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Re: When did English saddles first appear

From: Richard Griffin <richard.griffin@ffei.co.uk
Date: 8/24/99
Time: 6:48:33 PM
Remote Name: 202.139.228.204

Comments

Do you mean English, english or "english" saddles? English dressage, jumping,show,hunter,flat racing,National Hunt,cavalry, event or General Purpose?

Going further back there's the english mounted warrior saddles (that looked surprisingly like a western saddle (or is that Western?)of today. Of course I'm refering to the western saddles seen in Britain, maybe they are nothing like the ones used in America, which presumably would be derived from Spanish conquistador saddles which possible share common ancestors with the early English saddles.

Then there's the big furry one that the drum major rides in British military bands and looks like it should be in a 1960s sitting room or maybe on the back of a Harley Davidson.

>Did it have anything to do with the necessity to jump English hedge rows?

A point often missed by those that study foxhunting in Britain is that the hedgerows were managed to suit the jumping requirements of the local hunt. I believe the tendency in Ireland is to have stone walls instead of hedges and they are built wide enough for a horse to jump onto and then off.

>What about Western saddles?

I thought that Western saddles were designed to be sat in all day and have a horn attached near to the horses centre of gravity to make roping cattle easier. But I'm probably wrong, I learned this from a diet of Hopalong Cassidy films when I was young.

RG


Last changed: December 29, 2000