly seen in a western saddle, including a deep seat, high cantle, and heavier leather.

The tree of a western saddle is the most critical component, defining the size and shape of the finished product. The tree determines both the width and length of the saddle as it sits on the back of the horse, as well as the length of the seat for the rider, width of the swells (pommel), height of cantle, and, usually, shape of the horn. Traditional trees were made of wood or wood laminate covered with rawhide, though modern synthetic materials are also used today. Leather is stretched and molded around the tree, with minimal padding between the tree and the exterior leather, usually a bit of relatively thin padding on the seat, and a sheepskin cover on the underside of the skirts to prevent chafing and rubbing on the horse.

Though a western saddle is often considerably heavier than an English saddle, the tree is designed to spread out the weight of the rider and any equipment the rider may be carrying so that there are fewer pounds per square inch on the horse's back and, when properly fitted, few if any pressure points. Thus, the design, in spite of its weight, can be used for many hours with relatively little discomfort to a properly conditioned horse and rider.

Asian saddle
Saddles in Asia date back several thousand years to the time of the Scythians. Modern Asian saddles can be divided into two groups: Saddles from Central Asia, which have a prominent horn and leather covering, and saddles from East Asia, which have a high pommel and cantle. Central Asian saddles are noted for their wide seats and high horns. The saddle has a base of wood with a thin leather covering that frequently has a lacquer finish. Central Asian saddles have no pad and must be ridden with a saddle blanket. The horn comes in particular good use during the rough horseback sport of ‘‘buskashi (see Pashtun culture), played throughout Central Asia, which involves two teams of riders wrestling over a decapitated goat’s carcass.

Saddles from East Asia differ from Central Asian saddles by their high pommel and cantle and lack of a horn. East Asian saddles can be divided into several types that are associated with certain nationalities and ethnic groups. Saddles used by the Han Chinese are noted by their use of inlay work for ornamentation. Japanese saddles frequently are covered in a thick lacquer finish. Tibetan saddles typically employ iron covers inlaid with precious metals on the pommel and cantle and universally come with padding. Mongolian saddles are similar to the Tibetan style except that they are typically smaller and the seat has a high ridge. Saddles from ethnic minority groups in China’s southwest, such as in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, have colorful lacquer work over a leather covering.


More recently, saddle manufacturers are using various materials to replace wood and create a synthetic molded tree, (some with the integrated spring steel and gullet plate, some without). Synthetic materials vary widely in quality. Polyurethane trees are often very well-made, but some very cheap saddles are made with fiberglass trees that are not terribly durable.

Synthetic trees are often lighter, more durable, and easier to customize. Some designs, such as the Schleese, are intended to be more flexible and move with the horse. Several companies also offer adjustable gullets that allow the same saddle to be used on different sizes of horses.​

 

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Other
* Sidesaddle, designed originally as a woman's saddle that allowed a rider in a skirt to stay on and control a horse. Sidesaddle riding is still seen today in horse shows, parades and other exhibitions.
* Endurance riding saddle, a saddle designed to be comfortable to the horse with broad panels but lightweight design, as well as comfortable for the rider over long hours of riding over challenging terrain.
* Military or Police saddle, similar to an English saddle in general design, but with a tree that provides greater security to the rider and distributes a rider's weight over a greater area so that the horse is comfortable with a rider on its back for long hours.
* McClellan saddle, a specific American cavalry model used in the post-Civil War era by the United States Army, particularly in the American west. It was designed with an English-type tree, but with a higher pommel and cantle. Also, the area upon which the rider sits was divided into two sections with a gap between the two panels.
* Pack saddle, similar to a cavalry saddle in the simplicity of its construction, but intended solely for the support of heavy bags or other objects being carried by the horse.
* Treeless saddle or Flexible tree saddle, available in both Western and English designs, but not built upon a solid saddle tree, intended to be flexible and comfortable on a variety of horses, but also not always able to provide the weight support of a solid tree. (See Controversy section, below)
* Bareback pad, usually a simple pad in the shape of a saddle pad, made of cordura nylon or leather, padded with fleece, wool or synthetic foam, equipped with a girth. It is used as an alternative to bareback riding to provide padding for both horse and rider and to help keep the rider's clothing a bit cleaner. Depending on materials, bareback pads offer a bit more grip to the rider's seat and legs. However, though some bareback pads come with handles and even stirrups, without being attached to a saddle tree, these appendages are actually unsafe and pads with them should be avoided.​

 

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Parts of an equestrian saddle

* Tree: the base on which the rest of the saddle is built. Usually based on wood or a similar synthetic material, It is eventually covered in leather or a leatherlike synthetic. The tree size determines its fit on the horse's back as well as the size of the seat for the rider.
* Seat: the part of the saddle where the rider sits, it is usually lower than the pommel and cantle to provide security
* Pommel or Pomnel (English)/ Swells (Western): the front, slightly raised area of the saddle.
* Cantle: the back of the saddle
* Stirrup: part of the saddle in which the rider's feet go, provides support and leverage to the rider.
* Leathers and Flaps (English) or Fenders (Western): The leather straps connecting the stirrups to the saddle tree and protecting the rider's legs from sweat.
* D-ring: a "D"-shaped ring on the front of a saddle, to which certain pieces of equipment (such as breastplates) can be attached.
* 'Girth or Cinch: A strap that goes around the horse's barrel that holds the saddle on.


