| The western saddle and its particular characteristics | | | | control over the horse itself, however they needed |
| have been a part of American lore and history ever | | | | something that they could use to fasten their rope to in |
| since the first "cowboys" took to the western plains of | | | | order to keep control of a steer or calf or other kind |
| the country. In general, it's a working saddle, meaning | | | | of cow. And this is how the saddle horn developed. |
| that it goes onto horses and is used by men and | | | | Nowadays, outside of rodeo competitions, almost no |
| women who work on cattle ranches all over the | | | | rider of a horse upon which this saddle sits uses the |
| country, though this particular version is more often | | | | horn or has even roped a cow and "dallied" (wrapped) |
| found out west. | | | | his or her rope around it. Still, it's as much a part of a |
| Many people know this saddle as the classic cowboy | | | | western-oriented saddle as is the presence of John |
| saddle, by the way, and it's known to legions of fans | | | | Wayne in many of the greatest western movies of all |
| of western movies and rodeo shows. It's also the | | | | time. You can't have one without the other, in other |
| most common saddle sitting on the backs of horses at | | | | words. |
| many a guest ranch. As a means of helping to | | | | The particular version of these western-themed |
| improve comfort for a person riding on a horse, this | | | | saddles -- which come from the vaquero saddles -- |
| particular saddle works extremely well at imparting a | | | | also can trace some of its past to another Spanish |
| enough of it to make long days on the trail tolerable | | | | version, the tree saddle. It's this model that's thought by |
| enough to most people. | | | | some historians to have had a great impact on the |
| It was the saddles of the Spanish vaqueros, who | | | | design of the McClellan saddle, which was used by |
| worked as cattle hands and horse trainers in Mexico | | | | American military forces, especially in the Army horse |
| and the American Southwest of the 19th century that | | | | cavalry of the day, for years. |
| are the progenitors of classic American western | | | | A western saddle has developed in such a way that |
| saddles. These vaqueros needed a saddle that could | | | | it's comfortable to ride upon for long stretches of time. |
| give at least a bit of comfort while they were out | | | | It was originally developed to be an effective tool for |
| working vast swaths of land for days at a time. The | | | | the vaqueros and American cowboys of the 19th |
| resulting saddle was one that came from two different | | | | century, who needed a comfortable yet stable |
| types used for horseback riding back in Spain. | | | | platform upon which they could do their work. They |
| Vaqueros were generally happy with this new style of | | | | have a long and distinguished history of service to |
| saddle, which took the best attributes of a saddle that | | | | horse riders, and they're the preferred saddle of riders |
| allowed a horse relative free movement and another | | | | out in the American west. In short, they're a very |
| one that gave the rider a great deal of security and | | | | useful invention. |