Saddles: Which saddle suits which horse?

A saddle has an important task within your riding equipment: it has to distribute the rider’s weight evenly so that there is no localised strain on the horse’s back. In addition, the saddle must keep the horse’s spine, withers and shoulders free, otherwise the horse cannot move freely and in the long run this can lead to tension, obstructions and premature wear. For the rider, a saddle means secure support combined with sufficient freedom of movement. A good saddle fits both horse and rider.

Saddle design and formation

Classic saddles such as dressage saddles, jumping saddles and general purpose saddles basically have the same design – treeless saddles excluded. From the inside out, a saddle consists of the following components:

Saddle tree

The tree is the core of the saddle and defines its basic shape. Its curve must fit the curve of the horse’s back, minor deviations can be compensated later with saddle panels.

In the past, saddle trees were mainly made of wood. Nowadays, manufacturers have more possibilities to make the tree more flexible and lighter. Only Western saddles still mainly use wooden trees. Spring trees are often used, i.e. trees with steel springs that provide more elasticity and thus a higher feel-good factor for the horse. Plastic trees or trees made of fibre glass are also very light and flexible and yield slightly when the horse moves. However, these are moulded and can therefore no longer be adjusted to the horse’s back.

On both sides of the tree there is a so-called stirrup bar, to which the stirrup leathers are later attached. The stirrup bar opens in the event of a fall so that the stirrup leathers slip out and the rider is not dragged behind the horse.

The front arch and gullet

The gullet sits in front of the saddle tree above the withers. It gives the saddle stability and keeps the withers clear, as most of the rider’s weight is on the front of the saddle. The space between where the gullet plate ends and above the withers is called the front arch. The ends of the gullet is called tree points, must be parallel to the shoulder and perpendicular to the ground.

If the gullet plate is too wide, the saddle will press on the withers and cause a sore back. If the gullet plate is too narrow, not only will the muscles around the withers be squeezed, but the saddle will also be unstable. Many modern saddle designs have adjustable gullet plates, which can either be continuously adjusted or simply replaced.

From the pommel via the seat to the cantle

The pommel and cantle form the front and rear boundary of the saddle and delimit the rider’s seat. The saddle should be positioned perpendicularly so that the seat has its centre of gravity in its middle. In addition, the seat must fit the size of the rider. If the saddle is too small for the rider, he or she will sit uncomfortably, which will also affect the horse’s movements. If the seat is too big, the rider will not find a firm hold and will slide around. This also has a negative effect on the horse’s movements. The curve of the seat, as well as the height of the cantle, play an important role, especially with jumping and gaited horse saddles. You can read more about this in the saddle assessment guide.

Saddle flap

The saddle flaps hang down on the left and right side of the saddle. The rider’s legs come to rest on them, giving them support and helping them to get into the desired position. Depending on the type of saddle, the saddle flap is cut differently:

• A dressage saddle has a straight saddle flap that is extended downwards to frame the rider’s elongated leg.
• A jumping saddle has a short but forward-cut saddle flap to give the greatly angled rider’s leg the necessary support over the jump.
• A general purpose saddle is a mixture of both saddles, with the shape of the saddle flap leaning towards either jumping or dressage.

For additional support, there are knee rolls at the front of the saddle flap, against which the rider’s knee can rest. The knee rolls can be of different degrees of thickness. On some saddle designs, they can be removed or replaced with a hook-and-loop fastener.

Sweat flap and billets

Under the saddle flap is the sweat flap, which prevents the billets and the saddle flap from coming into contact with horse sweat. Between the sweat flap and the saddle flap are three billets, which vary in length depending on the type of saddle: The billets on a dressage saddle are long because a short girth is used with the long saddle flap. In contrast, the billets on a jumping and general purpose saddle are rather short, because a long girth is used here.

Generally, two billets are used for securing the girth, while the middle billet is used as a substitute. Sometimes the front and middle or the middle and back billets can also be used for fitting purposes.

Panels

Last but not least, we look under the saddle where the panels are located. These lie directly on the horse (or the saddle pad), keep the spine free and are filled with wool flocking. This needs to be re-flocked regularly, as it can clump over time, leading to pressure peaks and causing the fit of the saddle to deteriorate.

The shape of the panels defines the shape of the saddle in relation to the shape of the back. Wide panels offer a larger contact surface and thus also a better distribution of pressure. Furthermore, the structure of the panels determines how far away the rider sits from the horse: wide, flat panels lets them sit close to the horse. Narrow, round panels do not only exert pressure selectively, but also create a greater distance between rider and horse.

The length or shape of the panels are not always directly related to the seat surface. Depending on the shape, the panels can extend or shorten the length of the saddle while the seat remains the same. A distinction is made between upswept panels (short, curved backs) and gusseted panels (long, straight backs). Gusseted panels protrude to the rear and lengthen the saddle and thus the contact surface, whereby the seat surface does not have to increase equivalently. Upswept panels follow the curve of the saddle and have a smaller contact surface than gusseted panels. They are therefore more suitable for horses with short backs.

