GENERAL SADDLE INFORMATON

There is no real consensus on the origin, history and evolution of the modern western horse saddle. This page provides some generally accepted insight into the history of horse saddles. Hopefully you will find this information helpful and of interest. It is adpated from an article by Shelley Jessop.

The Evolution of the Western Saddle

The Early History of the Saddle

(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.

Notwithstanding that Brahmans were possibly the first "riders," there is no doubt the Chinese were the first real "horsemen." The Chinese were harnessing the horse about 4,000 BC. There is great evidence to support the idea the Chinese used the horse earlier, to a greater extent and in more ways than did any other civilization. The Chinese were involved in selective breeding and selective conformation (having several different kinds of horses for different jobs) as early as 1,000 years BC

About 2,000 BC the Hittites over in the Mediterranean were doing their thing with the horse. They were using the horse for war, and they were winning. Evidently the Hittites had it together, for it seems it was the Hittites who left the first text on the care and rearing of horses. The document was written about 1,600 BC and contains some advice about the training of a horse which is as applicable today as it was then.  For example, the Hittites said a horse needed the equivalent of about 100 miles of gallops before being asked for real speed. Most trainers today will agree the modern Thoroughbred needs about 100 miles of gallops before being asked to show some of his speed.

Some claim the Assyrians were the first of the eastern Mediterranean cultures to make use of an article resembling a saddle. All they lacked was a stirrup, but at the time, so did everyone else.

The Egyptians were also using the horse about 1,650 BC as a mean of expanding their empire. Curiously, they had no interest in riding astride, preferring the chariot. Maybe they didn’t ride because their horses at the time where not much like the Arabian of today.

The saddles mentioned in the Bible are generally considered to have been saddlecloths. The ancient Greeks sometimes used saddlecloths, but they had no saddles and often rode bareback. The Romans did not use a saddle until near the end of the empire. The Native Americans of the Great Plains of North America were famous horsemen, and usually rode without saddles. To riders accustomed to the saddle, however, its advantages are decisive. Probably saddle as we know it today, was developed either in France during the early Christian era or in the steppe region of Asia. In Europe the saddle came into general use in the Middle Ages. The exploits of medieval knights would have been difficult without the saddle. Saddles of various types include the packsaddle, to which the load of a pack animal is secured; the camel saddle; the howdah, used by riders of elephants; and the saddle used by riders of horses. There are two main types of horse saddles, the Hungarian and the Moorish. The Moorish saddle, which was used extensively by cowboys in the United States, has a horn which is essential in using the lasso. To hold it in place under the strain of the lasso, this saddle has two strong girths, each tightened by a cinch strap. The Hungarian saddle, of which the English saddle is an example, the McClellan saddle, and the racing saddle have no horns. The English saddle has padding, and the stirrup is hung farther forward than on the Moorish saddle or the McClellan saddle, neither of which is padded. For constant use, the hard saddle is believed in North America to be better for both the horse and the rider. The padded saddle has advantages in brief and occasional rides. (The Expanded Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright© 2000.)

Historically horses were ridden bareback, or with only a blanket over their back. Riders throughout the centuries hunted, fought in wars and traveled great distances all while riding bareback. Some claim a tribe called the Sarmatians who lived by the Black Sea first invented the saddle in 365 AD, as well as the metal stirrup and spurs. The Sarmatians were well known for their horsemanship and use of horses in battle. They were a nomadic tribe that worshiped fire and often sacrificed horses to their god. Female Sarmatians may have been the inspiration for the Greek tales of the Amazons, as they were known to ride into battle with the men. The Sarmatians were conquered by the Goths at the end of the third century in the area which is now Southern Russia. Camel and elephant saddles were developed around this same time in Africa and Asia. The Sarmatian saddle was further improved by Medieval knights in Europe. (CBC, Copyright © 1997)

It appears that people rode horses (astride) for over 1,500 years before they had devised a method for achieving greater stability in the saddle. An early form of the stirrup can be traced to India in the second century BC. It consisted of a simple loop through which the rider placed his big toe. This was of limited value for stabilizing a rider and of no real value whatsoever as an aid in mounting a horse. Some scholars believe that the first true stirrups were devised in Central Asia during the first century BC by a nomadic group known as the Sarmatians. This innovation soon spread to other Central Asian peoples, who would have quickly noted that bracing one's feet in a set of stirrups made it much easier to shoot a bow from the saddle.

