saddlebow

9.5

A curved raised part at the front of a horse's seat that you hold to stay steady

noun
/ˈsædəlˌboʊ/

: arco de la silla

He adjusted the reins and wrapped his fingers around the saddlebow before urging the horse forward.

Examples

The rider held onto the saddlebow as the horse galloped across the field.
He leaned heavily on the saddlebow until all Yuri could do was steady him; he knew it hurt Nikolai's wounded arm, but it was the only way he could manage.

Fiction book (1992)
He swings you to his saddlebow.

The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
She dropped the knotted reins on her saddlebow to let her hands move in fluid accompaniment to her thoughts.

Fiction book (2000)
She placed her hand firmly on the saddlebow to maintain her balance during the bumpy ride.

Synonyms

horn

vssaddlebow

Jargon

3 7.1

A high curved knob at the front of a Western saddle for holding or tying rope

serves mainly as a handgrip rather than for rope tying

pommel

vssaddlebow

2 9.3

A rounded knob at the front of a saddle or at the end of a sword handle

is a curved front piece used mainly as a handgrip rather than a general knob

saddle horn

vssaddlebow

Specialized

1 5.8

High rounded front part of a Western saddle that riders use to hold a rope or grip

acts as a curved handhold more than a tool for ropes

Surface Forms

saddlebow singular

saddlebows plural

Morphology

saddlebow = saddle + bow (semi-transparent) = saddle + bow

The components 'saddle' and 'bow' are literal, but the specific anatomical sense 'bow' as the saddle's curved front is a specialized term that may be unfamiliar to many learners.

Etymology

Saddlebow is a simple combination of saddle and bow, where bow means a 'curve' or 'bend'. So the saddlebow is the curved front of a saddle that you hold as a handgrip for balance.