Lore talk: Fashion, Utility, and Saddlebags · 9:40pm Aug 10th, 2020
As I was pondering the preponderance of saddlebags in the story, and having come up with the idea some time ago that everypony usually wore some small bag about their person to carry the rudiments of daily life that we would tuck away in pocket or purse(which, if you think about it, is a pocket you can take off at will.)
The answer, of course, was saddlebags... but must they be the bulky things we see in the show day? Why, of course not! Why can't saddlebags come in as many varieties as we have shoulder-slung and waist-slung bags? The answer to that question is there's no reason why not.
So I started thinking and poking and prodding, as you do, and came up with the following somewhat rambling collection of thoughts on the strange phenomenon of the saddlebag in a world without humans to have developed them.
In the past, as in the present, ponies have worn saddlebags. These are convenient, but they're also not the same style for each kind of pony, or even each job each pony might have. They're more than fashion accessories for a species that collectively doesn't wear clothes with pockets. They're utilitarian, even for going about the house, castle, or farm.
But wearing full sized saddlebags all day every day would be wearing for a pony and leave wear marks--and some craftsponies do have wear marks where their particular profession's preferred choice of saddlebag has worn away, even with the use of a blanket or other padding to lessen and spread out the weight of the straps.
Ponies, being intelligent and rational creatures, would naturally come up with a number of solutions to these problems.
Earth Ponies and Pegasi
Without magic to facilitate the removal of objects from within the saddlebag, a slanted lip on the bag would be helpful to help them reach around and dig around inside the bag without needing too much to upend the whole thing (as opposed to the straight, square bags we usually see in the show.)
For pegasi, especially, this becomes a matter of not making the mouth or shape of the bag into an unintentional drag chute, so careful attention is paid to how the bag closes, and how it lays against the flank, lest the drag cause the edges to flap against them, essentially flogging them for flying. For reference to what I'm talking about, it's a drag-related phenomenon whereby loose edges of a flexible material will flap about and snap rapidly even in the relatively mild wind of sixty miles an hour, nevermind the faster speeds we see pegasi fly in the show.
Earth ponies, with less of a restriction on this, can wear bulkier saddlebags without an issue... but for many of them, why would they?
Unless they're going shopping, all most ponies will need is a slender bag with their bits, maybe a few keys, and whatever else they may need or have a desire to have securely on their person for a trip here or there. Or, for convenience, a place to put things they may pick up for later use.
Unicorns
While the need to restrict themselves to specially designed bags may be diminished for telekinetic magic wielders, the simple matter is that they're outnumbered by the total of other types of ponies, and thus the supply of bags of a certain style is higher than the supply of customized bags for a kind of pony that has no particular need for a certain bag shape, as they can neither fly--and thus worry about drag issues--and they don't have to worry about being unable to reach parts of the bag due to the settling of the bag around their barrel or flank.
While designer bags are, of course, available, it's far more convenient for a pony around town who isn't wealthy to simply buy a utilitarian bag from the greater supply of other bags. Thus, most bags will be utilitarian in function and meant for use with the mouth.
Day vs. Night
A day bag would be something a little smaller than a night bag, since a day bag only has to carry all a pony might need for that day, or around the house, and if a pony has more than one style of saddlebag available, the more slimline, lighter-weight bag might be what they choose to go about their day with.
A night bag, on the other hand, would potentially carry all they need for that night and the next morning. Or, in the case of a long trip, all they need for several days. Hardtack, oatcakes, and other high-density foods. More than that, and they'd take a cart if they could.
Merrie vs. Damme
Since this came about while contemplating who wore what where and when while writing the story, I thought I'd ramble about the differences between the two cities, the styles, and the contents of those bags on a typical day.
The largest difference, which would surprise a lot of common ponies on both sides of the river, is in difference of fragrance. Otherwise, Merriers and Dammers both have the same utilitarian contents of their day and night bags, as befits their plans for that day (or that week since unpacking and repacking a day bag isn't something everypony does every day).
