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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2020
- For all the great characteristics of the '59 issued McClellan Saddle, there were many complaints that soldiers had. Check out this video on what the most common complaints were.
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I introduced Saddle Fitting to Sweden back in the 1980s after doing extensive studies of saddles world wide. The Swedish Military Saddle had served it´s purpose since the Thirty Years War up to the disbandment of it´s horses for military use in the 1950s with little change in the desighn.
The German and Austrian/Hungrian Military Saddles were much of the Swedish desighn.
Gen. McClellan did his tour of duty in Europe during the Crimean War 1856. It was there he brought back examples of the military equpment being used. The saddles were of the Hungarian Blade Saddle Typ based on the old Swedish desighn.
What McClellan did was strip the saddle down to the bare tree elimanting much of the leather weight and used the Center Fire Rigging instead of the European Forward Rigging.
This rigging put the saddle bares up on the shoulder blades which rubbed the shoulders raw and also worked the saddle blanket back. By putting the saddle farther back the bares would lock up the shoulders causing pain and a short stride.
It was the Texas Sam Stagg Double Rigging that proved to be the best solution to keeping the saddle in it´s place and prevented Sore Shoulders. The McClellan never adopted this rigging and so had too deal with sore shoulder - sore back horses where the back saddle bares dug into the Loanes of the horse.
The two major factors of Saddle Fitting is "Saddle Displacement and Weight Distrabution".
The saddle must cover as much area as possible over the horses back without interfering with movement or causing discomfort.
Since the time of Gengas Kahn the mounted troops learned the trick of treating saddle sores by putting their day´s meat rations wraped in cheese cloth between the saddle blanket the the sore, this helped protect and heal the sore spot as well as Marinated the meat for the evening meal.
In "Five Years a Dragoon" using grain sack under the blanket is mentioned ase helping keep the horses backs from getting sores
I am spelling challenged. I rode a 1904 Mcclellan for 16 years and never sorebacked my horses. I attributed this to having the seat bones firmly and niticeably !! in contact with the saddle. Sit upright as much as possable, dont sit on your pocketts. This will be controversal, but posting is about as dumb a thing as you can do. Mainly everyone I see doing it rises there fanny up about 18" thrust there feet down and slams down.
When unsaddling take the saddle off first, then the blanket. The hair should look smothe and flat. Sweat marks dont tell all of the storry. Roughfed hair in the withers may be from turning sharply or a rub, like from posting. Lastly in saddling. loosen the left cinch strap a bit then tighten the right, then tighten the left, evens up the saddle. Hope this helpful, remember I rub the universe the wrong way let alone mankind. Good luck. Ps I am making my 3rd saddle.
Steve, thank you for this part two. I'm not much of a campaign field veteran by any means, and own both the '59 McClellan and Texas Hope saddles. I adore my Hope for all the reasons your 'author' stated. His words and your commentary here are priceless. I will be adding Whittaker's book to my library. Much obliged, sir.
Having ridden a McClellan saddle, I can personally say they are extremely uncomfortable to ride on. My father’s BuenaVisa Saddle was the most comfortable saddle for ,saddle horse or trotter.🤠👍🇺🇸🙏✝️
I ride one a lot and like it. It’s different for different people.
As a gaucho, having used western saddles with buckle girths in a few occasions, I can say the double ring is infinitely better and safer for the rider.
We usually use not a saddle, but a "basto"", a mount made purely out of leather and a filling for the bars.
In Argentina, the bastos are made out of two bars, usually filled with wool or sawdust, and 2 leather straps that hold both bars together.
In Uruguay and Rio Grande do Sul, there are two main models of bastos, the "4 headed", similar to the argentinian bastos, and the "oriental" or "2 headed", which has a leather bar crossing over the front of the saddle and in the back, making a cantle
There are a few other saddles, such as the sirigote and the socado paulista, the first being common in the 3 countries and the second being really common in all of Brazil and sometimes seen in Uruguay
Not so much burlap, but more like tight woven feed sacks or bed ticking.
Gteat job, your channel.....
Three cheers to the cavalry....
I participated in 1988 and 1989 in Re-enactment's in the States....
Greetings from germany.....
The Rhodesians were the last to use McClellan-derived saddles for true military use. Their solution to saddle bags was an interesting one. It didn't sit back behind the saddle, but was draped over the cantle (there was a slit in the connecting piece holding the two bags together) with the front half of that sat on by the trooper and the bags themselves being just behind the leg.
The SADF still used them in the late '90s until their equestrian unit were closed down. I was there in 1992. Literally spent HOURS in this saddle.
@@Stefan-X24 Zimbabweans kept theirs around until the mid-90's IIRC. Looked up pics of SADF horses - their McClellans seem more like the originals than the Rhodesian manufactured ones. Were they local manufacture or bought as surplus from the US? Look like the 1902 pattern.
