Interested in Roman Riding?

[John Conyard]

I agree with you Vindex. The breast and breaching straps help hold the saddle in place when jumping and when going over rough terrain.

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And they allow you to hang decoration from them.

Iconographic evidence shows them tight, which might just allow them to look smart. I certainly don't like the look of such tight straps.

In terms of modern reconstructed saddles I do remember some very poor saddles which needed them to help hold the saddle in place. They were cast resin saddles.

I fit our saddles very carefully and there is little movement. I suspect we don't really need our straps and one horse hates his breaching strap. I prefer using a surcingle to hold the saddles tight. And much comes down to the girth. I believe the girth was attached to a wooden frame rather than being stitched into the saddle cover as initially thought. Which means many of our saddles use split girths attached directly to the saddle frame giving greater stability.

Two of us did go on a great cross country ride through trees, jumping across stream, climbing vertical slopes etc. and I think the straps may have helped us out there. May have, not too sure really.

Anyway, good question.

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