What is My Saddle Made of?

Photo by Roger van de Kimmenade on Unsplash

Ever wonder what your saddle is made of? The easy answer is probably leather, but so much more goes into it. Modern horse saddles are divided into two broad categories, the English and Western saddle. Depending on which you use, the materials that compose it may differ drastically. Continue reading to find out what goes into making saddles. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.

What My Saddle is Made of

The three main parts of the saddle are the accessories, the saddle tree, and the seat itself. The accessories like flaps, girth straps, and stirrup leathers are typically made from animal skins. Depending on the saddlery, this could be from cattle, pigs, sheep, or deer. However, cowhide is the most common skin used for saddles. Saddle trees are composed of several different raw materials. These include wood, fiberglass, plastic, laminate, steel, aluminum, and iron. Seats are usually made from canvas, felt, and wool.

These raw materials are used for making all saddles. However, Western saddles have more requirements because they are used for working. These saddles have a wider and longer panel than the English saddle. This is so they disperse more of the rider’s weight over the back of the horse. They also have a roping horn on the pommel which is used for roping cattle. These extra pieces are usually equipped with extra D-rings, or tie-downs, to hold the ropes and other items.

One thought on “What is My Saddle Made of?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *