1950s Show Equipment... No Saddle Pads??

[Janet]

A “Corinthian” was a “Sporting Gentleman” of the Regency period (though the term was also used by Shakespeare)

The Corinthian was, above all, a sporting man. He drove his own horses, boxed, ride to hounds, shot and strove to be among the elite of this group would undertook these expensive as well as athletic endeavors.

They were also usually very particular about their dress, wearing the latest fashion.

Georgette Heyer wrote a novel called “The Corinthian” about such a dandy.

ETA hhat, according to OED, that uasage is derived from
“relating to the licentious manners of Corinth”

[trafalgar]

In all the pictures I have of myself in horse showe in the mid sixties, I am in my Stubben Seigfried sans pad. I did use a pad at home…often a towel or an old sheepskin. I have a wool flocked saddle custom made for my horse now, so I could go padless but would not even consider letting all that sweat and dirt rub against my beautiful saddle!

[GypsyQ]

[QUOTE=marianne;7664280]
I think it was because the bread in the older days was not Wonder Bread perfect-so you cut off the crusts to make it square and fitted into the sandwich box[/QUOTE]

That makes sense.

[hoopoe]

not only that but crusts were tougher and harder to take a bite or eat quickly

[Ambitious_Kate]

A good hostess always cut the crusts off sandwiches for lunch or tea.

I too remember not using a saddle pad, and the dried swamp of foamed sweat and horse hair which needed to be saddle soaped off the underside of the saddle.

[SmartAlex]

Sandwich should be plain white turkey or watercress. No dressing (i.e. mayo). Cut in four and wrapped in a linen napkin. Flask should have tea or sherry.

Side saddle people are still fanatical about appointments. And I can tell you any time you introduce a layer between your side saddle and your horse you are increasing your chance of slippage.

[Velvet]

The reason stated for pads out here are 100% correct. Pads were later used simply to keep the saddle clean.

The older saddles were flocked and the break in process with a new saddle was to never use a pad. You rode with it on the horses back so it would break in and shape to the horse, via the sweat and the flocking and leather. It still works, it’s just that no one wants to possibly end up with a sweat stained saddle. And if you have a black one, that will ruin the dye.

Eventually people would sometimes move on felt pads that had to be brushed out. They absorbed more sweat so people used them to keep the saddle cleaner, but if you broke in your saddle the correct way, it was still roughly the right shape and you could reflock and remove the pads to have it once more become a custom fit if your horse’s back changed or if the flocking broke down and became too flat.

[PoohLP]

[QUOTE=Janet;7664790]
A “Corinthian” was a “Sporting Gentleman” of the Regency period (though the term was also used by Shakespeare)

They were also usually very particular about their dress, wearing the latest fashion.

Georgette Heyer wrote a novel called “The Corinthian” about such a dandy.

ETA hhat, according to OED, that uasage is derived from
“relating to the licentious manners of Corinth”[/QUOTE]

Not To hijack, but a Dandy was the opposite of the Corinthian. The one was fairly derisive of the other. Corinthians were all about sport, and although some were also quite particular about their dress, were first and foremost addicted to sport. They were the men who drove 4-in-hand, raced, hunted, and attended or participated in blood sporsts (human and animal).

Dandies (the pinks of the ton) were the sartorial butterflies and were known for adopting the wildest whims of fashion. Although some might ride, they generally were considered more concern with the cut of their coat than with their horses.

Sort of the difference between today’s jocks and drama clubbers - only with more money, and arguably better clothes and horses.

[PoohLP]

[QUOTE=Velvet;7665791]
The reason stated for pads out here are 100% correct. Pads were later used simply to keep the saddle clean.

The older saddles were flocked and the break in process with a new saddle was to never use a pad. You rode with it on the horses back so it would break in and shape to the horse, via the sweat and the flocking and leather. It still works, it’s just that no one wants to possibly end up with a sweat stained saddle. And if you have a black one, that will ruin the dye.[/QUOTE]

That’s how my Stubben rep told me to break mine in. At least 20 hours no pad and then only a thin pad after that. Said if I absolutely felt I HAD to put a pad under it while breaking it in, I should use something super thin, like a pillow case. The wool needs the sweat. Also, only clean panels with water - no soap or oil as it would harden the flocking. Worked like a charm!

[Lady_Eboshi]

After reading this thread, pulled another Oldie but Goodie off my bookshelf last night; Jane Marshall Dillon’s Form Over Fences.

In the days of no saddle pads, everyone past x-rails had a beautiful following release out of hand . . .