For Merriers, their day pack and their contents often incorporate various sachets of potpourri (in scent-sealed containers) or other scented objects that impart this or that boost to their concentration, ease of mind, or other utilitarian and commonplace scent magics. Some of these are not even magical, but simply tested and formalized to the point where it can be a common recipe of scents.
Some may also carry simple 'reminder' scents around with them. These would be items that, when smelled, bring to mind something that they have to do. It's one of the most used minor magics of the common Merrier, and everypony has different reminders that remind them of this or that thing. The difference between them and a Dammer is that they pay attention to and mark those scents when they come across them.
Also... expect more of these lore blogs as the story progresses and I think about what goes into the day-to-day lives of the ponies I write about.
One of the finest bits of worldbuilding I’ve ever done involved harness scars, places where an ill-fit harness wore away the fur. Cynewulf responded more eloquently than I ever could:
“Cedric's reaction and Aquamarine's reaction mirror a cultural divide that's fascinating. Generally, in post-industrial societies, there's an ambivalence to hard, physical labor that just wouldn't not exist in a more agricultural and technologically inferior (wish there was a less loaded word coming to mind) society. To ponies (probably mostly pegasi and earth ponies) hard physical labor is good and honest and moreover just another thing that happens. One can easily imagine how the "you're too pretty for that" would be bewildering to an individual from a culture that sees physical labor as useful, good, and an unquestionably perfect pursuit--because, for them, Aquamarine's farmwork would be more attractive. Any slight deformity coming from that, such as those ragged little marks from her harness, would be signs of her commitment and reliability, and would probably be seen as positive things. (or just neutral.)”
I also think you’re right on point with tribal differences. A unicorn can wear whatever kind of saddlebag wherever and access the contents as needed, and that’s that. For the other tribes, there are more concerns, both aerodynamic and whether or not something is mouth-accessible.
I can’t really comment on the aerodynamics (besides in agreement that loose flappy stuff is a problem), but in terms of general arrangement--I work professionally as a mechanic, and like most professional mechanics I have a tool box and a tool cart, and in a nutshell how things are arranged is very much a matter of personal preference, of what kind of jobs are expected (I have standard brake tools on my cart, but not axle nut tools). Which drawer I put things in, or what goes on the top of the cart for easy access, how tools are organized (in my cart torque wrenches are in the same drawer as hammers) is all a matter of personal preference, and I’d think the same would be true for ponies. A tradesmare might have one style of saddlebags that ride back on her hips so everything is within easy mouth-reach, whereas a pony who mostly tows carts might have her saddlebags more forward where they won’t interfere with traces and shafts, and pay the price when she’s got to get something out of them. Backpacks might be more practical for pegasi (keeps things clear of the wings, and makes balance less of an issue). . . .
And if we imagine human-like motivations on saddlebag companies, each one would be marketing the advantage of theirs versus their competitors; there would be convenience factors, comfort factors, utility factors; you’d have options ranging from the most basic ‘bag that hold stuff’ to the stylish trendy options; you’d have quasi-scientific studies about the number of straps to hold it on and hold it in place, or the ergonomics of X vs. Y, and there’s every chance you’d have ponies debating and discussing their personal choices . . . I’ve covered that a bit with harnesses in a story or two, but never with saddlebags aside from a brief mention of a plumber’s tool belt.
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That was a really good read, and I agree that there probably would be a lot of back and forth as to the merits of this style or that style, especially amongst those that sew them, and the companies that design them. Or, in the case of a more Renaissance/Feudal inclined society like the one I'm writing in, guilds and their proprietary (secret) stitching techniques for this or that guild house, or this or that tradespony. With, of course, high end and pricey options available from a premier family/guild house of seamsponies.
I'd not given thought to how carters would wear theirs, or backpacks for Pegasi, but I could definitely see a side-closing backpack arrangement for a pegasus that wouldn't get in the way too much. It'd need to close really well, though.
In terms of the size of typical saddlebags on the show, most of them seem to be worn by either tourists or Ponyvillians. Clearly living near the Everfree means always carrying enough to get by if your house gets destroyed by a sudden monster attack, burst of wild weather, or Element Bearer shenanigans.
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A nuisance so common it appears in the travel guides, I'm sure. Which is why everypony wears a saddlebag to visit.
