Shelbey: The Evolution Of Tack And New Materials Used to Make Them

Chem 30 Final Project

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Tack Evolution

History of the Saddle
- As early as 4000 BC
- Bareback- fringed cloths/pads (Assyrian Calvary- 700 BC) with girth
- Had tree before stirrups
- Each country had their own style (German- sidesaddle, English, Western)
Where Saddles Originated
- People rode bareback since domestication- first invented by Sarmations (365 AD)
- Developed to support in warfare
- Designs branched to English and western mostly
How to Make Leather Saddles
- Saddle tree prolongs useful life of horse
- Leather tanning undeveloped- eventually resulted in soft, durable hides
Functions and Status Symbol
- Saddles as status symbol to show off riders wealth
- Western saddle evolved into working saddle
- Proper care can extend useful life of saddle for decades even

Evolution of Synthetic

First Synthetic Fibers
- Invented by Joseph Swan early 1800s
- Came from cellulose liquid
- Formed by chemically modifying fiber contained in tree bark
- 1885 Swan developed fabrics manufactured from synthetic material
Synthetic Tack Evolution
- Became popular material with endurance sports
- Synthetic can be used in just about any kind of tack
- Halters commonly made from synthetic
How to Make Synthetic Leather
- Consists of petroleum-based plasticizer, ultra violet light stabilizer, flame retardant solution, powdered vinyl, dyes
- Poured onto paper, baked to harden
- Added fabric backing, mold shape, print pattern onto synthetic leather
- Tests: wear and tear, stretch, fire

Synthetic and Leather Pros/Cons

Synthetic Pros
- Water resistant- good for endurance sports
- Low maintenance
- Nylon: more colours and patterns to choose from
Synthetic Cons
- Not made to last
- Need to invest in a good saddle pad
- Synthetic slips more with heat and sweat factor
- “No-slip”- higher chance of sores, pinches and rubs
- Weaker than traditional saddles- high quality tree is heart of good saddle
Leather Pros
- Molds well to fit horse
- Absorbs heat and sweat
- Ability to stretch and let horse breath
Leather Cons
- Lots of maintenance to keep from cracking
- Very expensive
- Heavy

Impact of Synthetic

Vegan Debate
- Beliefs: animal lives first priority- no leather
- Production concern- leather might be first choice
- Leather has environmental edge from sustainability
Eco Friendly?
- Production: material created in lab- turned to garment- does not break down
- Leather has closed loop system
- Chemicals: PVC and Polyurethane
- Disposal: hard to recycle, needs complete molecular breakdown to re-manufacture
What to Consider Buying Product
- Sport: outdoor or wet environment or high saddle stress sport like roping
- Health of horse: which material is best for your horse
- Beliefs: carbon footprint reducer/treehugger or cowboy tradition with everything leather

Sources

Selecting the right synthetic saddle material for you
Website title: Wintec
URL: https://www.wintec-saddles.com/synthetic-saddle-materials/

Which is More Eco-Friendly?
Website title: Beyond Skin
URL: http://www.beyond-skin.com/blog/2016/02/08/vegan-leather/

The Equinest
Article title: Saddles Around The World | The Equinest
Website title: Theequinest.com
URL: http://www.theequinest.com/world-saddles/

Saddle
Website title: En.m.wikipedia.org
URL: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddle

The History of the Western Saddle
Website title: Horse Supplies | Horse Tack & Horse Equipment
URL: https://www.horse.com/horse-articles/the-history-of-the-western-saddle/9601/

How Its Made Synthetic Leather
Website title: YouTube
URL: https://youtu.be/QEoBzLcyg8U

How to make Western Saddles {www downloadshiva com}
Website title: YouTube
URL: https://youtu.be/kjDXilApljs

Synthetic fiber
Website title: En.m.wikipedia.org
URL: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_fiber

Western saddles; Billy Cook, Circle Y , Tucker & used western trail saddles
Website title: M.horsesaddleshop.com
URL: http://m.horsesaddleshop.com

404: Page not found | 5 Star Equine, manufacturer of the world’s finest, all-natural saddle pads and mohair cinches
Website title: 5starequineproducts.com
URL: http://www.5starequineproducts.com/articles/saddle-pads-and-what-manufacturers-don’t-tell-you

Synthetic saddle vs leather saddle – Pros and Cons, what is best for saddles?
Website title: Fivestarranch.com
URL: http://www.fivestarranch.com/articles/synthetic-saddles.html