Soon after horses were domesticated, people began to ride them. It took many years to figure out that a horse's back was very uncomfortable and that a blanket over the back would make life a lot easier. The saddle was born. And eventually they found out that if the pressure from us (especially our sit bones) and the saddle didn't hit the spine and nearby muscles directly, but instead was distributed elsewhere, the horse's life became a little more bearable as well. So most saddles today have a tree. But that doesn't mean that every saddle looks the same. There are many different types of saddles, all tailored to their own function.

General purpose saddle

If you're talking about a typical English style saddle, you're probably talking about a general purpose saddle. As the name implies, you can use this saddle for multiple disciplines of English riding. This is why you will see this type of saddle in almost every riding school, but most riders actually have one of these saddles lying around. This is because it gives you enough freedom to ride in a light seat or two-point position, for example, while still maintaining a good seat. Ideal if you are not a specialist in one discipline, or if, in addition to your favorite discipline, you enjoy the occasional outdoor ride or try different disciplines. A general purpose saddle looks and functions like somewhere between a dressage saddle and a jumping saddle.

Dressage saddle

Dressage is the foundation of English riding. It is therefore not surprising that a special type of saddle has been developed for this discipline. Dressage saddles have a deep seat and long flaps. This ensures that you, the rider, can stay firmly in the saddle (quite nice if you have to sit through an entire test on a horse with a spectacular trot).

In addition, many modern dressage saddles have a firm, large knee block. This only allows your leg to go forward to a certain point, which would provide a better and more stable seat. It does add an extra challenge to fitting the saddle to the rider: You don't want the knee blocks to be too restrictive. Fortunately, there are still saddles on the market with flat knee rolls that allow you, the rider, to sit comfortably. Because the flaps on a dressage saddle don't actually extend past the pommel, this saddle sits well behind the shoulder. This is in contrast to, for example, general purpose and jumping saddles, where the tree is behind the shoulder, but the flaps protrude slightly over the shoulder.

Jumping saddle

Jumping saddles give you a lot of freedom as a rider. There is rarely a knee block on them. The stirrups are very short and go quite far forward. The pommel is very flat. This allows the jumper to move with the horse in the two-point position and stay in the saddle at the same time. In addition, compared to a dressage saddle for example, there are relatively often embossed lines. This is not only for decoration, but also to give the rider a better grip.

Racing saddle

When we talk about flat and small saddles, we're not just talking about jumping saddles. If you are a rider who is constantly in a "martini glass" position, where top speed counts the most, the saddle should be as flat, light and small as possible. This is exactly what racing saddles are designed to do. There is only a slight curve in the seat, more to relieve the horse's spine than to give the rider a firm seat. In fact, the girth, which is more like a rubber band, goes over the saddle to hold it in place, rather than going under the flaps. (Although the latter does happen)


Source: Chabata_k@wikimediacommons

Western saddle

This is a world of difference compared to Western saddles. Although Western saddles vary by discipline, in countries where English style riding is the standard, the term "Western saddle" often has to cover the load already in the tack shops.  (Plus, a blog can only cover so much.)

These are big, heavy saddles made for comfort! After all, you have to be able to sit in them for hours and the horse has to carry you for a long time. Around the saddle are the skirts, which provide a larger support surface, which in turn reduces the amount of pressure on any particular area. Also, some firmness is nice for ranch work. Thus, they have a firm seat and a large horn that you can hold on to as a rider, but can also easily wrap a rope around! This comes in handy when you've just lassoed a stray cow.

Barefoot/treeless saddle

Finally, there are treeless saddles. These come in a variety of styles, both English and Western, and everything in between. A treeless saddle has, and this may surprise you... no tree! This makes them easier to adjust to different horse backs. It also allows you, the rider, to feel your back better. You sit much less tightly, but this gives you the chance to learn a really independent seat.

The advantage and selling point of a treeless saddle is also its immediate disadvantage: without a tree, the pressure is often distributed much less effectively over the horse's back. This is better with a treeless saddle than with no saddle at all, but it is still not ideal. However, an ill-fitting saddle also causes uneven distribution, so a treeless saddle may be the lesser of two evils. (Although not riding until you have a well-fitting saddle with a tree is also highly recommended!) Also, it doesn't seem to be a problem if you only take the treeless saddle out once in a while, and a lot of modern treeless saddles have foam cushions designed to keep the weight of the horses spine as well.


Source: Beckova@wikimediacommons