With the spread of horses throughout the Plains region, many groups came to include expert riders and, by extension, developed both the need and the desire for a more comfortable ride. Pad saddles, with their bulbous figure-eight or broadly rectangular forms, were possibly derived from Spanish and Mexican influences, chiefly the stuffed pack saddle. The flatter nature of these saddles, compared with what we might think of as the average cowboy’s saddle, allowed for far greater freedom of movement, letting the rider lean forward, over, or around their steed as needed.

In the present example, tanned leather has been sewn into tubes to hold the stuffing, providing not only a more agreeable ride, one imagines, for both rider and horse, but also a broader canvas for decorative elements. Panels of leather have been covered in beads and then applied to the saddle, covering the corners and hanging off the sides like bunting. Flowers bloom and grow, mirrored on either side of the saddle, an exercise in patience for any beader, while beaded tassels with yarn hang from the panels. An extra panel of leather serves as protection from the stirrup straps, but it too is decorated with painted lines and cut edges in a repeated pattern. As a final, personal touch, there is a monogram in the beadwork, either as a dedication to the rider or as a rightful moment of pride for the maker.

AC