Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

1912 Universal Pattern Saddle

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Overview

1912 Universal Pattern steel arch brown leather saddle complete with beech wood side bars, numnah panels and original 'V' attachment and sweat flap with a single two buckle, split leather girth. Attached to the saddle are a pair of stirrup leathers each with their stirrup iron attached. The leather seat covers the frame of the saddle between the front and rear arches and is connected to them by linen webbing slings and rawhide lacing. The wooden boards on which this saddle was based, attached to the frame of the saddle by some simple hinges, this is known as the 'tree' of the saddle. This allowed this saddle to fit a number of different sized horses.

Historical information

During WW1 the Australian Army made a great deal of use of a large number of mounted infantry (Light Horse Regiments). Universal Pattern saddles were designed to have interchangeable parts, making them easy to repair. A number of accoutrements were designed to attach to the saddle. Leather saddle wallets went to the front of the saddle and a mess tin, horse shoe case (which was also a sword frog for the cavalry - Australians were issued a sword in 1918), and a feed bag. The horse shoe carrier was issued with each soldier with a saddle. Other personal equipment found its way onto the saddle. According to an ex-light horseman, once the other blanket, greatcoat and other equipment was piled up to the front and rear of the saddle seat, it was impossible to fall off.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-99-720

Inscriptions and markings

Before the advent of this base, the saddle had to be chosen according to the size of each horse from 3 sizes available. The saddle sat on the horses back, after a blanket was first put down (with the Australian Light Horse, in 1916, two blankets were instructed to be used, one the heavy horse blanket and the other a four folded lighter bedding blanket). The saddle was held in position on the horse with a girth strap.

Contextual Information

A mounted trooper fully kitted on horseback is presented in the World War 1 Gallery, Desert Mounted Corps exhibition.

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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