HOME ABOUT US CONTACTS & ORDERING PRODUCTS   SADDLES   SADDLE ACCESSORIES   BRIDLES   HALTERS   BAGGAGE & FORAGE   KNAPSACKS   ACCOUTREMENTS LEATHER & LEATHER CARE SADDLE FITTING 7-YEARS WAR REVOLUTIONARY WAR WAR OF 1812 AMERICAN CIVIL WAR Contact Us:           Stuart Lilie, Saddler           130 Mansfield Rd.           Ashford, CT 06278           info@stuartliliesaddles.com           (860) 208 3111	1776 Selle de Hussards
	The hussar saddle developed in Hungary on the militarized frontier between the Ottoman empire and the Habsburg Empire. It developed as a tool to move cattle on the open plains for Hungarian horsemen who also served as mounted soldiers or hussars. Legends and raids and rustling from 17th-century Hungary ironically enough mirror those of the American west much like the saddlery that developed there. The simple hussar saddle is two long boards for the horse's back supporting two high arches from which the seat is suspended. The seat is simply a piece of alum-tanned Hungarian leather laced down to the tree by thongs of Hungarian leather. From this simple design came the whole family of military hussar-style saddles. It completely changed how equipment and baggage was carried on the saddle. The large pillions of heavy dragoon saddles supported basically all the baggage a soldier carried. Hussar saddles strapped the cloak on the pommel over the holsters and secured everything down with the shabraque and cirgingle. From a military standpoint this not only kept gear securely in place but also gave the same silhouette whether a hussar was laiden with baggage or not. Even in the 1750's French tacticians of Petite Guerre wrote that its minimal weight and durability meant it was an ideal military saddle. These aspects of 19th century saddlery that are taken for granted, come out of hussar saddlery.       I reproduced this saddle for recreating Lauzan's Legion which served with Rochambeau in the American Revolution. Unlike later patterns, 1776 hussar saddlery and harness featured peculiar Hungarian features like braided leather 'fly swatters' on the bridle, breastplate and crupper, leather ties in place of cloakstraps, and a leather thong to cinch the circingle tight. The saddle comes with leather ties on the cantle for baggage, and the girth built in. Along wih the saddle itself I have reproduced all the hard to find hussar equipment based on the 1778 regulations for Lauzan's Legion. As with the 1767 Dragoon saddle, 1751, 1786, 1791, and Empire patterns of French Hussar saddlery and equipment are available.                       Saddle only: $810.00 Saddle Accessories for use with this Saddle: 1776 Hussar Holsters: $285 1776 Hussar Breastplate: $78.50 1776 Hussar Crupper: $68.13 1776 Hussar Circingle or Surfaix : $90.86 1776 Hussar Stirrup Leathers: $75 1776 Hussar Stirrups: coming soon 1776 Hussar Shabraque: $391 1776 Hussar Portmanteau: $572.50 1776 Hussar Carbine Bucket: $120.50 Associated Accoutrements: 1776 Hussar Swordbelt: $102.73 1776 Hussar Sabretache: $244.75 1776 Hussar Giberne with shoulder belt: $178.95 1776 Hussar Carbine Belt: $115.50 1776 Hussar Shako: $205