42/ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 THE RIDER
Saddle Fit and All We Have Seemingly Forgotten Over the Years… (A Short History of Design)
ple rather than knowledgeable saddlers and horse people. So a saddle that was originally conceptu-
alized for military use is nowadays responsi- ble to ensure fun and adventure rather than used in place of fear and conflict. Times may
Our forefathers depended
By Jochen Schleese CMS, CSFT, CSE ©2018 Saddlefit 4 Life® All Rights Reserved
One of the most subtle changes in past
years in our industry has been in the design of the English saddle. In the 20th Century the recognition of the horse for recreational and athletic purposes opened the equestrian indus- try as a mainstream activity – which led to the rebirth of saddlery on a whole new level. Women began to ride astride on saddles which had been made for men, preferring their security over the traditional female side saddle. Saddle manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon and began mass production of generically fitting saddles (narrow, medium, wide, 16”-19”). Demand created the process and the business was driven by business peo-
on the soundness of the horse in order to be able to continue to do their jobs, or even survive. Horses at the turn of the century (and up to the mid 1900s) were still used primarily as working animals in agriculture or in the military. Their owners and rid- ers were true horsemen, and generally knew everything they needed to know to keep their horses sound and their saddles and tack fitting well. Then when the industrial revolution really took off and horses were rele- gated to the sidelines, it seems that a lot of this knowledge and experience was simply lost in translation. It was not until the mid-
1950s that equestrianism as a recreational and competitive sport began to really take hold – with a huge shift in demograph- ics to the female side of the population. Un- fortunately, although there are certainly still many true ‘equestriennes’ out there, many of today’s riders are women who are just now taking up the sport (having time and discre-
‘Today’s’ Female Rider - Photo courtesy Christina Wunderlich (used with permission).
tionary funds to spare for this not-inexpen- sive pastime) really have never had the ad- vantage of being raised with horses, and need to rely on industry professionals to keep their horses happy.
Cavalryman - circa WWI era. Source – Wikipedia
have changed, but the health and comfort of horse and rider still need to be the focus of saddle fit. More manufacturers ought to look to the origins of especially the McClellan in their design; sometimes too much focus is put on ‘looks’ rather than functionality and pur- pose.
This saddle from the Civil War days
(1859) epitomizes how much time and effort went into the design of military saddles, with a goal to produce a properly fitting saddle that would keep horses healthy for the longest time. Although built for the last time in 1928, it was still in use during WWII, and is the basis for the design and development of the saddles used by many endurance riders today. Many of the latest ‘innovations’ in saddle
The McClellan saddle is, to this day, the tem-
plate for many saddles developed for endurance riders. Photo courtesy of Christoph Rieser.
● COACHING ● Dieter Werner
~ coaching at your farm~
design have actually found their origins in history, but much of this ‘common knowl- edge’ has been lost over the years. Saddlery is not a new science; saddles have been around and in use for many centuries. Espe- cially in the cavalry it was crucial for the sol- dier to have a rideable, healthy horse available for use over long distances. In those days, many saddlers actually lived with their horses. Working with them on a daily basis allowed them to become so intimate that they intuitively came to know what was best for their horses. This knowledge was passed on through the generations, mostly from father to son. Most saddles were made on an individual, totally custom basis, begin- ning with the horse.
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