Skirt Panels

Skirt

The skirt of the saddle refers to the underneath panel on western saddles, half breed saddle and some treeless saddles. The big piece of leather or another type of material (depending on the type of saddle), known as the skirt of the saddle, is the component that rests below the seat of the saddle.

It is a form of barrier that is often made out of sheepskin or another type of cushioning material and serves to protect the horse while also assisting in the proper placement of the horse’s pads. Also, the skirt assists in maintaining the saddle’s equilibrium by uniformly dispersing the rider’s weight.

Many skirt panel nowadays are sheepskin or faux fur lined adding to the comfort of the horses back when riding.

Depending on the brand, many saddles will have different size length skirts. Western saddles typically have long skirts and half breed saddles or hybrids have slightly shorter and rounder shaped skirts.

It is important to remember that the skirt on a saddle is not designed to be weight bearing, but merely a balancing component in the saddles design and will often go beyond the horses back behind without any issue to the fit on the saddle.