Invaders from Central Asia, such as the Huns, brought the stirrup to Europe, where it seems to have been valued as much for aiding in mounting as for stabilizing a rider in the saddle. In fact, the words for stirrup in Old High German, Old Saxon, and Old English are all derived from words for climbing. When used with the contoured saddle, stirrups afforded a mounted warrior considerable stability, thereby allowing him to deal powerful blows with a sword, axe, mace, or lance. (Old World Contacts / Department of History / The University of Calgary Copyright © 2000, The Applied History Research Group)

Early History of the Western Saddle

The Western 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. The article is entitled 'Cowboys-Vaqueros, Origins of the First American Cowboys' by Donald Gilbert Y Chavez (www.unm.edu/~gabbriel/index.html).

Historians are aware that America's story owes something of significance to the "western 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 saddle.

What we term the “western saddle,” Americans of the first half of the nineteenth century generally referred to as the “Spanish saddle.” Thus they showed their awareness of its place of origin. Americans of that time commonly used the term "Spanish" to distinguish whatever related to New Spain-Mexico and her provinces to the north: Texas, New Mexico and California. And within the locus of the New World, it was specifically in Mexico, (which included modern day New Mexico), that the western saddle originated and underwent a great deal of its development. By the outset of the nineteenth century the saddle used by the horsemen of New Mexico was founded upon a saddletree incorporating practically all the elements of design by which the western saddle tree is distinguished today. By the time Spain had set sail for the West Indies in 1492, two basic styles had been adopted and brought to the Americas with the horse, a la estradiota, and la jineta.

La Estradiota
Spanish War Saddle

La Jineta
Muslem Cavalrymen Saddle

From the 11th century West European institution of "chivalry," (which originally had the same meaning as "cavalry") evolved the age of knighthood. The saddle of chivalry, (a la estradiota) consisted of two large rigid bows, the rear end couching the pelvis of the rider, connected by wooden planks. The seat was padded on both sides between the rider and the horse. The fork swell or pommel rose high in front of the rider so as to protect the stomach from the force of the opposing jouster's lance. The cantle was high enough to secure the rider from being forced over the rear of the horse and close enough to the pommel to further snugly secure the rider.

It was from the 'a la estradiota' and 'la jineta' styles and the saddles designed around those styles that the first vaqueros developed an American saddle to suit their own needs and preferences. From their research the saddle experts have a reasonably good idea how the western stock saddle evolved and appeared. However, because there are no surviving fully documented saddles from the colonial American Southwest and Mexico (1521-1821), other than a few inconclusive illustrations and literary references to the estradiota, jineta and later vaquero type saddles, there is no consistent agreement between authorities on exactly what the first vaquero saddle looked like. Given the old maxim that "necessity is the mother of invention," it is a reasonable assertion that, (1) there were as many prototypes as there were inventors, and (2) they began with the examples of the Spanish import, la estradiota, and la jineta, and blended the most practical features of each and allowed the personal experience and the conditions of the deserts of northern Mexico and Southwestern U.S. to shape what eventually began to look like a "functional" prototype for what became the Spanish American, then Mexican, and later American western saddle.

The first saddle models had no saddle horn. The saddle horn was an innovation invented through necessity by creative Spanish and Mexican vaqueros. Livestock was first tied to the horse's tail. The horses surely having objected to towing anything larger than a sheep, vaqueros then tied the home end of their lariat to the "D" ring on the side rigging of the saddle. That proved less than efficient, so some ingenious vaquero invented a large wooden bulbous saddle horn cut from the same piece of saddle tree; also called a manzana or apple. The second Viceroy of New Spain claimed some credit for "la silla vaquero" the new vaquero saddle with a saddle horn for roping. It is my guess, however, that it was a "creative hands on" practical minded lesser known working vaquero who through trial and error invented the prototype of what eventually became the saddle horn. This first Spanish style (Livingston) saddle had no skirts and the stirrups were cut from one solid piece of wood. Russell Beatie, in his book “Saddles” asserts that "...this early Spanish saddle was used, with only minor modifications, for 200 years."