Fitting
A saddle, regardless of type, must fit both horse and rider. Saddle fitting is an art and in ideal circumstances is performed by a professional saddlemaker or saddle fitter. Custom-made saddles designed for an individual horse and rider will fit the best, but are also the most expensive. However, many manufactured saddles provide a decent fit if properly selected, and some minor adjustments can be made.

Fitting the horse
Width of the saddle is the primary means by which a saddle is measured and fitted to a horse, though length of tree and proper balance must also be considered. The gullet of a saddle must clear the withers of the horse, but yet must not be so narrow as to pinch the horse's back. The tree must be positioned so that the tree points (English) or bars (Western) do not interfere with the movement of the horse's shoulder. The seat of the saddle must be positioned so that the rider, when riding correctly, is placed over the horse's center of balance. The bars of the saddle must not be so long that they place pressure beyond the last rib of the horse. A too-short tree alone does not usually create a problem, as shorter trees are most often on saddles made for children, though a short tree with an unbalanced adult rider may create abnormal pressure points.

While a horse's back can be measured for size and shape, the saddle must be tried on the individual animal to assure proper fit. Saddle blankets or pads can provide assistance to correct minor fit problems, but no amount of padding can compensate for a poor-fitting saddle.

One saddle simply cannot fit all animals. Nor will a saddle fit even the same horse forever without adjustments. As a horse advances in conditioning, age, and training, the back muscles and even the underlying skeletal structures change to some degree. Thus, particularly with English saddles, a saddle fitter needs to make periodic adjustments. Western saddles are more difficult to adjust, though use of shims and padding can compensate for some changes, and the lesser pressure per square inch of surface area is a bit more forgiving. In some cases, a horse will physically develop to a degree that a different saddle may have to be purchased.

Fitting the rider
Method of fitting riders varies tremendously between designs. Length of the seat is the most common method by which saddles are fitted, though the length and placement of the flaps or fenders of the saddle also influence a person's leg position and thus the way an individual sits. While a too long or too short seat will cause considerable discomfort, and even interfere with the security of the rider on the horse, width is also a factor. Any well-fitting saddle should be wide enough to support the rider's seat bones, without being so wide as to cause discomfort. While saddles are not usually marketed by seat width, designs do vary, and the only way a rider can determine the proper fit of a saddle is to sit on one.

Balance is also a critical factor. A properly balanced saddle places the rider over the horse's center of balance for the equestrianism discipline involved. A poor-fitting saddle often leaves a rider feeling that they are sliding backwards and constantly attempting to move "uphill." Less often, a poor-fitting saddle shifts the rider too far forward and creates a sensation of being pushed onto the horse's neck.

Stirrup fit varies greatly between disciplines, from the very short stirrup of the horse racing jockey to the long stirrup of the dressage or reining competitor. However, in all cases, the stirrup leather must be properly placed so that the rider remains in balance over the saddle and is not thrown ahead or behind the motion of the horse when putting weight in the stirrups.​

 

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McClellan saddle

The McClellan saddle was a riding saddle designed by George B. McClellan, a career Army officer in the U.S. Army, after his tour of Europe as the member of a military commission charged with studying the latest developments in engineer and cavalry forces including field equipment. Based on his observations, McClellan proposed a design that was adopted by the Army in 1859. The McClellan saddle was a long-lasting success and continued in use, in various forms, from the period of its adoption until the U.S. Army's last horse cavalry and horse artillery was dismounted in World War II. Today, the McClellan saddle continues to be used by ceremonial mounted units in the U.S. Army. The saddle also saw use by several other nations, including Rhodesia and Mexico, and even to a degree by the British in the Boer War.

Origin and development
In April 1855, only six years before the start of the Civil War, then-Captain George B. McClellan sailed to Europe as part of a military commission to study the latest developments in European tactics, weaponry, and logistics. McClellan's focus was the organization of engineer troops and cavalry. After the one-year tour, during which time McClellan observed several battles of the Crimean War, McClellan brought back almost 100 books and manuals. These he read before writing his report, which concluded with his proposed manual for American cavalry adapted from existing Russian cavalry regulations. He also proposed a cavalry saddle that he claimed was a modification of a Hungarian model used in the Prussian service. The saddle was almost certainly a modification of the Spanish tree saddle in common use in Mexico during this period, and which had become common in some parts of the United States.

Under the leadership of U.S. Secretary of War, the brilliant, energetic, but erratic Jefferson Davis, the McClellan saddle was adopted by the U.S. War Department in 1859 and remained standard issue, in various models, for the remaining history of the horse cavalry. The original M1859 version was the form used during the Civil War, and the design saw subsequent modifications thereafter. Still, the saddle always remained recognizable as McClellan's design, which included cavalry and artillery models. In addition, a model for packers was introduced as the M1913.

