Camel Saddles!

When I had first been told that we would be recieving a camel saddle as a gift, I have to admit that I had this, pictured in my head ...

But to my surprise, Windy Hill Ranch has aquired a beautiful, handcrafted, Tuareg Camel Saddle! Here are some pictures of the saddle.

Forked horn Tuareg Camel Saddles are made by lashing wood together with rawhide and covering it with colored leather, then adorning them with silver, copper and brass ornaments. Most were made in Agadez, Niger, by blacksmiths... Much Tuareg art is in the form of jewelry, leather and metal saddle decorations, and finely crafted swords.

The Tuareg camel saddle sits on two to four saddle-cloths in front of the camel's hump, over its strong shoulders, while the rider sits cross-legged with his feet on the camel's neck... This also gives the rider more control over the camel with the use of shorter reins and pressure from the riders feet on the camels neck.

The Tuareg camels are extremely nomadic. They must constantly travel in order to find food and water, so it is no surprise that the camels are significantly thinner there. The Tuareg camel saddle is fashioned for these thin camels.

Compared to the lovely Tallulah of Windy Hill Ranch.

A Tuareg camel saddle just won't do for such a strong camel! :)

Notice how it sits perched on top instead of nice and snug against her.

Some of the information on this entry was taken from this website. If you would like more information on different saddles from around the world just click this site. As always, clicking on the pics will make them bigger.