English Saddles

Dressage

Dressage saddles are distinguished by their straight flaps and deep seats. Because of this, the rider is able to maintain their balance while still keeping their legs extended and remaining in contact with the horse. The rider is able to utilise their weight aids more effectively in order to assist in collecting the horse thanks to the deeper seat.

While riding a dressage horse, it is important to maintain a position in which the rider’s legs are almost straight from the hip down. Because of this, the rider’s centre of gravity is now positioned a few inches behind the pommel of the saddle. The rider’s legs are kept further back than they would be in a jump saddle because to the location of the stirrup bars, which are designed to assist with this.

Also, the girth points have been lengthened to ensure that the girth may be pulled up below the flaps of the saddle.

In addition, this assists the rider in maintaining a position that brings their legs closer to the horse.

The subtlety with which a rider may apply weight aids is an essential aspect of modern dressage saddle design, and this aspect is always being refined. The majority of them come with a selection of various flap lengths and block sizes to choose from.

Jumping

A jumping saddle has a flat seat, short stirrups, and flaps that point forwards so that the rider is in a more advantageous position for jumping obstacles.

A flat seat helps the rider to rapidly rise out of the saddle when jumping, which is an important part of a correct jumping position.

The forwards angle flap that sits beneath the rider’s upper leg and angles outward. A forwards angle is carved into the seat of jumping saddles so that they may accommodate the bent knee of the rider.

Designed for mobility, not security – Unlike dressage saddles, jumping saddles are designed to facilitate movement rather than provide riders with a sense of safety. Nonetheless, there are some jumping saddle models that feature seats that are deeper to provide a higher level of security for the rider.

All Purpose

The right dressage position and the correct jumping position are both taken into consideration when designing an all-purpose saddle.

Saddles referred to as all purpose saddles or general purpose saddles are made with the rider who competes in several disciplines in mind. These saddles often include a flap that is fairly forward and a seat that is relatively deep. In general, all purpose saddles are appropriate for low level dressage and jumping, in addition to English pleasure riding and trail riding. In addition, all-purpose saddles are occasionally used for the training of young horses because of their adaptability and the sense of security they provide for the rider.

Show

Show saddles are often more compact in size and are created with the intention of displaying as much of the horse as is physically feasible. When it comes to a show saddle, less is more, which is why they often feature a straightforward design.

Straight cut flaps help to emphasise the exquisite shoulders of the horse, and compact panels maintain the overall rider and saddle ‘image’ looking tidy and unobtrusive. These features were designed to highlight the conformation of the horse, and they were included in the saddle.

Show saddles are characterised by their lack of knee rolls and flat seats, both of which are traits that frequently go hand in hand with the development of a “chair seat” in the rider. Because of this, show saddles typically provide the rider with very little support.