Genesis 31:34 - "Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat upon them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them."

Leviticus 15:9 - "And any saddle on which he who has the discharge rides shall be unclean."

In the ancient world, asses were the oldest riding animals, the camel being used, at least in the earliest times, primarily as burden-bearers. When riding asses, a doubled piece of cloth, fastened by a girth, served as the saddle. As the use of camels for riding developed, the type of saddle used for them was a kind of basket, with a cover and curtains, much as we see in India today for transportation by elephant. However, anything resembling a saddle in the modern sense was unfamiliar in the Old Testament, and, in fact, does not appear to have been in use until the fourth century B.C., when it appeared in the Mediterranean area by way of Sycthia. But its full development did not come until the Christian era.

With the advent of the horse as an important part of the military scene, particularly with the Romans, the saddle-maker became a person of importance. There were saddles for war, saddles for show, saddles to use on race horses, and saddles for work.

In making these saddles, the saddlemaker cut, assembled, and joined together leather parts. These were then sewed together with needle and thread to form the basic saddle. Covering and cushioning material, such as cotton batting, were then added, using cement, needle and threads, and nails. If the saddle was primarily for show, ornamentation of many kinds was usually added. Also, some saddles were painted to give them a glossy finish.

Today’s saddle maker frequently works on commission from an individual, and often the saddles which he makes are for exhibition use, and are highly ornamented, usually by the use of silver inserts and engravings.