saddle

—saddleless, adj. —saddlelike, adj.

/sad"l/, n., v., saddled, saddling.

n.

1. a seat for a rider on the back of a horse or other animal.

2. a similar seat on a bicycle, tractor, etc.

3. a part of a harness laid across the back of an animal and girded under the belly, to which the terrets and checkhook are attached. See illus. under harness.

4. something resembling a saddle in shape, position, or function.

5. the part of the back of an animal where a saddle is placed.

6. -

a. (of mutton, venison, lamb, etc.) a cut comprising both loins.

b. this cut, trimmed and prepared for roasting.

7. (of poultry) the posterior part of the back.

8. a ridge connecting two higher elevations.

9. the covering of a roof ridge.

10. bolster (def. 7).

11. a raised piece of flooring between the jambs of a doorway.

12. an inverted bracket bearing on the axle of a railroad car wheel as a support for the car body.

13. Ordn. the support for the trunnion on some gun carriages.

14. Mach. a sliding part for spanning a space or other parts to support something else, as the cross slide and toolholder of a lathe.

15. a strip of leather, often of a contrasting color, sewn on the vamp or instep of a shoe and extending to each side of the shank.

16. See saddle shoe.

17. Ceram. a bar of refractory clay, triangular in section, for supporting one side of an object being fired.

18. (in a suspension bridge) a member at the top of a tower for supporting a cable.

19. in the saddle,

a. in a position to direct or command; in control.

b. at work; on the job.

v.t.

20. to put a saddle on: to saddle a horse.

21. to load or charge, as with a burden: He has saddled himself with a houseful of impecunious relatives.

22. to impose as a burden or responsibility.

v.i.

23. to put a saddle on a horse (often fol. by up).

24. to mount into the saddle (often fol. by up).

[bef. 900; (n.) ME sadel, OE sadol; c. G Sattel, ON sothull; (v.) ME sad(e)len, OE sadolian, deriv. of the n.; akin to SIT¹]

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Seat for a rider on the back of an animal, usually a horse.

The leather saddle was developed between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD, probably by peoples of the Asian steppes, where the stirrup and the horse collar also originated. The saddle greatly improved a rider's ability to control a moving horse, especially in combat. Improvements made in medieval Europe were related to feudal battles among knights. Modern saddles are mainly divided into two types: the light, flat English or Hungarian style used for sport and recreation, and the sturdy Western style used originally for cattle roping and now also for recreation.

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▪ horsemanship

      seat for a rider on the back of an animal, most commonly a horse or pony. Horses were long ridden bareback or with simple cloths or blankets, but the development of the leather saddle in the period from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD greatly improved the horse's potential, especially for war, by making it easier for a rider to keep his seat on the moving horse. The saddle probably originated in the societies of the Asian steppes (which were also the site of origin of the stirrup and horse collar) and received a high degree of development in medieval Europe, especially in France, as an indispensable element in the knightly shock combat of the feudal age.

      Camel saddles, also an ancient device, were contrived to accommodate the animal's hump or humps. Elephant saddles are proportionately large and resemble canopied pavilions. They are usually called howdahs (Hindi: hauda).

      Modern saddles for horses are broadly of two types. The Western, sometimes called the Moorish, saddle has a high horn on the pommel, in front of the rider, which is useful for securing a lariat, and a large cantle, in back of the rider, to provide a firm seat for cattle-roping operations. The English, or Hungarian, saddle is lighter, flatter, and padded and was designed for sport and recreational uses.

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