Horse Saddles
How To Know What You Need
Horse saddles vary by the hundreds. When you are looking for your next saddle you have many things to keep in mind. Do you need an english or western saddle? Are you planning to use it for work at home or for showing? Do you need to replace any other saddle accessories? All are valid questions you should be asking yourself.
Start by making a list of what exactly you need in your next saddle. For anyone new to the whole horse and saddle-buying process, below you will find some basic and helpful information to get you started. If you have been around a while and are just looking for a new saddle, below you will find some helpful buying tips and resources to find what you need. Tack shops are a great place to start when looking for a saddle.
Saddle Fitting
Basics
Before
throwing a saddle on your horse's back
you must take a general inventory of your horse's anatomy and how he is
put together. The first thing you need to keep in mind is that horse's
have a dominant side just as you or I are left or right handed. This
single side dominance causes a natural build up of muscles on one side.
Horse saddles are made evenly on both sides. The combination of an even saddle on the back of an uneven horse is likely to cause pressure points under the saddle along with pain and possible back injuries. This build up of pressure can also restrict a horse's amount of shoulder motion while riding, further increasing the pain he feels.
English Saddle Fit
When fitting an english saddle make sure it is straight from left to right and not twisted. You can check this by flipping the saddle over and looking straight down the channel making sure the line is straight. You can also prop the saddle on your leg and look down the seat from the cantle to the pommel.
To place the saddle on the horse's back properly start by setting it higher up on his neck or withers. Then proceed to move the saddle back until it locks in place. Then check and see where the billets line up to the girth area. If they are too far back from the girth area then it is likely not an ideal fit for your horse.
Next check the clearance between your horse's withers and the pommel. You want about 3-4 finger widths of clearance to avoid pressure on the withers. Also make sure you check the clearance on the sides of the panels. This can be done by applying some downward pressure on the pommel with one hand and running the other hand under the panels on each side of your horse's withers.
You want 1-2 finger widths between the horse's shoulder and the panel to allow the horse to move at full range through the shoulder. You also want to check for any uneven pressure down the length of the saddle. Continue with the downward pressure and run your hand from front to back under the panel to make sure the pressure is even and not built up more in the front or back which is known as bridging.
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Parts Of The Saddle
All horse saddles can be broken down into basic parts used for reference when discussing a specific area or part of the saddle. However, there are still difference between both english and western saddles.English saddles
Tree - The foundation on which the rest of the saddle is built. Usually a wood material is used when constructing the tree.
Panels - The cushioning on the underside of the saddle, continuous from front to back and usually made out of foam.
Gullet - The channel between the two panels allowing clearance for the horse's spine. Dictates the general width of the saddle.
Seat - Top part of the saddle where the rider sits. Specifically it is the dip in the top of the saddle.
Pommel - The front part of the saddle, usually raised above the level of the seat to allow clearance of the withers.
Cantle - The back part of the saddle which sits higher than the seat to give security in the seat.
Waist/Twist - Between the seat and the pommel, where the rider's pelvic bone sits. The width of this area will have an effect on rider comfort.
Skirt - The leather piece over the stirrup bar to protect the riders leg from rubbing over the stirrup buckle.
Saddle flap - Large leather piece between the rider’s leg and the billet/girth area.
Sweat flap - Piece of leather between the billets and the horse.
Billets - Straps anchored to the saddle tree and to which the girth is attached.
Girth Buckle Guard - Billets threaded through to help protect the saddle flap from getting worn.
Knee/Thigh roll - Padded area under the knee and in front of the thigh.
Calf Block - Padding behind the rider's lower leg for rider stability.
Stirrup - Where the rider rests his/her feet.
Western Saddle Parts
Tree - Foundation from which the rest of the saddle is built. Usually constructed from wood.
Panels - The cushioning on the underside of the saddle, continuous from front to back and usually has sheepskin covering.
Gullet - The channel between the two panels allowing clearance for the horse's spine. Dictates the general width of the saddle.
Seat - Top part of the saddle where the rider sits. Specifically it is the dip in the top of the saddle.
Pommel - The front part of the saddle, allow clearance of the withers. More built up than compared to the english saddle.
Cantle - The back part of the saddle which sits higher than the seat to give security in the seat.
Waist/Twist - Between the seat and the pommel, where the rider's pelvic bone sits. The width of this area will have an effect on rider comfort.
Skirt - The leather piece that travels the length of the saddle.
Latigo - The piece of leather that attaches to the cinch ring and is used to secure and tighten the girth.
Cinch - Used to secure the saddle to the horse's back. Made of rope, fleece, or neoprene.
Fender - Large piece of leather on which the rider's leg sits.
-Stirrup - Where the rider rests his/her feet.
English Saddles
English
horse saddles vary in style through the
construction of the seat location, flap length, and shape. If you plan
on showing in a variety of classes with your horse you can get
all-purpose or eventing saddles. This is a good saddle to use if you
are going to be showing your horse both over fences and on the flat.
Jumping horse saddles are also known as close contact saddles are built for over fences work and hunt seat equitation. This saddle is built with a more forward flap allowing for shorter stirrups. The seat is a little more flat than the all-purpose saddle with a lower set cantle and pommel so as to not interfere with a rider during jumping.
Dressage horse saddles are longer in length with a flap that is cut much straighter and allows for a longer rider leg position. The pommel is higher causing a more forward rider seat causing a longer leg on the horse.
Saddle seat horse saddles are built longer and flatter placing the rider balance point farther back. The saddle is built to promote greater freedom and movement through the horse's front legs and shoulders.
The endurance saddle is built for use over long distances. The goal is to provide comfort for both horse and rider through a padded seat and extended panels for a larger area of contact with the horse.
Western Saddles
Western horse saddles are used in western disciplines of riding. There are a variety of types of western saddles to choose from. If you are looking to do some general riding or showing in more pleasure type classes, you can look for a more general purpose saddle. You can also choose from very specific horse saddles depending on the discipline you are looking at competing in.
Competing
more exclusively in reining, cutting,
barrel racing, or roping may warrant a special saddle for use in
competition. Roping saddles are heavy and sturdy, built with a thicker
horn for securing a rope. A lower cantle in this saddle is also helpful
in allowing the rider to dismount quickly.
Horse saddles used in reining have a deeper seat with wider swells allowing the rider to sit deeply during sliding stops in the pattern. Barrel racing saddles are lighter in weight with wide swells and a higher cantle to provided added rider security around sharp turns. Endurance saddles are also lighter in weight and usually don't have a horn. A trail saddle is built for comfort with a padded seat.
Western show saddles (for all disciplines) are built with added leather tooling and silver. There are also equitation saddles built for show with an a deeper seat to allow the rider to stay in place.
Saddle Accessories
Horse saddles also require additional accessories for safe and comfortable riding. You will need a girth or cinch whether you ride western or english. Cinches and girths come in sizes so it is important you find one that fits your horse and your saddle with room left to tighten.You will also need some sort of saddle pad. Western saddle pads are generally larger in size and more heavily padded. English saddle pads are usually made of wool or fleece. Make sure the area covered by the saddle pad is larger than the area covered by the saddle.