By the early 17th century, the modified jineta saddle utilized by the first colonial Mexican stockmen had evolved into a distinctive national form: la silla vaquero mexicana. It became famous in the mid-19th century in the western United States as the vaquero saddle or Mexican cowboy saddle. This form displayed many variations, some regional and some occasioned by the taste and uses of its owner.  One variety was sometimes called la silla charra, or charro saddle. The influences of the early Mexican saddle have been preserved in large part in one of our local saddle styles, The Santa Fe saddle even in more contemporary time.  Richard Ahlborn, in “Western Words” indicates that "by the early decades of the 19th century, the Mexican (Vaquero) stock saddle had assumed the general appearance, of the stock saddle that was to become the standard in the western part of the United States, another vast region where further regional modifications would continue to take place. The vaquero saddle was also the precursor of the "Texas" saddle which included such modifications as double rigging.

Top to bottom: Charro, Santa Fe and Texas style saddles

The Saddlehorn

Many of the first generation of Anglo Cowboy Texas had missing thumbs. While novice cowboy Anglo Texans were taking cowboy lessons from their Mexican Vaquero teachers they were unable to tie the lariat around the saddlehorn like the seasoned Hispanic Mexicans. Often they were not able to rope the steer, turn the rope around the saddlehorn, and then remove their thumb between the rope and horn before the animal pulled tight.  Consequently, they lost their thumbs. This was the beginning of the Texan tradition of roping technique where the rope was first tied to the saddlehorn, then lassoing the animal. To this day on occasion you will still come across a cowboy who lost his thumb the same way. The one major change within the range of forms typical of the Mexican saddle occurred after 1875 as a result of the efforts of groups of charros – Mexican horsemen devoted to the art of the Mexicana riding style who were anxious to preserve the traditions and skills of authentic Mexican horsemanship. As a result of their efforts, charreria was organized into a national sport and is now a traditional part of the Mexican culture," as well as some parts of the U.S. Southwest.

The popularity of the American West was largely owing to the salesmanship of Buffalo Bill Cody, who in 1883 started thrilling crowds across America and the world with his Wild West show, which featured riders outfitted with deluxe western regalia much fancier than what any working cowhand would use. The show's gilded image of the frontier was so persuasive that buckskin fringe and tack with ornate tooling became part of the region's culture, inspiring genuine cowboys and dudes alike.

Buffalo Bill Show Posters
Copyright © 2001 Montie Montana Jr. ( www.buffalobill.com)

Military Influence on the Western Saddle

While more utilitarian than civilian models, military saddles were 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. Saddles reflected a much more significant influence as well. In the early days of the nation, American military saddles were dead ringers 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. (Copyright ©1999 “Clinical Observations on the Collecting of Military Saddles” by Joseph Sullivan, originally published in the Texas & Southwestern Collectors' Association Newsletter via The Military Horse Forum - www.militaryhorse.org)

The McClellan Military Saddle: As has been recounted in numerous other works, George B. McClellan developed this saddle over a number of years. This saddle has its beginnings in the Crimean War, where Capt. McClellan was sent, like many officers, to observe the activities of the combatants. During this time it is surmised that he was able to observe, and perhaps test for himself, a great variety of foreign military equipment. This seems to have been the case, as he was spurred to suggest a wide range of changes to the equipment then in use by the U.S. Army.

The Model 1913 McClellan Packer's Saddle: This odd saddle was made as a saddle for packers ("wranglers" of supply pack trains) who needed the horn for lead ropes, etc. Quite a number of other personnel in cavalry organizations were also issued packer saddles instead of the regular McClellan service saddle. Many packers relied on commercial, western-type saddles, which were later made by contractors such as R.T. Frazier and K.C. Saddlery Company for a short time during WWI. These McClellan packers were totally different in dimensions from the cavalry/artillery McClellans, as they were generally used with mules. The saddles featured a bare brass horn, and four brass rigging rings, and two horsehair or mohair cinchas. These generally had steel knife-edge stirrups. (Copyright © The Military Horse Forum - www.militaryhorse.org)

Left to right: The first McClellan 1857 and The Model 1913 McClellan
Copyright © The Military Horse Forum - www.militaryhorse.org