Saddle

Japanese: 鞍 - くら

A tool used when placing a person or baggage on an animal's back. With the invention of the saddle, it became possible to avoid direct friction between the animal's body and the human body or baggage. In Japanese, 'kura' means a seat on which a person or object is carried. Before humans invented the saddle, they used cloth, fur, or fur on the backs of animals. Saddles excavated from ancient tombs in the Altai region dating from the 6th to 3rd century BC were often made of tanned leather or felt, and some were made of reindeer hair. The character for 'saddle' is also written with leather. There are three types of saddles: for riding (norikura), for carrying loads (dakura), and for towing (kenin). The most effort has been put into improving saddles for horseback riding, and similar improvements have been made to those for other uses as well.

[Shinichi Matsuo]

Riding saddle

There are many types of saddles, including Western, Japanese (Yamatogura), and Karagura, but Western saddles are more commonly used today. A Western saddle consists of a saddle bone, a seat, a saddle cover, and attached stirrup leathers and mud guards. The saddle bone is made up of a front bridge, a wooden frame, and a rear bridge. Saddles are made from materials such as wood, leather, animal hair, and cloth. There are various types of Western saddles depending on the country. Japanese saddles are improvements on Chinese saddles that were introduced to Japan. Saddles with vertical front and rear wheels were introduced to Japan from China and the Korean peninsula during the Kofun period. This saddle was originally for women in Western Asia, but it is believed that in Japan, as stirrups changed from ring stirrups to tubular stirrups and long-tongued stirrups, the rear wheels also became inclined, resulting in the Japanese saddle. According to the terminology in ancient books, the saddle bridge of a Japanese saddle consists of a front wheel, a wooden base, and a rear wheel, and is made of wood, lacquered, and decorated with gold, silver, shell, etc. From the Heian period to the Edo period, saddles and stirrups with excellent decorations were produced, and today they are highly valued as world-class fine arts and crafts.

[Shinichi Matsuo]

Baggage saddles (pack saddles, baggage saddles)

A cloth is placed on the horse's back, a saddle is placed on top of that, and a saddle bridge is placed on top of that. In Ina Valley, Nagano Prefecture, this method of transportation was called "chuma" and continued until the end of the Taisho period. In Chuuma, the saddle was called "shito."

[Shinichi Matsuo]

Towing saddle

When using a horse to pull various implements, in the case of the body pulling method or the combined shoulder and body pulling method, a small saddle is used on the horse's back. There are also saddles for cows and camels.

[Shinichi Matsuo]

"The History of Japanese Equestrianism, Vol. 3 and 4, edited by the Japan Riding Association (1940, Dai Nippon Kidokai/Reprint edition, 1980, Hara Shobo)" ▽ "Exploring Ancient Japanese Culture: Horses, edited by Mori Koichi (1979, Shakai Shisosha)" ▽ "The History of Riding and Driving, by Kamo Giichi (1980, Hosei University Press)" ▽ "Encyclopedia of Livestock, edited by Sasaki Kiyotsuna (1964, Yokendou)"

[Reference] | Horse equipment

Names of the parts of Western and Japanese saddles
©Shogakukan ">

Names of the parts of Western and Japanese saddles

Wakura
Edo period (around 1700) Height 26.7 x Depth 40.6 x Width 41.3 cm Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wakura

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

人や荷物を動物の背に乗せるときに使う道具。鞍の発明によって、動物体と人体や荷物との直接の摩擦を避けることができるようになった。日本語の鞍は人や物を乗せる座の意味である。人類は鞍を発明する前は、動物の背に、布、毛、毛皮などを敷いて使用していた。紀元前6～前3世紀のアルタイ地方古墳出土の鞍は、よくなめした革やフェルトが用いられ、なかにはトナカイの毛を用いたものもあった。鞍という文字も革が用いられている。鞍には乗用（乗鞍）、荷用（駄鞍）、牽引(けんいん)用がある。鞍のなかで改良にもっとも力が注がれたのは乗馬用のもので、それに準じて他の用途のものも改良されている。

［松尾信一］

乗馬用鞍

洋鞍、和鞍（大和鞍(やまとぐら)）、唐鞍(からぐら)など多くの種類があるが、現在は一般に洋鞍が用いられている。洋鞍は、鞍骨(くらぼね)、騎坐(きざ)、鞍褥(くらしき)と、それに付属して鐙革(あぶみがわ)、障泥(あおり)（泥障）などがついている。鞍骨は前橋、居木(いぎ)、後橋からできている。鞍は、木、革、獣毛、布などの材料でつくられる。洋鞍は国によっていろいろの型がある。和鞍は日本に渡来した唐鞍などを改良したものである。日本には古墳時代に、中国や朝鮮半島から、前・後輪垂直鞍が渡来している。この鞍は本来、西アジアでは婦人用であったが、日本で輪鐙から壺(つぼ)鐙、舌長鐙へと鐙の変化とともに、後輪(しずわ)も傾斜して和鞍となったとされている。古書の用語に従えば和鞍の鞍橋(くらぼね)は前輪、居木、後輪からなり、木製で、その上に漆を塗り、金銀、貝などの細工がしてある。平安時代から江戸時代まで優れた装飾の鞍や鐙が製作されており、現代では世界的に優れた美術工芸品としての価値が高い。

［松尾信一］