Australian Saddle (Part 1)

Ever wondered what the Australian Saddle was, or how different it is from the typical Western or English riding saddles? In this article, you will learn the main features that distinguish the Australian Saddle from the other riding saddles, the similarities it shares, the origin of this great piece of work and the uniqueness of it surrounded by its much competition.

The popularity of the Australian Stock Saddle came about right after the publish of the movie, "The Man from Snowy River" in 1982. This great movie has one of the best horseback riding scenes as far as time can tell, and all of its riding was done on Australian saddles. The news of this saddle type soon spread like wild fire, and the Australian Saddle gained its name surrounded by the existing equestrian world.

The origin of the Australian Saddle came about shortly after the English settled in Australia in 1788. The English brought with them horses, saddles and equestrian tacks of all kind. Not so long after their arrival, they soon realized that there was huge and obvious dissimilarity between their homeland and Australia. So, the commitment and drive to mold the existing English saddle into something which suits the harsh environment came about. They began changing the compose of their saddles and equestrian tack into something that would march-up with the harsh, rigid and rugged environment; hence an evolution of the existing English saddle surfaced with its variations and was populated with the name, "Australian Saddle". They needed a saddle that would be comfortable while working long hours on horseback for both the rider and the horse itself. This saddle had to be tough and durable for the intended rugged use, yet again be Light weight and easy to girth.

The Australian Saddle has been in existence for over a hundred years. The fundamental English saddle was made tougher and more robust so it could be capable of withstanding the needful stress and hardship of the Australian environment. Fittings [like d-rings and bridge staples] were added so riders could carry their gear with them. However, the major dissimilarity the Australian Saddle poses is in the introduction of the expedient called 'poleys'. The 'poleys' [or a type of knee pad] provides a more get and safe horseback riding on sloppy and inclined areas. They are settled in front of the saddle and parallel to the thighs of the rider, about ¾" Inches away. The 'poleys' give the major dissimilarity the Australian Saddle has in dissimilarity with the other types of horse riding saddles like the Western Saddle or the typical English saddle. With the 'poleys', one can authentically distinguish the Australian Saddle from these other horse riding saddles.

The Australian horse riding saddle has a straightforward [highly efficient] duplicate 'girthing' which is used to attach it to the horse. The billet straps (which are sewn to the saddle) and the over girth (a strap going across the top of the saddle) both buckle directly to the girth. This duplicate principles allows the rider to girth the saddle more effectively, which helps eliminate slippage. Should a billet strap break, the over-girth provides additional safety.

Australian saddles rest more on the horse's shoulders in dissimilarity with the normal and beloved type saddles [like the western] which sits on the horse's spine area. So it is widely known that the Australian saddle is settled more send than the others, and the stirrups are attached in a more send position as well. This puts the rider's center of mass right on the spot where the weight could be distributed evenly throughout the horse's body, and it is a beloved dogma that this saddle position type provides relax to the horse which in turn improves and enhance the horse's performance.

Most population find that the Australian riding position is also more comfortable for the rider. With the riders feet send of the hips there is great weight distribution, resulting in less stress on the knees. And the 2 ½" Inches leathers make it easy to turn the stirrups in the exact position. Many riders who sense knee problems with Western and English saddles do not have problems with Australian saddle. However, if you like to be able to Move send in your seat when going up steep hills, it's very hard to do in an Australian saddle because of the 'poleys'. They commonly come in a few different widths just like Western saddles. The 'poleys' have also evolved from time to time by absorbing up from the rider's thigh towards the upper part of the legs.

(More to come in the next publish of the Australian Saddle pt2)

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