Really Fast Horses or: How I Tried to Stop Worrying and Love Blazing Saddles

For years, I've taken the title "Blazing Saddles" to mean "Fast Horses", or something like that, as I can only assume many did/do. For me, it conjured up blurred mental images of a super-fast racing cowboy flanked by slower cowboys literally getting left in the dust: Blazing Saddles.

But upon reflection that doesn't make any real sense, not even to me ... horses don't "blaze" when they go fast; blaze is a descriptor of heat. Why specify just the saddle, not the horse, or its rider? Any why is there more than one saddle?

I now think the title may be more correctly interpreted as a synonym for "Hot Seat", or "the position of someone who is in trouble or is being asked many difficult or embarrassing questions".

I believe the entire movie is intended to be uncomfortable; to cause you to second-guess all your laughs.

The theater seats are the blazing saddles, and you're in them.