ENGLISH SADDLES

Text | Shelley Wolhuter

There are many different saddle shapes, designs, and styles available, with more customisable saddles becoming available all the time. Here we will discuss the three most common types of English saddles available: jumping, dressage, and General Purpose (GP) saddles.

Jumping saddle

The jumping saddle is easily recognised by its very rounded knee roll, shallow seat and short saddle flap. The rounded knee roll offers the rider support in the jumping position, where the stirrups are often shorter, so the knees are bent. The shallow seat allows the rider to maintain close contact with the horse’s back, and the low cantle allows for the rider to freely sweep out of the saddle when going over a jump. The short saddle flap allows the leg to make good contact with the horse when in shorter stirrups.

Dressage saddle

The dressage saddle is distinctly different to the GP and jumping saddles. It has long, straight knee rolls set on long, narrow saddle flaps. The seat of the dressage saddle is very deep and features a high cantle, supporting the rider from behind. The long, straight knee rolls encourage the rider to ride with a longer leg. This is important to allow the rider to give the aids correctly for dressage.

GP saddle

The GP saddle looks like a blend between the dressage and jumping saddles. It is suitable for riders that want to do a little bit of everything with their pony. Its shape is non-specific, and it is a versatile saddle. The GP has a slightly curved knee roll to allow for both low-level jumping and basic dressage. The cantle is a medium height, offering some support to the rider, but not as much as a dressage saddle and offering enough freedom for the rider to do some jumping. The saddle flap is slightly longer than on a jumping saddle and shorter than on a dressage saddle, which accommodates a rider doing either jumping with short stirrups, dressage with long stirrups, or general riding with medium length stirrups.

Take-home message

While is it helpful knowing which saddle is suitable for which discipline, what is most important is learning to ride with an independent seat and making sure the saddle fits. A great rider can ride well with any type of saddle, regardless of the discipline! At the lower levels, having a specific saddle is not always necessary - do not underestimate the power of the humble General Purpose saddle! However, at the higher levels, a discipline-specific saddle does make a difference and is a worthy investment.