Go a bit further back and guerillas, I do not really remember reading much about carbines with them.  I read shotguns, then pistols, lots and lots of pistols.   

The saddle ring was a military thing, back when it was used in conjunction with a sling across the body.

That way, the trooper could fire the single round - drop the piece and yet retain it to reload to try again.

The Cavalry actually practiced this and trained for it - as they did with trained mounts - that's something civilians generally did not do.

Also - Cavalry fought dismounted - using a horse handler to handle the reins during the action - they fully understood that a standing or kneeling man could probably actually hit his target without the pitching and movement of a horse.

Weapon retention was a valuable idea - no doubt leading to the inclusion of saddle rings on carbines later in time, but there were no corresponding slings - largely because the weapon now used a scabbard, instead of the loop of the saddle's equipment that held the barrel in one place.

The military discontinued used of the ring around 1896, with the first of the Krag carbines - it stayed on civilian carbines to this day.

Unless the horse has been trained to ignore gunfire, his appreciation of hearing the round being fired is less than optimal, so if you're going to take that shot - better get screwed down...

Scouts Out!

Absolutely wonderful revolvers!  Shot pretty much dead on with 246 grain .44 Russian factory duplication loads (5.3 grains of Unique).  Never dropped a shot.  Next is the annual match at Railroad Flat in the end of May.  Thats a 12 stage match with side matches.  That will wring them out thoroughly for part two of the article.

I've never used the saddle ring on the different carbines, and I've never seen them used on actual carrying vis-a-viz riding and hunting- not to say other folks don't have different experience.  I always dismounted if I was going to take a rifle shot, so the shorter barrels could be a little handier drawing out of the scabbard, but the best luck I had was with either my old 1894 (26" barrel) or my model 71 with the 24" barrel.  I've taken one or two shots with a pistol off a horse, but the ensuing rodeo is not worth the fuss.  Now, my experience may be far different from most folks that have a lot more experience than I do

Slim, we'll be shooting at either AR500 steel or paper. Anything short of AP will be o.k.