Types of saddles

There are many different types of saddles available for a wide range of disciplines, are you confused on what the differences are? We have complied a list in order to clear up what each type of saddle is designed for.

There are a few different branches that saddles will sit under in order to differentiate there design and capabilities.

English

An English saddle is made with a tree and panel, they are designed to give the horse freedom of movement whilst allowing the rider to be very close contact with the horses movement.

The strong wood that serves as the foundation for the English saddle is covered with webbing, leather, and padding materials. An English saddle’s tree is often constructed of laminated layers of premium oak, strengthened with steel underneath the front arch and all the way around the back from quarter to quarter. Bars are the tree’s horizontally oriented sides that go along the horse’s back. Modern trees frequently include spring steel flowing between the bars from the front to the back. These trees, also referred to as “spring trees,” are slightly flexible, with the amount of elasticity varied from saddle to saddle. More recently, other materials have been used by saddle makers to create synthetic moulded trees in place of wood (some still using spring steel and a steel gullet plate). The quality of synthetic materials varies greatly. Although polyurethane trees are frequently built very well, some really affordable saddles are made with fibreglass trees, which are less resilient.

The seat, flaps, and panels are made by covering the entire tree in leather. Although pigskin and other leathers are also used, cowhide is the most common type. Wool flock has traditionally been used to fill the panels on the underside of saddles, and it is still favoured and utilised on saddles of the highest calibre. On more affordable saddles, synthetic materials like foam and fiberfill are utilised. Additionally, one company currently produces a design that uses airtight sealed panels that are inflated with air.

  • Tree: the foundation upon which the rest of the saddle is constructed. Typically made of wood or a synthetic material that resembles wood, the stirrup bar and, in certain cases, the gullet are added as metal pieces. As the saddle is constructed, it will eventually be covered with leather or synthetic material.
  • Panels: the area of an English saddle that acts as a bolster between the horse’s back and the saddle and enables for customization of the saddle’s fit. Keeping the saddle adjusted for the rider is also crucial. frequently maintained by sealed air spaces or packed with wool or foam flocking. The “back panels” are the panels that are located beneath the cantle. The “front panels” are those on the front of the saddle. However, if the saddle is turned over, it is possible to see that the front and rear panels are one continuous piece. Two panels make up the saddle, one on either side of the horse’s spine.
  • Gullet: the area between the saddle’s bars that gives the horse’s spine room to move without the saddle pressing against it. The front arch of the tree determines the gullet width of the saddle. In some designs, a specific saddle can be modified by using interchangeable parts to vary the angle (and subsequently the width) of the front arch. The term “gullet” is commonly used to describe the opening between the packed panels, notwithstanding its imprecision.
  • Seat: the lowest point of the saddle’s topline and the depression where the rider’s seatbones sit. The rider is given more security the deeper the seat is.
  • Pommel: the front of the saddle, which is elevated higher than the seat for the horse’s withers as well as the rider’s security.
  • Cantle: the saddle’s elevated back, which is higher than the seat for security.
  • Waistor Twist: the area of the saddle where the rider’s pelvic bone rests, located between the seat and the pommel. Particularly for female riders, the width of the waist has a significant impact on the rider’s comfort..
  • Skirt: a strip of leather that covers the stirrup bar in order to stop the rider’s leg from rubbing against the stirrup leather buckle (which is adjusted so it is right against the stirrup bar). Additionally, it prevents the stirrup leather buckle from unbuckling and slipping down. The skirt is short enough that the stirrup leather can be reached easily.
  • Saddle flap: the substantial leather flap that sits between the rider’s leg and the billets and girth buckles on the outside of an English saddle. Given that it must mimic the rider’s leg position, the length and shape of the saddle flap directly connect to the saddle’s intended usage.
  • Sweat flap: the substantial piece of leather that fits between the billets and the horse on the underside of the saddle. It aids in shielding the rest of the saddle from the horse’s perspiration and the girth straps and buckles from squeezing the horse’s skin. It is thin and attached to the saddle flap with enlarged girth points in monoflap saddles, allowing the girth to be buckled below the flap.
  • Billetsor points: Strong webbing-mounted straps that hang down and are fastened over the saddle tree are where the girth is buckled. To change how tight the girth is, they have a number of holes. Typically, there are three billets, providing a backup in case one is torn or frayed. In order to reduce the bulk underneath the rider’s leg and enable closer contact with the horse, some saddles feature extremely long billets that are used to buckle the girth behind the saddle flap. Typically, the front point is fastened to a little web while the back two are fastened to a larger web.

Western

If you think of the quintessential ‘cowboy’ saddle chances are you are thinking of a Western saddle. Designed with a flat seat and a horn these saddles are typically used for barrel racing, pleasure riding and roping work.

The Western saddle is made to be comfortable while being worn for extended periods of time. Its origins and intended use are as a working tool for a cowboy who rides horses all day, every day. The western saddle may appear to provide a more secure seat for a novice rider. This may be deceiving, as the horn is not intended to serve as a handle for the rider to hold onto, and the heavy stirrups and high cantle are not meant to compel the rider to adopt a stiff posture. For both English and western riders, it’s crucial to have autonomous hands and a seat.

