Skeeter Lewis said "A lot of horse tack was ranger-style, to prevent chafing by the buckle. In the saddle, ranger style is more comfortable too. The buckle doesn't dig into your gut so much."
Thanks for the chuckle, Skeeter, . . . one of my favorite pictures is a Civil War group of scouts in civvies, . . . we have always laughed at how well they dressed, . . . and the fact that there was not one fat boy among them.
I think part of the reason also that the buckle didn't dig into their guts as much, . . . was the simple fact that they just didn't have the belt line protrusions that are so common to today's folks.
Not saying it is gospel, . . . but a for sure observation.
May God bless,
Dwight