Western saddle


Western saddles are used for Western riding and are the saddles used on working horses on cattle ranches throughout the United States, particularly in the west. They are the "cowboy" saddles familiar to movie viewers, rodeo fans, and those who have gone on trail rides at guest ranches. This saddle was designed to provide security and comfort to the rider when spending long hours on a horse, traveling over rugged terrain.
The design of the Western saddle derives from the saddles of the Mexican vaqueros—the early horse trainers and cattle handlers of Mexico and the American Southwest. It was developed for the purpose of working cattle across vast areas, and came from a combination of the saddles used in the two main styles of horseback riding then practiced in Spain—la jineta, the Moorish style which allowed great freedom of movement to the horse; and la estradiota, a jousting style, which provided great security to the rider and strong control of the horse. A very functional item was also added: the saddle "horn". This style of saddle allowed vaqueros to control cattle by use of a rope around the neck of the animal, tied or dallied around the horn.
Today, although many Western riders have never roped a cow, the western saddle still features this historical element. Another predecessor which may have contributed to the design of the Western saddle was the Spanish tree saddle, which was also influential in the design of the McClellan saddle of the American military, being used by all branches of the U.S. Army, but being particularly associated with the cavalry.
The Western saddle is designed to be comfortable when ridden in for many hours. Its history and purpose is to be a working tool for a cowboy who spends all day, every day, on horseback. For a beginning rider, the western saddle may give the impression of providing a more secure seat. However, this may be misleading; the horn is not meant to be a handle for the rider to hang onto, and the high cantle and heavy stirrups are not for forcing the rider into a rigid position. The development of an independent seat and hands is as critical for western riders as for English riders.

Construction

The modern western saddle begins with a "tree" that defines the shape of the bars, the seat, the swells, horn, and cantle. Traditional trees are made of wood covered with rawhide, coated with varnish or a similar modern synthetic coating. In some cases, the core of the horn may be of metal. Modern synthetic materials of various types have also been used instead of wood, but while lighter and less expensive, are generally considered weaker than traditional materials, some, such as fiberglass, dangerously so. A high-quality tree is at the heart of a good saddle, particularly those used for sports such as steer roping, where the equipment must withstand considerable force.
The tree is usually covered with leather on all visible parts of the saddle. The seat may have foam rubber or other materials added between the tree and the top layer of leather to provide additional comfort to the rider, and leather or foam padding may be used to slightly alter the contours of the seat. Sheepskin is placed on the underside of the saddle, covering both the tree and the underside of the skirts. The cinch rings, made of metal, are attached to the tree as described under "Rigging," below. For decoration, metal conchos, lacing, and small plates, usually silver or a silver-like substitute, are added.
The leather parts of the saddle are often tooled into designs that range from simple to complex. The finest-quality saddles often have hand-carved tooling that itself is considered a work of art.

Western saddles compared to English saddles

The Western saddle is different from an English saddle in that it has no padding between the tree and the external leather and fleece skirting. The weight bearing area of the saddle is large and usually covered with sheepskin, but it must be padded with a saddle blanket in order to provide a comfortable fit for the horse. Western saddles are extensively decorated and intricately carved silver conchos and other additions are frequently added to the saddle for show purposes.
Other differences between the Western and English saddles include:
Image:CollegiateEventer.jpg|thumb|left|150px|An English saddle has no horn, no protective fenders and a different padding system on the horse's back
  • Stirrups: Those of the Western saddle cannot detach from the saddle in an emergency, but instead have a wider tread; combined with the rider's high-heeled cowboy boots, the design minimizes the risk that the rider's feet will slip through the stirrup during a fall and the rider being dragged.
  • Cinching : The method of securing the saddle to the horse. Rather than buckling on as does the English girth, the Western girth, known as a cinch, is anchored with a flat strap of leather or nylon called a latigo that may be secured with a flat knot, or via holes added so that a buckle can be used, either in place of the knot or in addition to one.
  • Seat and Cantle: These parts of a western saddle are more pronounced than in an English saddle and may provide greater comfort and security to the rider.
  • Tree: The tree of a western saddle is larger and covers more surface area than that of an English saddle. There is little padding between the tree bars and the underside of a western saddle, whereas much of the weight bearing area on an English saddle is supported by a large amount of internal flocking inside the panels.
While a western saddle is designed to be ridden for many hours at a stretch; for covering distance where time is a factor, such as with Endurance riding, the lighter English saddle dominates. However, it is not uncommon for Western saddles to be regarded as “easier” to ride, as they don’t require the specific technique and style that is imperative to English riding. They are also larger, offering a more supportive and sturdy seat than its smaller counterpart. Lastly, Western saddles have a different general feel to them compared to English saddles, which riders may favor or dislike.

