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Why an Australian stock saddle?This is a question I am asked several times a day since 1979, when I introduced the saddle to the US. Obviously, as selling these saddles are my business, I have given the question much thought. Now consider, I am a horseman not locked into any particular discipline. I jump in a jumping saddle, steeplechase in a jockey saddle, do dressage in a dressage saddle, rope in a roping saddle, shoot competitive in a vintage Western saddle and I blast through the Malibu hills at night in an Aussie saddle. I fear no saddle. I am familiar with many. However, it does surprise me how locked-in so-called Western riders are to Western saddles. Or how locked-in so-called English people are to English saddles. I say so-called because the difference between the styles are actually very little. There is only good riding or bad riding. And as far as the horse is concerned, there is even less difference. For the horse, the saddle either fits, or it doesn't fit. It hurts, or it doesn't hurt. Each camp, however, seems to know little about Australian saddles, although opinions abound. Each desperately clings to dogma invariably incorrect as far as Australian saddles are concerned. Most just do not know, and do not want to know. The Australian saddle is, quite simply, a BIG DRESSAGE SADDLE. The stirrups hang in a dressage position, and they are free swinging. Many Aussie saddles I have designed since the early 80's incorporate aspects of Western saddles I have always liked Big D western rigging, fleece lined panels, fenders, even horns (which I don't particularly like! But at least half my customers do!!) So, the Aussie saddle is actually a FORWARD SEAT, as in an English saddle, and certainly NOT A REAR-READING SEAT, as in a Western saddle. Interestingly, the Aussie saddle is somewhere in between. At the walk, the rider sits in the back of the saddle, with the leg slightly forward, and the heels down. This spreads the bearing weight of the rider not just under the butt, but also under the thigh, making it more comfortable for the rider. Which is why we sit in the back of chairs, not on the edge of them. This rider position does the same for the horse. The bearing weight of the rider is thus spread over a greater surface of the tree, lowering pounds per square inch for the horse. It is also a much SAFER way to ride. If the horse at the walk puts his foot in a hole, and drops on his knee, you may not go over the front, BECAUSE YOU WILL ALREADY HAVE YOUR FOOT IN A POSITION TO PROP AGAINST A FALL. You will also be helped by the knee pads, or poley's. They are there to STOP you going over the top. The straight up and down leg, as in dressage, and as in Western pleasure, is deadly on the trail, although it does look pretty in the arena. If the horse stumbles, and your ankle is inline with your elbow, which is in line with your shoulders, you will not have time to tell your brain to tell your foot to get forward to prop against a fall. You will already be on the ground. Now, the faster you go in an Aussie saddle, the more your weight comes forward, so, at the full gallop, you should be in the jockey position, with your thighs secured against the knee pads, your head down, back straight, reins short, and your leg will AUTOMATICALLY be in full dressage position. This will enable you to control direction of the horse with leg pressure and body weight shift a good thing in thick timber at a flat gallop. Yank mouth, and you'll certainly buy bark. And if you think this is not a good position for a rider on a galloping horse, check out where they ride on racetracks with million of dollars in the balance! Put simply, there is NO saddle more comfortable for the trail horse, AND the rider, than an Australian stock saddle. It evolved over two centuries into bush-perfect. The pattern belongs to nobody. The R and D was done by countless Outback riders who depended on the saddle for their very life - - and livelihood. When modern riders discover this unique saddle for American trails, thatt;Arial","sans-serif";color:black"> With such precision equipment, there is, of course, a key factor. It must fit the rider precisely. Same goes for the horse. Many new modern American saddles are copying aspects of the Australian saddle, and they are enjoying good success. The closer Western saddles get to Australian saddles, the more suitable they are for the average backyard equestrian (who is aging) riding trails that are growing precipitous. (I confess I've borrowed from the Western saddle too.) But I hope they don't copy ME too much, because the REASON I am in business is because so many Western saddles do NOT work on trails for either horse or rider. Traditional Western saddles were designed for working cattle in the traditional American way - which is a style peculiar to the Americas. It has more to do with tradition than efficiency. If roping cattle one at a time was efficient, all the cattle people in Australia would be riding Western, because, second to America, they are the largest producers of cattle in the world. And when you consider the population of Australia could fit into Southern California, THAT will give you some idea of how many people in Australia are on horses chasing cattle. Fact is, it wouldn't occur to the average Outback ringer to tie a raging 1200-lb wild steer to a saddle strapped on an 800-lb horse 300 miles from a phone. The Outback style and equipment has nothing to do with tradition. It has everything to do with money, and staying alive. English saddles work in limited circumstances, for horse and rider, but there is NO security, and minimum bearing surface for the horse. Again, they were invented by the landed gentry in England, so they could look grand galloping their thoroughbreds over fences chasing foxes. Everything to do with tradition. If English saddles had worked when they were first introduced into the Australian bush, along with the first European settlers, they would still be using them today. Western saddles are well known in Australia, but they are not used on Outback cattle properties. If they were better for that job than Australian stock saddles they WOULD be used. Again, its about money, not tradition. The fact remains, there is no one saddle to meet all needs, cover all disciplines, satisfy all styles, fit all horses. But I'm working on it........ Cheers Colin Dangaard |
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