Girth (tack) in the context of "Stirrup"

A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. The trade of making saddles is saddlery.

It is not known precisely when riders first began to use some sort of padding or protection, but a blanket attached by some form of surcingle or girth was probably the first "saddle", followed later by more elaborate padded designs. The solid saddle tree was a later invention, and though early stirrup designs predated the invention of the solid tree, the paired stirrup, which attached to the tree, was the last element of the saddle to reach the basic form that is still used today. Present-day saddles come in a wide variety of styles, each designed for a specific equestrianism discipline, and require careful fit to both the rider and the horse. Proper saddle care can extend the useful life of a saddle, often for decades. The saddle was a crucial step in the increased use of domesticated animals, during the Classical Era.

Sale is a town in the Trafford district, in Greater Manchester, England. It is on the south bank of the River Mersey, 2 miles (3 km) south of Stretford, 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Altrincham, and 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Manchester. Sale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and became part of Greater Manchester in 1974. At the 2021 census, the Sale built up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics had a population of 62,550.

Evidence of Stone Age, Roman and Anglo-Saxon activity has previously been discovered locally. Sale was historically a rural township in the parish of Ashton upon Mersey; its fields and meadows were used for crop and cattle farming. By the 17th century, Sale had a cottage industry manufacturing garthweb, the woven material from which horses' saddle girths were made.

A breastplate (also referred to as a breastcollar, breaststrap or breastgirth) is a piece of tack (equipment) used on horses. Its purpose is to keep a saddle from sliding back. It is also a safety feature—if the saddle's girth or billets break, a rider may have enough time to stop the horse and dismount before the saddle slips off the animal's back. The breastplate is used on both English and Western saddles. Western riding involving working cattle use a thicker sturdier style than in English riding or Western riding horse shows. A breastplate is most helpful for horses with large shoulders and a flat ribcage. A breast collar as part of a harness is used to pull a load.