Saddlery Information

Riding Saddles - Saddle Types

There are many different types and makes of saddle available that come in different materials, sizes and price tags. The most important consideration when choosing a saddle is whether or not it fits your horse and is it appropriate for the type of riding you want to do. The next consideration is whether it is comfortable for the rider.

Dressage saddles are cut to offer the rider a long and secure lower leg position with a well positioned seat. They do this by being cut very long in the saddle flap with a straight knee roll and often the addition of a thigh roll will help to encourage the rider’s leg to stay in position in close contact with the horse side. Due to the riders leg being long and needing to stay close to the horse’s side the girth straps have been designed to extend down further from the underside of the saddle allowing a shorter girth used and keeping the buckles of the girth from interfering with the rider’s lower leg.

A general purpose saddle is for the rider who wants to do a little bit of everything whether it is dressage, show jumping, cross country or pleasure riding. The reason it is so useful as a saddle is it allows the rider the ability to change their positions by not being to extreme in the way it is made up. Therefore the rider can easily go from a dressage position to a jumping position with little more than adjusting the stirrup leathers. Some general purpose saddles now come with attachable knee/thigh pads which can be adjusted, added or removed completely when required from under the saddle flap.

Polo saddles have been designed to assist the rider with freedom of movement due to the flatness of the seat and the low cantle and no knee roll on the saddle flap. This allows the rider to easily adjust their position when on the polo field.

Showing Saddles are generally similar in the way they are cut to that of a Dressage saddle, the main difference being they usually do not have a knee roll and have a much shorter saddle flap.

The side saddle has been designed specifically to allow the rider to remain in position whilst sitting with both legs to one side of the horse. This puts one stirrup and saddle flap for example on the left hand side, with the girth straps coming directly from underneath the saddle flap on the right hand side. The rider is held in position by putting her right leg over the fixed head and her left leg pressed up against the Leaping head with her left foot in the stirrup a whip is carried in the opposite hand to control the right hand side of the horse. The saddle can be designed to have the rider sitting on either the near or off side.

The western saddle has been designed to provide comfort to both horse and rider. Riders are frequently in the saddle for many hours at a time so the saddle needs to allow the riders weight to be evenly distributed, this is achieved by allowing the saddle to have a wide surface area, and this in turn gives the rider a secure seat with the added benefit of the Horn at the front of the saddle which the rider keeps a secure hold on and helps to prevent the rider from being thrown forward.

Treeless or part treed saddles these types of saddle are unique because it is currently designed to fit any horse of any shape, and allowing it the freedom of movement, this is particularly useful for horses who do not always fit into regular sized saddles or those who are starting work and may changing shape rapidly or for horses who are not comfortable in conventional saddles. It is currently available in dressage or general purpose with different seat sizes available for the rider. An example of a partly treed saddle is the Phoenix this has the whole seat and front arch made up of layers of memory foam which gives great depth to the seat to the rider and quickly adapts to each riders individual position and also adapts to the horses back too if required a gel pad can be used in conjunction with this type of saddle.

Racing saddles are designed with a flat seat, flat cantle, and small and short saddle flap with very short stirrup leathers. The saddle itself is light by design and not bulky with the added benefit of the saddle flap being well cut forward to allow the jockey to crouch right up on top of the saddle staying very snugly in place and therefore allowing the horse to go at speed without the rider or saddle, slowing the horse down through wind resistance.

Riding Saddles - Parts of the Saddle

A pommel is at the very front of the saddle and it should form a clear arch over the horses withers.

The seat is the area that the rider sits, in some saddles the seat can be made up of a different material than that of the rest of the saddle for example a leather saddle with the seat in suede.

Cantle is towards the rear of the saddle and can be high or low depending on your preference.

Skirt is a part of the saddle that covers the Bar, stirrup buckle and leathers. It protects both the saddle and the rider’s leg and can be found towards the front of the saddle under the front part of the seat extending to under the pommel.

D rings are traditionally made of stainless steel and allow the rider to attach saddle bags, lead ropes and anything else the rider deems necessary.

A saddle flap is a flat piece of material which extends down from underneath The seat, the shape of the saddle flap will dictate for what purpose the saddle will be used for, on the saddle flap there should be a keeper.

The knee roll is positioned towards the front of the saddle and extends down the front of the saddle flap. A long knee roll would be used for dressage while one that is designed to be brought forward would be used for jumping or general purpose.

A thigh roll is positioned towards the rear of the underside of the saddle, this helps to position the riders lower leg securely in place.

Girth straps extend down from underneath the saddle flap being securely held in place under the tree. There should be at least three straps in all to which the girth is attached. On a dressage saddle the leathers are extended so that a shorter girth can be used

The buckle guard is a piece of leather which attaches itself to the girth straps, its function is to protect the underneath of the saddle from damage by the girth buckles.

A fixed head is found on a side saddle, usually on the left hand side. It is this that the rider puts her top leg over.

Leaping head is found on a side saddle it sits below the fixed head.

A horn is found at the front of a western saddle.

By using stirrup leathers, stirrup irons are hung they are held in place by the bar of the saddle.

The stirrup irons hang from stirrup leathers and are made of stainless steel.

A keeper is a small piece of leather found on the saddle flap just behind where the riders leg would sit, it is through this that the end of the stirrup leather is thread to keep it from interfering with the riders leg

A bar is attached to the tree at one end just underneath the skirt of the saddle, it is from here that the stirrup leathers are attached, because the bar is fixed at only one end should the stirrup leather need to be pulled off it would.

The tree is the framework of the saddle. Usually made of wood, it is this framework which dictates for what purpose the saddle will be used for.

The gullet is a clear channel that sits over the horse’s spine, a good rule of thumb to use for gullet fit is that there should be clearance of two to four fingers-widths between the withers and the gullet.

Riding Saddles - Saddle Accessories

The girth is used to keep the saddle in place, it has two buckles at either end which attach themselves to the girth straps of the saddle, for security you should attach the girth to the first and third girth straps as the first girth strap is attached to a separate part of the saddle than the second two, so if one girth strap breaks the other will hold your saddle in place. Girths are made of leather, synthetic or cotton. A dressage girth is much shorter so that the buckles do not interfere with the riders contact with the horse. A Stud girth is one with a widened panel which when the horse is jumping will protect the horses underneath from being damaged from the wearing of studs. An over girth is used for cross country it lies on top of the saddle being passed through the martingale loop at the bottom it acts as a secondary safety girth should anything happen to the original.

A girth sleeve slides on to the girth and is made of either synthetic or sheepskin material this will help to prevent rubbing or girth sores.

Numnah is made of cotton they protect the under side of the saddle. A numnah is in the shape of the saddle and should not be so bulky that it alters the fit of the saddle.

A saddlecloth is worn under the saddle a saddle cloth is square in shape and is predominantly used with dressage saddles. A saddlecloth should not be so bulky as to interfere with the fit of the saddle.

The seat saver is a padded cover usually made of sheepskin or suede; it covers the seat of the saddle and offers the rider some extra comfort.

A gel pad which sits in between the saddle and the numnah and allows the riders weight to be evenly spread therefore reducing pressure points.

The saddle bag is a bag which sits behind the saddle and offers the rider the ability to place any items required for the journey and the ability to access it whilst on or off the horse.

The breast plate is used to help secure a saddle and prevent it from slipping.