Types

There are many types of Western saddle available. Some are general-purpose models while others emphasize either greater freedom for the horse or greater security for the rider, as may be necessary for specialized work in the various Western horse sports such as cutting, reining, barrel racing, team roping, equitation and western pleasure. Factors such as width of the swells, height of the cantle, depth of the seat, placement of the stirrups and type of rigging all influence the uses of a given design. For example, a saddle with wide swells, high cantle and deep seat is suitable for cutting, where a rider must remain in a secure, quiet seat on the horse. At the other end of the spectrum, a saddle with a "slick fork" - virtually no swells - and a low cantle is suited for calf roping, where a rider must dismount quickly, often while the horse is still in motion, and not be caught up on the saddle.
The most common variations include the following:
  • Roping saddle: Heavy, sturdy saddle that usually has a thicker horn for securing a rope, low cantle, and slick fork that allows rider to dismount quickly when needed.
  • Rodeo bronc riding saddle: Hornless, deep seated saddle with wide swells, having small fenders with oxbow style stirrups, originally designed and made by rodeo innovator Earl Bascom in 1922.
  • Cutting saddle: Has a deep seat and wide swells allows the rider to sit deep and securely through sharp stops and turns.
  • Reining saddle: Has a deep seat to allow the rider to sit deeply and more freely swinging fenders for more leg movement on the rider's part.
  • Working cowhorse saddle: Highly versatile and designed to work for both reining and cutting for reined cowhorse events.
  • Barrel racing saddle: Lightweight saddle with wide swells and high cantle which allows rider to sit securely but also allows the horse to perform fast sprints and sharp turns.
  • Endurance saddle: Lighter weight than most western saddles, often without a horn, has a tree that spreads the rider's weight out over a large area of the horse's back, thus reducing pounds per square inch. Often has stirrups hung slightly farther forward, to allow rider to get off the horse's back when traveling at faster speeds. Designed for long rides at faster speeds than a trail saddle.
  • Trail saddle: Designed for maximum comfort of rider as well as a good fit for the horse, features deep, padded seat, designed for long rides at slower speeds.
  • Show saddle: May be based on roping, cutting, or other trees, but is characterized by additional leather tooling and silver decoration. Usually features a deep, padded seat that allows the rider to sit quietly and give the appearance of a smooth ride.
  • "Equitation" saddle: Show saddle with an especially deep seat to help hold a rider in place.

    Design variations

There are many variations of design and optional equipment elements that were influenced by geographic region, history, use and the body types of horses bred in a given area. Certain stylistic elements seen on some, but not all western saddles include:
  • Breastcollar, an additional piece of equipment that runs from the saddle around the chest of the horse, lending both lateral stability and preventing the saddle from sliding back. Breastcollars are particularly common on trail horses and roping horses and stylized versions are often seen at horse shows. They are generally made out of leather, but may also be made of mohair or synthetic cord similar to a front cinch, or from synthetic materials that resemble leather.
  • Back cinch: A second cinch is often seen on working saddles, particularly full-rigged roping saddles. Made of several thicknesses of leather, it is adjusted just tight enough to touch the underside of the horse, but not tight enough to provoke discomfort or bucking. It prevents the back end of the saddle from rising up in working situations, and when team roping, it also minimizes the saddle fork from digging forward into the horse's withers when a cow is dallied from the saddle horn. The back cinch is generally not required or used on a center-fire or 3/4 rigged saddle.
  • Saddle strings, long strips of leather attached to the pommel and back jockey of working saddles, used for tying items to a saddle.
  • Horn wrap, primarily seen on roping saddles, extra wraps of leather or other material that thickens the horn and provides support for a dallied lasso.
  • Tapaderos, leather covers over the toe that close each stirrup from the front. A tapadero prevents the rider's boot from slipping through and also prevents brush encountered while working cattle on the open range from poking through the stirrup, injuring or impeding the horse or rider. The tapadero was particularly seen on certain saddles of the vaquero tradition where the length was used in herding calves, but today is primarily a decorative element. Tapaderos are not "show legal" for western-style horse show competition in most cases, but are often seen on saddles used by parade horses.