The Rhodesian Mounted Infantry (Grays Scouts) used various Saddles, including later model MacClellans and Brit /Commonwealth UP Saddles that continue to made to this day.
They ditched the UP saddles pretty early in their service history for a variety of reasons. It was what they were most interested in at first (familiarity) but the ones they could get were all South African made and the quality just wasn't there for how much they cost/weighed. I think it may have also been the 1912 "adjustable" pattern which was never liked because of how poorly they ended up fitting the horses.
@@mr.stotruppen8724 hard to believe that what you termed "the adjustable Saddle " ( never heard the 1912 Universal Pattern Swivel Tree Saddle called "adjustable" before) was a poor fit on their Horses, that was never found to be the case with the Australian Light Horse brigades during WW1 and during the inter war decades, even to this day the British Army Horse Guards and Royal Horse Artillery Kings Troop still use them. Additionally the same saddle is much sought after by Australian Endurance riders.
Great video. Your channel might just get me interested in getting into horsemanship as a hobby. Owning a horse and such.
One tip though, any cards you put in the corner please put in the video description aswell. (as Ave says, links in the doobly doo). Having it in the card while on mobile makes me A. Go to their video before yours is done, or B. I finish your video, then have to search all over for the 4 seconds that card popped up.
Keep up the good work! Also some suggestions. 11th Ohio Volunteer Calvary is a cooler name than 11 OVC esp to someone coming across your channel/vids.
I realise that your presentation is focussed on the ACW era, (and let me express how much I enjoy your series and enthusiasm) but allow me to suggest the British & Commonwealth Universal Purpose (UP) Cavalry saddle culminating in the 1912 Swivel Tree Saddle is worthy of study. Interestingly the Brits looked closely at the American MacClellan saddle, around the same time the Americans were looking at the Brit Cavalry saddle, but neither of them adopted each others preferred one. Here in Australia I own two 1912 UP Swivel Tree saddles and have found them excellent for distance riding and stowing gear off them. Now about lifting saddle at the trot....
Nothing like a long ride to make you reassess your gear and seat.
The advice for gunny sacks under the saddleblanket were very common even in pre-CW accounts. The reason for their efficacy may have been lost on the original writers (many wrote things that weren't always correct). It's more likely the rough weave allowed for better 'wicking' and keeping a good amount of the wet wool off the hide.
Large saddlebags with girth - a common request that was made actual with the later M1879 pattern saddlebags, used from about that date through the 1890s. These were also known as 'Whitman' saddlebags, and were used along with the slightly later M1885 pattern. The 'complaints' of Whitaker are echoed in other accounts, but you will also find other contrarian views - especially re: saddlebags. I've seen the later larger bags mocked as 'steamer trunks' by highly experienced officers. No way to please everyone :)
The weight of the McClellan saddle and the 'toggeries' was complained about, and significant updates were adopted in late '63 - dropping the stirrup hoods, sweat leathers as well as the crupper as an item of issue. Whitaker clearly has his own bias' on Mexican/Texan saddles. Re breaststraps - McClellan himself recommended against them - and those who needed them got them by hook or by crook.
I'm curious that he didn't complain about the webbing girth - that seemed to be a universal gripe, with many lauding everything about the horsehair cinchas, except their cost.
Whitakers complaint on the longevity of the saddle not lasting beyond two years is curious - it's predecessors such as the Spanish and Grimsley dragoon saddles rarely lasted out a year in active service, with full re-issues nearly every year.
First thing I thought of was the gunny sack having the ability with its larger and loser weave would be for a desired wicking action....
Great video, but I think your horse is getting impatient, he’s ready to go !!! Lol !! I Enjoy your videos lad !!!
Buenas noches desde Uruguay, hace un año que me suscribí, me interesa mucho la historia de la caballería de esa época porque yo soy policía rural y a veces hacemos trabajos a caballo. Aquí no tenemos monturas usamos lo que se llama "recado" que es una especie de montura criolla. No entiendo casi nada del idioma inglés por eso escribo en español, pero me gustan mucho los videos. Saludos!!
When asking about the saddle bags how do I attach them to the horse usually on the military saddlebags upfront on the lower inside there’s a little D ring take and put a strap to the cinch ring ,connected to will hold it to the horse. I’ve been riding a McCullen 1904 saddle for 24 years now and I love it I’ve tried other saddles and always goes back to the Saddle. I now have 5 of them
My research of the term "gunny sack" indicated that it comprised a wider variety of sacking material, including the finer cotton weaves such as used to contain beans or rice, not just the burlap that is the common understanding today. In fact, I had the impression that burlap may not have been the original meaning of gunny sack, but it's been a while since I looked into it, so I am unable to cite sources. I'm a writer, not a horseman, but I would not make the assumption that the gunny sacking therapy meant burlap.
