Cloth. The Indians used blankets for their saddles. But most people rode bareback at the start of riding.
Soft leather is supple and easy to work with such as the material for leather gloves. This is distinguishes it from Hard leather like that used to make the body of a saddle, this material is thick and very stiff.
Soft leather is supple and easy to work with such as the material for leather gloves. This is distinguishes it from Hard leather like that used to make the body of a saddle, this material is thick and very stiff.
Wood was used to make the first submarine
The saddle pad actually predates the saddle itself. There is no exact year, but when horses were first ridden people used cloth as a barrier between them and the horses back. These were the first saddle pads, and the precursor to the saddle.
cow poo
the first planes were made of wood and canvas.
feathers
sometimes metal and normally leather
An endurance saddle is used for endurance races
A cutback saddle is used in saddle seat riding.
A numnah is a special type of saddle cloth. It is the same shape as the saddle, usually padded heavily around the edges and very thick. It is often made of wool or a similar material and is very thick and absorbent. It makes good cushioning for a saddle. They are often used under Australian pleasure or work saddles, which are a cross between the deep seat of a Western saddle and lightness and more fitted shape of an English saddle.
The first saddle was basically just a piece of cloth laid over the horse. At some point someone used a strip of leather to hold the cloth on, thus creating the first girth. After that the saddle progressed fairly rapidly into what we have today. The Spanish style of saddle is the oldest style, with English saddles coming in second, sidesaddle third and Western saddles would be fourth. Now we also have trail and endurance saddle which are the newest designs.