BACKGROUND: Although considered highly mobilized for its time the German army still utilized a great number of horses through-out WWII with the average infantry division containing roughly five thousand horses. In 1939 the German army also had fifteen, primarily horse-mounted, Cavalry regiments that were mainly tasked with tactical reconnaissance. Even though most of the Cavalry units were mechanized by 1940 they still utilized a large number of horses through-out the war. By 1943 the Germans were experiencing fuel and vehicle shortages which resulted in an increase in the number of horses utilized in the field. Cavalry personnel were basically equipped the same as the standard infantry personnel with the addition of specialized horse equipment. The standard horse saddle utilized by the German army was the M1925, Western style saddle as introduced in 1925 and utilized for the duration of the war with minor modifications.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Multi-piece, mid-brown leather construction, classical western style, M1925 Cavalry saddle with wood, steel catgut, and canvas fittings with internal, ersatz, padding. The reverse edge of the saddle is well marked with the impressed size marking, "1", a Waffen-amt stamp and the manufacturer’s three letter code and date, "jhg 44", indicating manufacture by Gustav Genschow u. Co., AG, Lederwarenfabriken, Alstadt-Hachenburg.