Emily Chan
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.
Until the Mongolian frame saddle was found, it had always been unclear when they originated because organic materials don’t usually preserve well in the steppe’s harsh climate.
The invention of the rigid saddle and stirrups revolutionized horse riding. Riders could use them for stability or for standing up, leaving their hands free to launch attacks.
Unfortunately, domestication took a toll on the horses. The horse from the cave burial showed changes to the nasal bones and damage to the teeth caused by wearing a bit. The injuries were similar to others found in horse burials in Central and Eastern Asia.
In addition, the Urd Ulaan Uneet horse had “healed nock marks” on its ears. The marks may have been used to indicate who the horse belonged to. Men also weren’t the only ones to ride horses. It is likely that women regularly rode horses as well.
More research is needed to confirm whether wooden frame saddles were developed in the Eastern Steppes, although the research shows that horse cultures of the Eurasian steppes, in general, were at least early users of frame saddles and stirrups.
