Stock Saddles

Straight Stock

Over 150 years ago, an English-style all-purpose dressage saddle served as the primary inspiration for the development of the Australian Stock Saddle, which had been in development for roughly that long. The traditional English saddle had a padded seat that was both deep and comfy, and it also included a knee roll at the front to provide better grip for the rider. In response to the increased demands that the harsh circumstances of Australia imposed on horses and riders, saddle producers began raising the knee rolls and experimenting with different forms in order to better secure riders in their seats.

Instead of having a knee roll below the outer flaps, which would have created a depression around 1 1/2 inches deep, a knee pad was affixed to the outside of the flap. In the beginning, they were positioned quite low and were considered to be a “knee pad.” They performed a role that was comparable to that of the knee roll. Also comparable was the height, which ranged between between 1 1/2 and 2 inches.

This new modification was soon adopted, and saddle producers who were in competition for consumers came up with a wide variety of different forms. During the years, the “knee pad” has grown in size, and saddles with kneepads of up to 6 inches in height have been more widely available. Yet, the size that has proven to be the most popular is between 3 and 4 and a half inches long.

As the Australian Stock Saddle developed through time, the knee pads migrated to a new location on the saddle that was higher up the leg and further away from the knee. They are still referred to as kneepads, despite the fact that they are positioned such that they come into touch with the rider’s upper thighs. Because of this, the rider felt a great deal more secure. In the event that the horse unexpectedly came to a halt or the rider was propelled forwards, he would secure himself under and behind the kneepad. Also, the seats of the saddles were given a whole new design. In order to make them more comfortable, they were dished out and made broader. The rider’s requirements determined whether the dish seat was simply a shallow dish or progressed through many phases all the way to a complete roll seat.

The stirrup bar is the one component of Australian Stock Saddles that has not undergone any significant changes throughout the years. The stirrup bar has been demonstrated to be an effective and beneficial safety component. The upward curve at the back end of the bar acts as a retention mechanism for the stirrup leather or fender strap once it has passed over it. In the event of a fall while being dragged, the rider will be able to free themselves from the stirrup leather or strap thanks to this design feature. If a stirrup iron becomes caught on a post, a tree stump, or any other item that is firmly attached to the ground, the design of the stirrup bar allows it to bend in an outward direction when the horse pulls away from whatever it is caught on. This once again enables the release of the stirrup leather or fender strap and ensures the safety of both the horse and the rider.

Stock with Swinging Fender

Stirrup leathers on Australian Stock Saddles have historically been one and a quarter inches broad. It is extremely important for safety reasons that it has been fixed on a steel hook bar. In the event that the rider falls and is being dragged, the stirrup leather has a considerable probability of separating from the stirrup bar, therefore freeing the rider who was being pulled. The rider had a great deal of flexibility of movement because to the small leathers that were 1 1/4 inches wide and exceedingly flexible. The one drawback is that the leathers might occasionally pinch, and the buckles can irritate the skin on the inside of the leg. A leather that was broader by 2 inches and proved popular helped overcome some of these issues. They also have a superior strength. It became evident that the broader the leather, the more comfort and security was offered for the rider, and as a result, the fender design of the Australian Stock Saddle was modified to incorporate elements similar to those seen on American saddles. This turned out to be a really successful endeavour. When installed on the stirrup bar, the fender will still detach in the event that the rider loses their balance. Nevertheless, the additional width of the fender will give additional protection, allowing the rider to ride in shorts if they so want. The fender’s breadth and broader 2 1/2-inch straps made it quite rigid, and it did not allow for unrestricted movement like the older form of stirrup leather did. This was one of the drawbacks of the fender.

Fenders normally consist of two primary parts: the front, which is the shaped section that is visible and on which the rider’s leg sits when riding, and the back, which is typically flat. The top of that component is connected to what is known as a “adjustment strap,” which passes through a slot in the saddle tree, over the bars of the saddle tree, and then hangs down behind the fender. Because the adjustment strap contains a number of holes drilled in a row, into which the Blevins buckle pegs fit, the rider’s leg length and the appropriate knee angle while riding may be accommodated by adjusting the stirrup height up or down.