Saddle

A saddle was a seat attached to a creature, either for riding or carrying objects. "Those who think saddles uncomfortable have never ridden a horse bareback."

- Advertisement for saddles in Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue

Types
"A man's greatest pleasure is the feel of hooves pounding beneath his saddle, to watch the deer fleeing before his horse, and to see his arrows down his prey."

- Hubadai

Saddles were mainly split into two groups: riding saddles and pack saddles. Riding saddles were used by those who rode creatures, whilst pack saddles were frames used to carry equipment. Military saddles were also available, and were used by commanders and generals in battle. Exotic saddles were used to mount specific types of creatures, such as aquatic and aerial mounts.

These seats were sold all over Faerûn, Maztica, Kara-Tur, and Zakhara. Saddles specifically made for camels had different names in Zakhara and were known as kharj, rahla, and terke. The rahla was small, comfortable and lightweight, whilst the terke was cage-like and enabled the rider to control the camel much more easily. Saddles were sold by Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue, and each of them were made from black Ordulan leather. As well as animals, mechanical machines such as the Leaping Lizard of Raven's Bluff, were seated with saddles. Citizens of the city could mount the ride for 2 cp each.

Saddle frames were often made of wood or sheepskin.

Mounts
"Nothing makes me feel better than soaring over the landscape, keeping an eye out for Zhent dangers. Except maybe for knocking a Zhentarim skymage out of his saddle, of course"

- Joatra Stelmar, a Moonsea skysentinel

Such seats came in a multitude of varieties, each different depending on the rider's needs or the type of mount used. Types of mounts that used saddles were horses, mules, wolves, griffons, hippogriffs, steeders, pegasi, dragons, giant striders, and camels. Even dolphins could have saddles fitted to them, as well as owlbears, axebeaks, hippocampi, gelatinous cubes, purple worms, giant fireflies, giant lizards, veserabs, pteranadons, giant ravens, wyverns, stone flyers, nightmares, and carrion crawlers.

Usage
"The following day we finished the ride to Corwell, none too soon for my tastes. I would almost have preferred to travel by coracle, for the saddle sores stung for another week."

- Elminster

Travelling on saddles (particularly poor ones) for long periods could cause bad sores.

Instead of making saddles from scratch, arcane methods could be used. The mount spell could summon creatures with saddles already attached to them, or even howdahs, should the caster be powerful enough. Even the phantom steed spell summoned a ghostly mount with a saddle and bit and bridle to boot.

History
Saddles first became available in Netheril in.

1345 DR was known as the Year of the Saddle. The High Herald of Yartar was known as the Gold Saddle. In addition, the settlement of Lheshayl had an inn known as the Saddle of the Plains, Hill's Edge featured an inn called the Stone Saddle, and a body of water in Longsaddle was known as the Saddle Pond.

Notable Saddles
There were many notable saddles of the Realms, including those that could fit exotic beasts of all shapes and sizes. Some notable saddles were:


 * The flying saddle of Thamos, a magic saddle from Cormyr.


 * A saddle of the cavalier, a wondrous item favored by riders.


 * A military saddle from Shadowdale had a huge black opal embedded into it. It was worth 1,000 gp.

Notable Owners

 * Lord Charles Frederik LaVerne Blacktree IV owned a saddle that was modified with several attachments. His saddle held not only his bow and silver arrows, but also javelins in special scabbards.

Notable Producers of Saddles

 * Keltar was well known for its production of saddles. Their saddles had such a good reputation that they were desired by every Calishite horseman. One of the great crafters of Keltar claimed he could custom-make saddles for dragons.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Mines of Bloodstone • Swords of the Daimyo • Ochimo: The Spirit Warrior • Mad Monkey vs the Dragon Claw • Ronin Challenge • Test of the Samurai • Secrets of the Lamp • Reunion • City of Gold • Storm Riders • Black Courser • Blood Charge • Shadowdale • Tantras • Waterdeep • Marco Volo: Journey • Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land • Sons of Gruumsh • The Rise of Tiamat • Princes of the Apocalypse • Out of the Abyss • Storm King's Thunder • Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage • Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden


 * Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
 * Gamebooks
 * Knight of the Living Dead
 * Video Games
 * Hillsfar • Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor