New Technology Meets Classic Design
Looking at the object below, you may not see something incredibly beautiful or innovative, but I do. The image above is a saddle I use on my horses. Saddles have been around for hundreds of years and while there has been some advancement in the design as technology has progressed, it has been fairly minimal. The design aspect of this saddle that I find so beautiful and inspiring is the piece in the rear that is circled.
But why is this so innovative? Most saddles up until this one did not have nearly as much cushioning, known as flocking in the saddle world, in this part of the saddle. This meant that when you landed heavily or moved a lot, the horse easily felt it and often caused pain for their back. In addition, it did not really provide any support for the rider’s back as well. What is so great about this design is that the flocking in the rear reaches a bit out past the actual end of the saddle but is not obvious. Horse showing and horseback riding are heavily focused on tradition, so this saddle is able to combine modern technology and innovation with a design that still looks clean and classic. This saddle not only provides comfort to horse and rider, but also still looks low profile and classic enough for the high-level show ring.
To me, this saddle is the epitome of good design because you hardly even notice it. Even an experienced rider would have a hard time pointing out exactly what is different from a more traditional saddle, but as soon as you sit in it, both horse and rider feel the difference. The positive impact this design is able to provide has been immensely appreciated by everyone from Olympians to every day riders such as myself.
Hi Gillian thanks for sharing this as a non-rider I would never knew the intricate design decisions behind these saddles. I think this is a great example that reminds me even historical artifacts can be continuously improved and iterated as long as human takes control over its use. I think this design consideration for both the rider and the horse really resonated with me about designing for “interdependence” between individuals with disabilities and the people they relate to, such as a blind individual with his/her guide dog. There are so much rich interaction happening and often times those experience can’t be simply designed (or even articulated).