The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-05
THE SADDLE
ITS INVENTION, AND CHANGES
1T HAS UNDERGONE.
Magnificent Coverings by Roman
Cavalry-From Cloth to Leather
THE Indian Howdahs-A
Great Industry.

Originally the rider rode his horse bare
back, but in the course Of time various
coverings, made of leather, were brought
into use. The coverings eventually hung
down on both sides of the horse, were Of
very costly material, and we're beauti.
fully adorned. Apuleius called these
coverings fucata ephippia, and Virgil, on
several occasions, makes mention of their
expensive character.
The Roman cavalry used extensive
coverings on their horses, which the old
Germans considered effeminate, and they
dispised them for it. In the time Of
Alexander Severus, the horses of the Ro,
man cavalry wore magnificent coverings
Before the time of Nero the cavalrymeI
were obliged to present their horses with
ont covering during the review, that j
might be more easily seen whether they
were in good condition. Nero, how.
ever, abolished the wise regulation on
review. He had Weakness for display,
and wanted the cavalry to present q
grand appearance on such occasions.
Even after the introduction of these
coverings it was considered more grace.
full and manly to ride without them.
Varro boasts of having ridden, when a
young man, without covering to his
horse.
The evolutions from cloth coverings to
the saddle were as gradual as they were
natural, finally bringing US to the saddle
of to-day, consisting of the wooden
frame known as the saddle.tree, the
skirts or padded underfaps, the seat
generally made of tanned pigskin), the
girth or belly-band, the stirrup straps,
the stirrups and the crupper loop. This
combination is the saddle proper, no
matter low varied its shape, how near
its approach to elegance on the one
hand, or to awkwardness on the other.
1t is supposed that the saddle was in
vented about the middle of the fourth
century, but the fact, in the opinion of
some, has not been positively proven.
Zonaras, the historian, tells us that Con-
stantine, the younger. was killed in the
year $40, when he fell from his saddle.
The word translated into saddle also
means, however, the back of the horse,
or the place where the rider sat. It is
true, nevertheless, that Sidonlus
Appollinaris used a word that unmis-
takably refers to the saddle tree.
Nazarius, in his panegyric on Con-
stantine the Great, in describing the
manner in which the enemy's cavalry
were destroyed, says, "the men, almost
lifeless, hung sedllibus." Some think
that they could have hung in ehis man
ner only by saddles; others, that they
could have clung to the coverings. The
latter, however, to warrant the in
ference, must have been girded to the
horses, but the girth was not introduced
until after the invention or perfection of
the saddle.
In Montfaircon's engraving of the
pillar of Theodosius, the covering upon
which the rider sits seems to have a POM
mel in front of it and the extremity of q
saddle-tree in the rear. That the saddle
was in use in 3S5 is substantiared by an
cdict of that date issued by the Emperor
Theodosius. forbiddlng riders of post
horses to use saddles of more that sixty
pounds in weight. The saddles of that
day must have been ponderous affairs
compared with the light, yet strong and
compact saddles now in use.
In the fifth century saddles were made
so extravagantly magnificent that pro-
hibition was issued by Leo l., in which
it was ordered that no one should orna-
ment them with pearls or precious stones.
In the sixth century the Emperor Mauri
titus required that the saddles should
have large coverings of fur. The igno.
minious punishment of "bearing the
saddle" had its origin in the middle
ages.
Bedemsnn, the German author, after
considerable research, attributes the in
vention of the saddle to the Perslans.
Xenophon's testimony seems to warrant
the inference, for he tells us that the
Persians first began to render the seat of
the rider more easy and convenient by q
gradual increase in the number of cover
ings. He censures them by putting
more coverings upon their horses than
they did on their beds. A later author
informs us that Persian horses were in
great demand in his day because they
were trained to bear saddle.
The Indian howdah is a sort of car or
pavilion, saddle for elephants. It is
handsome affair with gorgeous trap
pings, and, though of various forms, Is
usually covered overhead. The driver
is not seated in the howdah, which is
reserved for his master, but sits on the
elephants neck.
England exports large quantities Of
saddlery, the most of which is made st
Walsall, in Staffordshire, or in the i'm
mediate neighborhood. The value OF
the export, including harness, exceeds
50, 900, 900 annually.
The saddlery business of this country
is a great industry and our exports are
keeping pace with new avenues of trade.
Millions of dollars are invested in the
business, the general term of saddlery
including many articles besides the mere
saddle. During the Civil War some OF
the manufacturers became immensely
wealthy. The village saddler manufac-
lures very few saddles nowadays; there
is no profit in it to him; he either las
to buy them ready-made or put them to-
sether after purchasing the various
parts. The saddle has reached such a
ii,. &c ,>o,f,ot;,n tbot thara ia very