Another Saddle to Join BiO's...

[pzjgr]

Here is a comlete cavalry saddle I picked up probably 10-12 years ago, with a matching pair of saddle bags and connector. The saddle itself is marked "G. Passier, Hannover, 1939".

It came complete with the girth strap and stirrups, I only added the mess tin, blanket, and Zelt...

It is a very cool thing, and you really don't see too many saddles....

 

[denny gaither]

It never ceases to amaze me at what some of the guys brought home! Here are a couple of cavalry saddles, albeit Japanese, that I bought from an estate sale a few years ago. These were both complete with the halters, bits, saddle bags, etc. Oh, and also the officer's boots and spurs.
Additionally, there was a Type 99 rifle, a sword and a couple of bayonets.

 

[agalland]

It never ceases to amaze me at what some of the guys brought home!

It makes me wonder if the vets who brought home saddles were probably guys who had horses, or liked to ride and came from a rural family that had horses.

I understand the medals and small arms ,but a saddle is something that would not normally call your name as it is not the most convienient thing to put in a drawer,closet or hang on a wall ,or display in any manner.

First one I have seen...

Definitley a souvenier for a horse guy I would say.

 

[Hambone]

AG, I agree. A good saddle has always been expensive. Back then many GIs did come from farms and horses were normal modes of conveyance. Makes sense to bring home a trophy one can use.

 

[Winchester Cowboy]

I picked up a complete WW2 German Oberst (Colonel) Medical Uniform about 12 years ago.
The private purchase officer style jackboots even came with riding spurs still strapped on to the boots.
I'll have to post some pics.

 

[denny gaither]

I picked up a complete WW2 German Oberst (Colonel) Medical Uniform about 12 years ago.
The private purchase officer style jackboots even came with riding spurs still strapped on to the boots.
I'll have to post some pics.

If memory serves me correctly; weren't those called "Dancing Spurs"? I'm speaking of the type with the small rowel that would be next to useless to spur a horse. I've run across several pairs of those over the years. A few years ago, I got a call on a German saddle. It was very nice, but the price was very high, so I passed.

 

[Winchester Cowboy]

The disc is small, smaller than a dime, has a pin through it to roll, black leather straps and a nickel or silver color for the spurs.

I darn near got bucked off in my younger days when my runnning shoe hit the horses belly accidently. I think the spur just might guarantee getting Bucked Off!

Disc: the end has a small rowel-like rolling disc without teeth, which allows the spur to roll on the horse's side when applied, decreasing chance of spur marks. Popular in dressage. Severity depends on thickness of disc.

 

[Peter U]

Nice saddle arangement!



The German army still used a lot of horses in WW2, for example classic infantry regiments still had recon platoons with soldiers on horse back in the early stages of the war.



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[BerlinerLuebecker]

Very cool! Gebirgsjäger units (particularly in the Caucasus) continued to use horses well into the war. Have some period photographs of the 97. Aufklärungsabteilung of the 97. "Spielhahnjäger" Jägerdivision (formerly the 97. Leichte Infanteriedivision) on horseback.

 

[pzjgr]

Thanks guys, for some reason as I said, you don't see a lot, probably since, as Hambone said, a lot of guys probably used them as working saddles, and wore them out....

I was happy to find it complete, as finding a matched set of bags with the connector is awfully tough too.

I would guess the other problem is displaying them, they take up quite an amount of space....I use a quilt rack to display it.

The German Army was never very motorised in the grand scheme of things...most infantry divisions were horse drawn throughout the war...very few units percentage wise were fully motorised. The sheer number of horses killed during the war is amazing...

 

[Bob in OHIO]

nice to see.... have added my saddle pics here too (as the WTS pics expired I think).... Mine came with a property marked cinch that is 1916 dated.

 

[oldcorps]

What GIs didn't take they bought with cigarettes, which had become the unofficial standard currency during the postwar era. In hindsight, both situations were blessings because otherwise, many of the collector items we treasure wouldn't exist today. Much of the militaria that I see offered in Europe falls far short of US expectations and the really good stuff is rarely sold to foreigners. Sadly, the last family member who could ferret out good items passed on in 2002. He was a world war vet who visited here often and loved US gun shows.