subject: The Western Saddle And Its Characteristics [print this page] The western saddle and its particular characteristics have been a part of American lore and history ever since the first "cowboys" took to the western plains of the country. In general, it's a working saddle, meaning that it goes onto horses and is used by men and women who work on cattle ranches all over the country, though this particular version is more often found out west.
This western-oriented saddle is familiar to legions of fans of western movies and is the prototypical "cowboy saddle, " both in movies and in actual practice. In addition, it's used in great numbers on most guest, or "dude, " ranches to this day. It can impart a relatively large amount of comfort to the rider sitting on it and it can make long stretches of time spent on it at least tolerable to even the untrained rider.
In terms of its development, the saddle itself is the end product of the work and demands of the vaquero, a horse trainer and cattle hand who worked the ranches of the American Southwest and Mexico back in the 19th century. These riders required a special kind of saddle which could impart comfort yet also allow the rider to control the horse fully. Eventually, two different Spanish riding saddles were combined to produce the saddle we've come to know today.
Vaqueros were generally happy with this new style of saddle, which took the best attributes of a saddle that allowed a horse relative free movement and another one that gave the rider a great deal of security and control over the horse itself, however they needed something that they could use to fasten their rope to in order to keep control of a steer or calf or other kind of cow. And this is how the saddle horn developed.
These days, almost nobody who owns this saddle has used the horn to help in roping a calf or cow, outside of the occasional rodeo competition or when the saddle is on a horse at a working cattle ranch. But the implement is an integral part of the identity of the saddle and is as common to that saddle as John Wayne or Clint Eastwood is to a western-themed movie. In other words, you can't have a saddle without the horn and vice-versa.
Many may not know it, but the western-related saddle also shares a heritage with the Spanish tree saddle, which also gave it certain of its attributes. In addition, the American army's cavalry saddle -- the McClellan -- owes its own development to that wonderful and well-working Spanish saddle. Both the western and the McClellan saddles were finally solidified in form not long after the American civil war, most historians say.
The rise of the western saddle in the west is due to a number of developments, starting with the demands of the early cowboys and vaqueros of Mexico and the American Southwest in the 19th century. Mainly owing to a combination of two specific Spanish saddles, with a lesser contribution from a third Spanish version, the present saddle makes for an effective, stable work platform for cowboys and riders everywhere. In fact, it's one of the Old West's most memorable inventions.
