Discovering Harness and Saddlery »

Geoffrey Tylden was born in England in 1883, the descendant of a distinguished military family. He was a keen member of the Society for Army Historical Research and served for some years on its council, and was a frequent contributor to Africana Notes and News, The Journal of the Historical Firearms Society of South Africa and the Journal of our Society. He authored numerous books, of which "Horses and Saddlery" was a pioneering study. Major Tylden was writing Discovering Harness and Saddlery at the time of his death.

Man has used the strength of animals, notably oxen and horses, for transport for so long that their use as beasts of burden and draught and as riding animals is taken for granted. Now that enthusiasm for the innovations of the machine age has given way to concern about is shortcomings, people are looking with increased respect at the ingenuity with which our forebears used their limited material and technological resources, and the fascinating study of harness and saddlery reveals many examples where centuries-old solutions to practical problems have not been bettered to this day.