I think the real value of "Gunny sack, Burlap" or Hessian (as its called in Australia) is that it would have enabled the saddle sore to be aired rather than "glued" with the saddle banket over it.
@@ardshielcomplex8917 Excellent, excellent, I've been drawn into a discussion of a topic about which which I have no competence, but that has never stopped me before. Ergo, I have serious doubts that any sort of cloth of that day, when placed between a saddle and the horse's hide, and when that saddle is mounted by an adult male rider, would allow significant aeration of a wound or prevent the adhesion of that material to the wound, the nature of the weave notwithstanding. Even so, I suspect that a tighter weave night be less likely to adhere than an open weave, IMHO
If one is the exact size in the pelvis, one's seat bones sit directly on the inside edges of the bars of the saddle. An experience much like sitting upon the blades of a pair if butter knives.
Thats exactly my experience! I wonder why there was not even a sheepskin to sit on.
I have a 1918 McClellan saddle I've rode for many years I had the Amish do some rework on it when I got it because I bought it in an estate sale and it was in poor shape I have the original stirrups and I had to have the rest rebuilt it's a good riding saddle the only thing I can say is when I would first started riding it for the year the high back rub the little place on the top of my butt but then it would heal up and I would toughen up and it would be fine. It never hurt my horse it always made sure to have a good thick blanket underneath it like I did with any other saddle and I never had any issues with saddle sores it's a good light saddle l'm a heavy person and that made it easier on my horse.
The later US Cavalry saddle bags had the oval US stamped into the leather. But some did not. Is there a reason for those that do not have the stamped oval US?
Fascinating, as a civilian reenactor I don’t see why they didn’t add a second blanket under the saddle, do away with any saddle bags as it’s easy to pack items in a shelter half and strap to the cantle, and more items in a poncho strapped to the pommel. Really the only extra weight is the blanket but worth it for better rest.
I wish he’d elaborated more on attached the blanket to the saddle to prevent slippage. My main issue is my blanket slipping out the back when I go on any kind of incline or decline.
I suspect a lot of the reason for wood stirrups rotting quicker is due to the excessive humidity they deal with back east.
Can anyone tell me if he’s talking about a surcingle ONLY? As in, doing away with the cinch completely?
I had two McClellan saddles I like them both but I hate that the seat was to small and the tree was not fitting my horse right so I went to a saddle maker
We need more information on the saddle pads. Both pro and con.
Where can I find that book “Lessons of the Decade. By a volunteer cavalryman.. “??
Strap would be in the same location as a back cinch on a western saddle.
hello. I would like to ask about the burlap, which is mentioned at 1.30 minutes. Could you tell me what kind of fiber the burlap was made of at that time? Was it hemp fiber, or maybe it was linen fiber, or cotton, or something else. Do you have any information about what burlap was made of in those glorious times?
Hey Kazik.Ku!
Unfortunately, that is something we have not researched and have no idea what the actual consistency would have been for that period. I don't want to steer you in the wrong direction, so i probably should just leave it to your own research. Sorry I couldn't help!
@@11thovc thank you for your attention.
Burlap was usually associated with sisal woven material like a potato sack.
It is possible that he was talking about a rough linen canvas of about 15oz or more in weight/linear yard...need to see a list of offical army stores for a answer.
I think you misunderstand the purpose of the "flank strap" in a rodeo. It doesn't cause the horse to buck by making him uncomfortable; in fact if it were painful, the horse would be less likely to buck. It's mostly a signal to the horse that he's now "on duty" and needs to get out there and do his job. As for the saddle bag girth, depending upon how/where the bags were placed, it could lie about where the rear girth of a western saddle lies and horses have no trouble adjusting to that.
You prolly dont give a damn but does anyone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account??
I stupidly forgot my account password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me.
@Beckham Casen Instablaster ;)
@Hugh Gianni I really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff now.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
@Hugh Gianni it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
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@Beckham Casen no problem =)
Awful. When I was a kid, it was my first saddle. Pinch pinch pinch. What a scammer that McClellan must have been.
В войне 1812. года русские казаки имели 2 лошади- одна боевая, одна вьючная
The list of what soldiers carry sounds VERY close to modern soldiers. Pack least amount of BS.
The McLellan saddle seems to be a copy of the German cavalry saddle, but without the excellent padding which the German saddle was built with. Perhaps the added padding of the German saddle is the key to preventing equine discomfort.
Nope, the German Cavalry Saddle looks nothing like the American MacClellan saddle.
не любишь ты свою лошадь : её насекомые заживо едят, а ты сидишь и языком болтаешь. сначала лошадь нужно обработать средством от насекомых, а потом сказки рассказывать.