The “tree” that establishes the shape of the bars, the seat, the swells, the horn, and the cantle is the first component of the modern western saddle. Traditional trees are composed of wood that has been covered in rawhide and then varnished or coated with a contemporary synthetic finish. Sometimes the horn’s core is made of metal. Although lighter and less expensive than traditional materials, modern synthetic materials of all kinds have also been utilised in place of wood. Some of these materials, like fibreglass, are considered dangerously weaker than traditional ones. The foundation of a decent saddle is a high-quality tree, especially for those used in sports like steer roping where the gear must bear significant force.

On all portions of the saddle that are visible, the tree is often wrapped with leather. To increase the rider’s comfort, the seat may have foam rubber or other materials put between the tree and the top layer of leather. Leather or foam padding may also be used to gently modify the seat’s shape. The skirts and the tree are both covered with sheepskin that has been placed on the saddle’s underside. The metal cinch rings are fastened to the tree in the manner indicated under “Rigging” below. Small plates, lacing, and metal conchos—typically silver or a silver-like substitute—are added for adornment.

The saddle’s leather components frequently feature simple to sophisticated tooled designs. The hand-carved tooling on the highest-quality saddles is frequently regarded as a work of art in and of itself.

An English saddle has padding between the tree and the outside leather and fleece skirting, whereas a Western saddle does not. The weight-bearing section of the saddle is substantial and typically covered in sheepskin, but it needs to be padded with a saddle blanket to provide the horse a snug fit.

A western saddle will typically come as a fixed gullet in either a Semi Quarter Bars or Full Quarter Bars size. This is unchangeable so requires a rider to know what size and style would best suit there horse.

Stock

The Stock saddles are a proudly Australian design, they combine some features of both English and Western saddles. They allow for a very secure ride with their typically deep ‘bucket’ seat and thigh blocks.  Designed to allow the riders to be able to move with the horse over difficult terrain. The seat of the Stock saddle places the legs in front of the body, and the stirrup position is a little more forward than in a western saddle. This makes the saddle comfortable for riding for extended periods of time and through challenging terrain.

The stock saddle is a saddle that is widely used for activities that call for long periods of time in the saddle and a secure seat. The saddle is appropriate for working with cattle, breaking in young horses, daily trail riding, endurance riding, playing polocrosse, and competing in Australian campdrafting and stockman challenges.

Endurance

 Endurance Saddles are perfect for distributing the rider’s weight over a broad surface for longer rides.

First, producers especially designed the endurance saddle with durability and rider comfort in mind because they are aware of the sport associated to the saddle.

  • Light Weight – To be competitive, the rider needs a saddle that is lightweight, strong for extended rides over challenging terrain, and comfortable. It is designed to enable close contact for improved communication between the rider and the horse. A lighter saddle makes the ride more pleasant for the horse’s back.
  • A thickly padded seat – A saddle designed for endurance riding needs to have a comfortable seat because the rider will be covering lengthy distances. The seats are therefore thickly cushioned (some seats are designed with memory foam).
  • Low or No Horn – The endurance saddle either has a short horn or none at all to prevent impaling the rider’s stomach or interfering when standing or jumping over obstacles.
  • Endurance saddles frequently have rounded skirts, which contributes to the saddle’s reduced weight.

Treeless

These saddles are typically more robust than a straightforward back pad. Some riders use treeless saddles for their typically lighter weight, for their own riding comfort preferences, or to accommodate horses with particularly wide backs that can experience uncomfortable pressure points with conventional saddles.

While a treeless saddle would not contain a whole tree, some might have a flexible fibreglass cantle and pommel. Other treeless saddle varieties might merely have padding layers. Treeless saddles come in a wide variety of manufacturers and models, so if you’re looking for one, be sure to check out several different versions. A saddle does not guarantee that it will fit any horse simply because it is treeless. Not every horse or rider will suit a treeless saddle.

Riding with a treeless saddle has some benefits and drawbacks. For the rider, many are exceedingly comfy. They may be useful for riders who have trouble lifting because they can be lightweight. They also enable you to have a better sense of the horse’s back because you can get closer to the animal. While many treeless saddles make you sit wider, some riders may prefer the close touch offered by these saddles, while others may find they miss the twist and contour of a traditional saddle.

This kind of saddle can be fantastic for a difficult-to-fit horse. Treeless saddles might be the best option if your horse has an extremely wide back or uneven shoulders. You can’t automatically assume that you are removing the chance of the saddle causing soreness for your horse just because it is treeless. Treeless saddles might contain pressure spots, just like standard saddles do. There might be a pressure point there if the girth or cinch only has one point of attachment, the stirrups are connected to a single strap, etc. Some people might apply pressure to the horse’s girth area underneath. A well-made treeless saddle will feature rigging that disperses pressure throughout your horse’s body rather than concentrating it in one spot.

Some treeless saddles may not be as secure as conventional saddles, which is a problem. This kind of saddle might be more likely to roll, carrying you with it, because it lacks a tree to stabilise it. To help prevent the saddle from rotating, it could be a good idea to use a breastplate, which are straps that wrap over the horse’s chest from the front of the saddle. You may need to be particularly cautious about the kind of treeless saddle you use and how you secure it if your horse has low withers or a very round or flat back.