Horse Saddle Bags
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Horse saddle bags do come in many different shapes, designs and sizes, depending on the type of activity you’re going to do, and the type of saddle which you have. Some saddle bags are designed to fit specifically onto an English saddle, some are designed for Western style riding saddles fitting over the back or the horn, some are designed to fit across the cantle (back) of the saddle, some are designed to carry water bottles, some are even designed to keep your sandwiches cool and fresh! Okay, let’s take a closer look.
Leather Saddle Bags – if you’ve got a leather saddle, then the chances are you’ll want leather saddle bags to match. They very often fit just behind the riding saddle, usually one on either side, and it’s remarkable how much stuff you can stuff into them. The beauty of using well fitted saddle bags is that you can carry lots of essential equipment with you without it hindering your comfort or riding style (or the comfort of the horse).
It’s a great idea to let your horse get used to the saddle bags flapping about.
Saddle Bag / Water Carrier – you can also get some very useful and durable saddle bags made form other materials – nylon and neoprene immediately springs to mind, and what is terrific about many of these types of saddle bag is that they are designed to carry water bottles safely, so that they are easily accessible and less likely to spill into your saddle bag and make the rest of your stuff soggy. If you can find saddle bags which have adjustable straps to carry your rain wear or bed rolls, then all the better. Do take heed when fastening your rain wear to your saddle however, a rather scary experience springs to mind – one day I thought I had fastened my rain jacket securely to the back of my riding saddle, only for it to start flapping around mid canter, which soon turned into a flat-out gallop for my startled horse as it ballooned behind me like a parachute. Help, no brakes and road approaching . . . you have been warned.
Mmmm, wrong type of saddle bags, I was looking for a video about riding saddle bags bozo . . . you just can’t get the staff can you? That’s the last time I’ll ask her to help me!
Horn Saddle Bags - fit around the horn, otherwise known as the pommel of the horse saddle. These are for Western riding saddles of course, because English saddles don’t have horns (but some English cattle do). A horn saddle bag is therefore really easy to access, and often have different pockets so that you can keep your equipment separate and easy to get hold of. Many of this style of saddle bag are designed for trail riding so have pockets designed especially to carry items like collapsible water pails, cell phones and cameras . . . not forgetting a drink carrier for the horse rider too.
Isn’t Junior great? He’s one well equipped dude too, lots of useful information, thanks a lot.
English saddle bags are specially designed to fit onto the English riding saddle. You might not think about English style riders needing saddle bags quite so much as the trail or Western style horseback riders, but hey, they still need somewhere to keep their cell phone, water bottle and snack bar too. Unlike leather saddle bags which often have buckle closuers, these English saddle bags are oftne made from heavy denier nylon with zippers.
