The development and diffusion of the horse saddle provides an example of the diffusion process throughout Middle Earth. The Elvish saddle of soft leather and padding was developed during the First Age to meet the Elves’ need for archery-based combat and peaceful travel between the two main Elvish cities, Lothlorien and Rivendell. Saddle technology transmitted both westward to the Shire and southward into Rohan and Gondor during the War of the Rings. The War of the Rings conflict contributed to the transmission and modification of saddle technology to the Shire, Gondor, and Rohan regions as post-war combatants returned home to their own regions. The Shire-Hobbit saddle required significant modifications, including a vast reduction in the size