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More thoughts (just what you wanted
Earth ponies especially might be willing to require assistance to put on/take off saddlebags, or get to whatever’s in them. Depending on their job . . . to my mind, I see a lot of earth ponies working in pairs. Same might be true of pegasi, although I think that most of them would tend to want to pack light, so to speak, unless their job required them to carry stuff. Depending on your headcanon, setting stuff on a nearby cloud and/or pushing a cloud with your stuff on it could be the way most pegasi do it.
Most towns of any size would have somepony who could make or at least repair saddlebags (and harnesses); in fact, a lot of saddlebags might be produced by harness-makers. While in the show they tend to be fastened by a single belly-band, depending on what’s in them, that might not be practical.
On the other hand, there could well be harness-making ponies who also make the harnesses for saddlebags, but not the bags themselves; they’d either pass the harness onto the bag-maker, or get the bags from somepony else and then attach them to the harness.
One type of ‘saddlebag’ that I rarely see in fics, but which has been seen in canon and is historical as well is an open-type, like Junebug’s wearing here:
derpicdn.net/img/2012/1/16/429/large.png
For a lot of farming ponies, they’d be very practical, or for carting things to and from market.
Historically, a lot of baskets (and other things) were made out of wicker, and there’s no reason why the ponies wouldn’t make panniers out of wicker; not only would that be another occupation requiring a skilled pony, but the quality of the willow used could also make a difference.
More rigid containers are also a possibility--I don’t think we’ve seen them in show, but wooden boxes for fragile items (wine bottles, let’s say) are also a possibility. Or coops for birds, apparently.
thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/pack-horse-himalayas-annapurna-region-which-section-north-central-nepal-31743537.jpg
Also worth note, a lot of pack saddles/panniers had a rigid, often wooden ‘saddle’ as a primary support, so you could have carpenters getting in on the trade, too (and arguments back and forth about whether the heavier, stiffer wooden support is better than a more flexible strap arrangement).
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That's a lot of thoughts! I like it, and it's very interesting to think of open pannier packs/baskets instead of close flap, especially for farm workers or the ponies that work in small gardens daily. Very easy to drop their produce into an open basket and also easier to clean up afterwards.
Hmm. There's an interesting idea. Saddlebag cleaning. I mean, ponies do sweat, so that would be an interesting side-business to see crop up alongside saddle makers as well. Laundromats for saddlebags... Modern Equestria idea there. And for the Renaissance-equivalent era I'm writing this story in, it'd be the laundress, or the launderer for the nobility, and for the common pony a little side-business where the small laundering guild gets most of their business. Nopony wants to wear a salty saddlebag strap - or a smelly saddlebag (especially in the scent-centric Merrie).
And I do like that rigid idea. I have a winery in the story that features prominently, and I'll have to give the rigid idea some more thought. Especially for roving wine vendors at parties that carry their wares on a mobile wine-rack... maybe even a mobile wine-rack that can double as a social piece for a series of ponies if it has a flat top and some other things that go with wine.
That was a lot of good thoughts to have about saddlebags! Thank you!
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Or saddlebag makers claiming that their saddlebags are resistant to pony sweat . . .
(as an aside, and as I’m sure you know, equines are one of the few mammals who can sweat all over)
As I recall, it was kind of the lower class that did the laundry back in the day . . . if you also want to go with gender reversal (which I often do), maybe a small group of bachelor stallions are the launderers . . . also, lots of detergent adds promise to ‘lift spots’ . . . could be there’s a spell for that.
It didn’t take much effort to find a picture of a horse carrying bottled water, but if you’ve got a winery and probably lots of ponies who like drinking at a fancy shindig, you’re gonna have to go bigger.
images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/work-horse-at-the-azores-gaspar-avila.jpg
I do like the idea of carrying not only wine, but also wine-related accessories . . . I could see a mobile wine-and-cheese pony being a hit at unicorn gatherings, and honestly there would be a place for skilled ponies who can put things on their back and carry them without spilling them.
Dude, you can deep-dive into this kind of stuff, and it’s great.
Also, just found this--it might be useful:
Packing with Horses and Mules