Everyone rode bareback or with just a saddle cloth until about the fourth century A.D. Early European saddles had no stirrups ...

A riding saddle with stirrups and straps, valued at $500, was reported stolen recently from a barn in the 49 W 000 block of Main Street Road, police said.

Calibrated radiocarbon dates from early saddles and stirrups from Mongolia, compared with cultural events and technological changes in saddlery. Dates calibrated using the IntCal20 calibration curve.

Within a few centuries, people in the northern steppes invented the bridle and bit. Around 1000 B.C., they started riding on a soft pad. Rigid saddles with stirrups are a more recent innovation.

The saddle itself was made from about six pieces of birch wood held together with wooden nails. It bears traces of red paint with black trim and includes two leather straps that likely once supported ...

The stirrups were meant to keep the rider centered and upright in even the most tumultuous situation. They hung from a saddle that was made of wood and had a high back and front.

Ex-Horse of the Year show winner Kieran Quinn (left), 36, and his partner Jamie Aston (right), 32, stole items including saddles, stirrups and riding boots as riders waited to compete last year.

Martiny is known for the intricate floral patterns that she carves onto a saddle’s fork, stirrups and back jockeys. The more flowers, and the smaller they are, the higher the price tag.

The Byzantine Empire soon adopted the stirrup—and later the Franks embraced it as well. The societal impact of this saddle accoutrement has intrigued historians for decades.

When Julius Caesar rode into battle during the height of the Roman conquests, it’s likely his saddle looked more like a spatchcock chicken that its modern-day equivalent.