Horn Bags
Whether you are heading down the road from the barn on a two hour ride, or you are heading into the wilderness for a three day trip, a saddle pommel bag (sometimes referred to as a horn bag or wither bag) is a must-have piece of equipment. It serves two purposes:
- It keeps important items close at hand so that you do not need to dismount to reach them and…
- When necessary, it allows you to place heavy items over the horse’s withers, where they can best carry the weight.
There are many types of horn bags to choose from; what you select will depend on your needs. If you have an endurance style saddle, you will need a wither or pommel bag that has some method of attachment to the hoop and/or the saddle strings or dees. If you are riding a western saddle, you can choose a bag that fits over the saddle horn, one that has straps that can run through the gullet (the space under the saddle horn in front of the seat) or one that simply clips on to your saddle dees. As with rear saddlebags, it is very important to choose bags that are secured tightly to the saddle and do not interfere with the horse or rider’s movements.
If you are simply riding around the neighborhood for a few hours (or are lucky enough to have riding trails nearby) and have few needs for gear storage, we recommend using a pommel bag instead of saddlebag. You can easily reach your camera when you spot the fawn lying just off the trail or cell phone when you’re sneaking in a ride while you’re on call for work. There are several options for this type of bag. The TrailMax 500 Series Water Pocket has a full 1-liter water bottle inside the insulated holder, and there is a pocket large enough to hold a few small essentials. A great companion to the Water Pocket, the TrailMax Front Pocket holds and protects your digital camera and that chocolate bar you need “just in case”. You have heard about all the health benefits of chocolate, right?… And, before the 500 Series, we created the TrailMax Pommel Pocket. Simple, neat, and compact, the Pommel Pocket is just the right size to hold your keys, phone, and horse treats.
For those of you with more gear to carry, the TrailMax Original and Junior Hornbags are just the ticket. The Original Hornbags (also available with straps for an Endurance saddle), were designed to work in conjunction with the Original Rear Saddlebags for a weekend trip into the mountains. These are ideal for placing heavy items such as water, canned meats, stove fuel or grain in front of you, taking some of the weight out of the rear saddlebags, and off of the horse’s back and kidneys. Of course, for a full day’s ride, they come in awfully handy for water and lunch, and are padded so you can confidently carry your binoculars or camera, knowing they are easy to reach but still protected.
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Last Updated February 26, 2008 at 8:48 am
