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MODEL 1912 ENLISTED MAN’S TRIAL
SADDLE – AN EXCELLENT SPECIMEN OF A RARE US ARMY SADDLE:
It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to offer
an uncommon and especially historic piece of US Army
Ordnance equipment, and that is certainly true in this
instance. This Model 1912 Enlisted Man’s Trial Service
Saddle is a rare offering, one that is seldom available
on the open market, and certainly will be a notable
addition to even the most advanced collection.
As one of the evolutions in the series of saddle trials
and development undertaken by the Ordnance Department
during the early 20th Century, the timely approval and
issue of the Model 1912 Trial Saddles to a number of
regular army cavalry units for testing in the field
coincidently as the deteriorating political situation in
Mexico threatened the security of the southern border of
the United States, guaranteed the trial equipments’
place in US military history. Designated in 1912 as the
model name suggests, and developed, manufactured and
made available for issue by 1916, the majority of the
cavalry units that Gen. Black Jack Pershing led south
across the border in March of that year on his “Punitive
Expedition” were mounted on the Model 1912 Trial
Saddles.
The months spent in Mexico provided the opportunity for
such personalities as Pershing, Patton, Eisenhower and a
host of others to not only hone their military skills,
but unknowingly begin their assent onto the world stage
to fulfill the roles they would play during the
following thirty to forty years.
This happenstance of timing, and the association with
such famous personalities, secured for the Model 1912
Horse Equipments what may have been an otherwise
unattainable niche in Ordnance Department history. It
is with no small sense of pride that I tell you that my
paternal grandfather, then a 1st Sergeant in the 7th
Cavalry Regiment, very likely sat a Model 1912 Service
Saddle as he rode with Pershing’s column south across
the border in 1916.
This Model 1912 Service Saddle has survived the years in
remarkable condition. The leather surfaces retain an
overall smooth, polished finish, with a minimum of wear
visible, and most importantly, all of the seams are
intact. The seat and skirts have an even finish and
color with no discoloration or stains. Both sets of
skirts and jockeys are full form with no loss along the
edges as is so often seen on saddles having been exposed
to heavy use or the elements. The seat size brass plate
is present on the crest of the cantle, the three foot
loops are present on the underside of the cantle shelf,
and both box rings are present on the pommel.
The four original girth straps are present and supple,
and all are full length. The rear girth strap on the
left side is stamped “R.I.A.”, identifying this saddle
as having been made at Rock Island Arsenal, and it is
dated “1914” – a very desirable early date.
The side bar hinges are all intact and function
properly. The sidebars both retain the original leather
end caps and all four still have a bright, smooth finish
to the leather. The pads on the underside of the
sidebars are present, but do show the expected signs of
wear from use and storage.
The special stirrup hangers, introduced with this model,
are both intact and both safety catches function
properly. The original stirrup straps are present and
are full length, retaining the numeral position stamps
at each hole. The original Model 1912 Stirrups retain
their proper darkened finished as is correct for the
Enlisted Man’s saddle and both are maker marked and
stamped “US”.
Courtesy of the Society of the Military Horse, I have
been made aware of a document authored by a Colonel of
Ordnance at the Rock Island Arsenal. While undated,
based on the content, the document is believed to have
been written circa 1918 and the colonel reported the
total manufacture of Model 1912 Service Saddles was
limited to 8983.
It is not an overstatement to
regard this offering of an original Model 1912 Enlisted
Man’s Saddle in this excellent condition as a rare
offering. Saddles of this rarity and condition quite
often pass quietly from one collection into another,
never reaching the open market.
SOLD
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