Saddle panels can be connected to the saddle in two ways: Normal panels are sewn directly to the saddle, while independent panels are attached to the saddle via bolts. The latter has the advantage that they move more easily with the horse’s bend.

The saddle also has panels in the shoulder area. They are divided into full (french) panels and half (owen) panels. Half panels are very suitable for round horses, which have larger shoulders that have to pass under the saddle flap. For narrower horses, full, long panels provide better saddle stability.

The correct type of saddle: What kinds of horse saddles are there?

Depending on the equestrian orientation, there is a suitable type of saddle:

• Dressage saddle
• Jumping saddle
• General purpose saddle
• Trekking saddle
• Icelandic horse or gaited horse saddle
• Pony saddle

Dressage saddle

As its name suggests, the dressage saddle is used in dressage riding. With its long, downward-drawn saddle flap and deep seat, it allows the rider to sit close to the horse in an upright position.

The cantle and pommel can sometimes be very high, so that the rider can achieve a deep, controlled seat. However, this makes a dressage saddle rather unsuitable for jumping and hacking, where a forward seat is required. In addition, there are sometimes thick knee rolls on the saddle flap to support the knee even better in sitting trot and to frame the leg. This means that the rider does not have much room to move.

A dressage girth is used for the dressage saddle.

Jumping saddle

If you want to jump over obstacles, use a jumping saddle. The short saddle flap is extended far forward towards the horse’s shoulder so that the bent knee finds support. This does not limit the freedom of the shoulders, as the fixed gullet plate lies behind the shoulder and the leather of the saddle flap is flexible.

To make it easier for the rider to lift themselves out of the saddle over the jump or when cantering, the seat is flatter than on a dressage saddle. We distinguish between deep seat, flat seat and medium deep seat saddles, whereby the deep seat is still flatter than the curve of a dressage saddle. A flat seat gives the rider a lot of freedom to decide how to adjust their leg and seat to the horse’s movement. Therefore, flat seats are more suitable for very well-balanced riders.

General purpose saddle

General purpose saddles combine the advantages of a dressage saddle and a jumping saddle and are therefore very versatile. Nevertheless, there is a focus on either dressage or jumping – depending on this, the shape of the saddle flap tends more in one direction or the other. General purpose saddles with a focus on dressage are very well suited for daily flatwork with the horse or relaxed, slow hacking. General purpose saddles with a focus on jumping are all-rounders and can be used for flatwork, hacking or jumping training. In addition to competing, general purpose saddles are also popular with leisure riders.

General purpose saddles have a medium-high rear pommel, which also allows a deep seat. In addition to the normal knee blocks on the front saddle flap, general purpose saddles may have additional blocks behind the calf.

Trekking saddles

On long rides, trekking saddles should allow the rider to sit comfortably and offer the horse very good pressure distribution. They are generously padded, have a wide seat and a large contact surface. Alternatively, a Western saddle can be used, but it brings a lot of weight with it.

Now and then treeless saddles, saddles with a leather tree or sheepskin saddles are considered for long hacks or for horse trekking. These are light and comfortable for the rider. However, they distribute the pressure on the horse’s back less well than a saddle with a tree, so they are intended more for short, leisurely rides and not for long treks with luggage.

Icelandic horse saddle or gaited horse saddle

Gaited or Icelandic horse saddles are specially designed for gaited horses and their movements: A flat seat with the centre of gravity shifted backwards enables the horse to perform its strong forehand movements during tölt. This means that the rider has to sit further back without sitting on the cantle or the horse’s sensitive lumbar area. The flat shape of Icelandic horse saddles was derived from the gaited saddles of the American Saddlebreds. To prevent the rider from slumping into a „chair seat“, a gaited horse saddle also has the stirrup attachment moved further back.

Overall, Icelandic horse saddles must nevertheless be quite short, as Icelandic horses have short backs. It should also be remembered that a gaited saddle is very good for improving the tölt. However, the special design of the saddle can have a negative effect on the development of good basic gaits. This has to be considered when training, taking into account the rider’s abilities.

You can read more about the equipment of Icelandic horses in the guide on Icelandic riding.

Pony saddles

A pony saddle is constructed in the same way as a classic saddle for bigger horses, but has been adapted to the anatomical features of the pony. The typical problem with many pony-rider pairs is that the rider is too big for the small saddle, the saddle is too big for the pony or the saddle does not hold on the pony’s back due to a low withers and slips back and forth.

Pony saddles must of course be very short so that they do not press on the pony’s lumbar spine. The seat areas therefore turn out to be small, 16.5 inches or less. But the length of the saddle does not necessarily have to go hand in hand with the seat area. A short saddle can also have a larger seat to fit taller pony riders. Read more about this in the section on panels.