Confederate variants in the Civil War
During the American Civil War, many Confederate cavalrymen provided their own horses and civilian saddles. In time, the Confederacy issued the Jenifer saddle. But when Southerners' horses grew thin because of the inadequate food supply, the Jenifer saddle became painful to the bony withers of the horses. In 1863, the Confederate army issued the lighter and better-contoured McClellan saddle to its cavalry. Because leather was scarce in the South during the Civil War, many of the McClellan saddles had skirts of painted canvas. The Confederate Army also made use of some quantities of British saddles as well.

Influences on McClellan's design
The design was based on the Spanish tree saddles in wide use in the United States at the time, and which had seen U.S. Army use, although McClellan famously claimed that it was based on Hussar saddles he'd observed in use in the Crimean War. While McClellan did go overseas and observe the Crimean War for the United States, the saddle does not closely duplicate any pattern in use by the armies in that conflict, but is very close to the widely used Spanish tree saddle, which was originally a saddle in common use in Mexico. The design underwent modifications over time, although in many ways it remained remarkably unchanged. The saddle was simple and less expensive than existing saddles, light enough not to burden the horse, but sturdy enough to give good support to the rider and his gear. It supported a rawhide-covered open seat, a thick leather skirt, wooden stirrups, and a girth strap made of woolen yarn. Added accessories to the saddle sometimed included a nose bag for horse feed, a curry comb to groom the horse, a picket pin and lariat to tether the horse while grazing, saddlebags, and a "thimble" that held the muzzle of the cavalryman's carbine. The McClellan saddle was placed on top of a saddlecloth, shabrack, or saddle blanket.

Service and rivals in the U.S. Army
As noted above, the McClellan saddle served, and continues to serve, for an extraordinarly long time in the U.S. Army. The saddle has had unbroken use since 1859.

Still, the saddle did see some modification over time. The modifications were never so great as to keep an observer from recognizing the saddle as a McClellan saddle, but they did occur. Perhaps the most significant alterations to the saddle occurred in the 20th Century, when the rigging was changed twice. The first time, an adjustable rigging was adopted leading to the M1904 McClellan. That pattern is the most common of all McClellan saddles, and continued in use throughout World War One and World War Two.

However, increased emphasis on equitation in the U.S. Army also lead to the M1928, which was a M1904 with English rigging and fenders. This variant, the final one in U.S. service, fit closer than other McClellan saddles, and is still used by the U.S. Army in ceremonial uses.

The saddle, while passing the test of time, was not without its rivals or critics. The first significant challenger was the Whitman saddle, designed by a former U.S. Army officer of that name. The Whitman had many McClellan features and is often mistaken for the McClellan. While not supplanting it, it was approved for use by officers and remained an approved officers' saddle throughout World War One. In later years, it incorporated so many McClellan features that it is known as the "Whitman-McClellan."

In the 20th Century, a serious effort was made to replace the McClellan through tests of the U.S. Army's M1912 equipments. The M1912 saddle would prove to be unsuccessful in the Punitive Expedition, but it demonstrated a very great departure from the McClellan design, resembling in some ways the British Universal Pattern saddle. Subsequently, the Army tested the M1917 saddle, which was not adopted.

Enormous quantities of M1904 McClellans were purchased by the U.S. Army in World War One, effectively preventing any new saddle from being adopted for general use for decades. The U.S. Army, however, did approve a saddle of the English saddle type prior to WWI for officers, and after the war approved another one with the adoption of the Philip's saddle for officers.

Use and service outside the United States
The saddle also saw considerable civilian use, and was made for civilian sales by a variety of manufacturers. It also was widely used in the United States by mounted policemen. It was adopted by Mexico, in a Mexican made version, for their army. At least some were sold to the Dominion forces in the Boer War, and the Northwest Mounted Police in Canada obtained at least a few for test purposes. The saddle was adopted by Rhodesia in the 1970s for use by the Greys Scouts. South Africa used some quantities for mounted game wardens in the 1980s in South West Africa.

Legacy and continued use
While the McClellan saddle was not perfect, and had its critics, it was one of the most enduring military saddles of all time, rivaled only by the British Universal Pattern saddle in its longevity. The saddle was used by every branch of the U.S. Army, as well as by the U.S. Marine Corps, and was very widely used by mounted police units throughout the United States.

The McClellan saddle continues to be made in the United States and was used by endurance riders at one time. Presently, it is made for use as a pleasure saddle for those few who like to use it for that purpose, and as a saddle for historical reenactors.​

 

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Pack saddle

A pack saddle is any device designed to be secured on the back of a horse, mule, or other draft animal so it can carry heavy loads such as luggage, firewood, small cannons or other weapons too heavy to be carried by humans, etc. Ideally the pack saddle rests on a saddle blanket or saddle pad to spread the weight of the saddle and its burden on the pack animal's back. The underside of the pack saddle is designed to conform well to the shape of the pack animal's back. It is typically divided into two symmetrical parts separated by a gap at the top to ensure that the weight being carried does not rest on the draft animal's backbone and to provide good ventilation to promote the evaporation of sweat.

Since the pack saddle is not intended to support a human rider, the upper side of the pack saddle resembles a rack to let its load rest on and be tied on with ropes, straps, or other devices.​