Austria is considered to be amongst the leaders of saddle producers in the world. Find out about the origins of modern saddles and the different varieties of Austrian saddles that you will be able to buy.
Saddles have been used ever since man realized his God given powers of taming wild life such as horses for their own use. Over the years the production of saddles has evolved and today you have a large number of saddle manufacturers all over the world competing to produce the best saddles. Austria is one of those countries that has earned a name for it self as a renowned saddle manufacturer. In fact it is amongst the leading saddle manufacturing nations in the world today.
The most commonly used materials in the making a saddles are wood, plastic and metal along with a leather body. These saddles are also padded so as to provide the extra cushioning between the saddles and the horse. This provides extra comfort and safety for both the rider as well as the horses. Today’s saddles also feature saddle covers along with pads.
The history of saddles
Much to the general public’s surprise saddles were not initially invented for the purpose of riding. Rather they were made for the purpose of carrying luggage. The very first saddles were quite different from what we find today. They consisted of two boards interconnected in front and back along with the right and left against the horse. This saddle allowed for easy storage of luggage and also made things much easier for the horse as it reduced the direct amount of pressure being applied on the horse’s back. This made long journeys much easier than ever before.
The first riding saddle was strapped with cushions in order to provide the rider with comfort. There was no particular engineering technique to the first saddles rather each rider would just make something up to suit his comfort. The Romans introduced the use of the saddle strap which added the much needed convenience. Saddle stirrups were introduced later on to the saddles. The saddle tree however was developed earlier on and it served security purposes for the rider.
Different kinds of riding saddles
There are different kinds of riding saddles for different purposes. Austria produces all the different kinds of models through many different building materials. There are work saddles which are different from plank bed saddles used in sports. You will be able to find some sort of a cross between these two types of saddles as well. Running saddles and English saddles are amongst the top of the line saddles when it comes to plank bed saddles.
Work saddles are lightweight and economical in size. They can be left on the horseback for the entire day. This is unlike sports saddles that are hefty and larger and should not be left on horseback for a long duration. Then you have special kinds of saddles designed for jumping which are configured to assist the rider during the course. Versatility saddles and lady saddles are amongst the other versions of the Austrian saddle that you will be able to get.