Few pony breeds have a slender rump. Often ponies have a bulbous, rounded rump and little withers. To prevent the saddle from slipping, a wide, round gullet plate is important. For this, a crescent-shaped girth can hold the pony saddle in place.

As an alternative to a pony saddle, there are many riding pads for ponies on the market. These are especially good for the first few rides and walks. They give the child support and the pony more comfort than if the child were to sit directly on the pony’s back. However, riding pads are not suitable for permanent use or if the child wants to ride athletically and also trot and canter.

The correct saddle accessories: from girths to stirrup leathers

A well-fitting saddle is the most important thing. But it also needs to be attached to the horse, the rider wants to find support for their feet and the saddle needs to be cared for and protected so that it lasts for many years. So there is no getting around having the correct saddle accessories! Useful saddle accessories include:

• Girths: dressage girths or long girths
• Stirrups and stirrup leathers
• Saddle pad or numnahs
• Possibly half pad, correction pad or similar
• Saddle cover

Girths:

A girth holds the saddle on the horse’s back and prevents the saddle and rider from slipping down to one side or the other. But as with the saddles themselves, there is a wide range of lengths and shapes of girths to suit the different shapes of horses‘ torsos.

Dressage girths are mainly used on dressage saddles and some baroque or Spanish saddles, i.e. saddles with long saddle flaps and long billets. The correct length of a dressage girth is determined on the fully tacked up horse. The measuring tape is placed from the lower edge of the saddle flap to the lower edge of the saddle flap. A further 30 cm is subtracted from the measurement result. Long girths, on the other hand, hold jumping and general purpose saddles in place. To determine the correct length of a long girth, measure the length from the second hole (from the bottom) of the billet from one side to the second hole (from the bottom) of the other side. The result of the measurement is the girth length.

In terms of shape, the girth must fit just as well as the saddle. This is because many muscles and fasciae run through the torso, which can be damaged if the girth does not fit properly. The decisive factor here is the girth position (= space between the elbow and the arch of the ribs). The following saddle girth types are available:

• Anatomical girth: Girth is cut wide at the front and back in the elbow area. Anatomical girths are well suited for horses with a proper girth groove.

• Asymmetrical girth: The girth is only cut wide at the front in the elbow area, the other side is straight. Asymmetrical girths are suitable for horses with a girth groove less prominent.

• Crescent girth: The girth is only cut back at the front in the elbow area and curves forward similar to the ribcage. Crescent girths are suitable for big-bellied horses with narrow chests, whose saddle often slides forward.

• Athletic girths: This girth is the opposite of crescent girths. The elbow room is also at the front, but the girth is shaped towards the rear. Athletic girths are therefore suitable for slender horses with a wedge-shaped torso, where the saddle tends to slide backwards.

How does the girth fit correctly?

Ideally, the saddle determines the position of the girth. If the saddle is placed in the correct position on the horse’s back, the billets also indicate the girth position. There should be room for the palm of your hand between the girth and the elbow.

If the girth length has been measured correctly, the horse’s elbow will not bump against the buckles or girth edges, and the horse will not walk foreshortened. This is especially true for dressage girths. The elbow should not bump against the buckles. Instead, the girth should reach to the lower edge of the saddle flap.

Stirrup leathers and stirrups

Stirrup leathers and stirrups are an indispensable part of the saddle to ensure the correct hold in the saddle or to be able to ride in a two-point seat. The stirrup leathers are attached to the stirrup bar of the saddle tree and can be correctly adjusted to different leg lengths due to their perforation.

In addition to the classic stirrup leathers, the excess of which is tucked into a tab on the saddle flap, there are short stirrup leathers. These are often used on leisure or Icelandic saddles. The buckle is located at the bottom, directly on the stirrup, and thus prevents any pressure on the inner thigh.

Saddle pads, numnahs and half pads

Saddle pads generally do not have the task of correcting the fit of the saddle. Rather, they protect the saddle leather from horse sweat and dirt. They come in a wide variety of colours and designs, giving the horses‘ outfits that extra something. While numnahs are cut in the shape of the saddle, saddle pads have a rectangular shape and therefore allow more fabric to peek out from under the saddle. Saddle pads and numnahs are not only available in different sizes, but also with different characteristics.

For example, a dressage saddle pad will not fit under a show jumping saddle, as the saddle flap would press on the seam. General purpose saddle pads fit under a wide range of saddles.

Half pads, such as gel pads, correction pads or riser pads, are suitable to correct an ill-fitting saddle temporarily. They can temporarily bring the imbalance of the saddle position back into balance, for example if the horse has lost a lot of muscles during an injury-related rest and is now in rehabilitation training. In principle, however, the saddle should always be refitted first in order to bring it back into balance.