Posts Tagged ‘dressage saddle’

Understanding the saddle?

The structure that you put on an animal’s back to support the rider or other types of load is called a saddle. When one speaks of saddles, it is commonly associated with horses. But any kind of animal that could be ridden on its back has its own corresponding type of saddle. Horse saddles are a crucial piece of equipment for anyone serious about horse training.

There are two main types of saddles – the English saddle and Western saddle. These are the two types of saddle primarily used in the equestrian world, although there are many types of horse saddles used worldwide. In other nations, saddles of different designs exist. Saddles differ greatly among various ethnic groups and nationalities. It can be fun to learn about how each one is utilized.

Ordinarily, choosing what saddle to use should depend on the kind of riding you intend to do with your horse. Even narrowing it down to English or Western riding, saddles can still be broken up in many categories such as for dressage and show, endurance, pleasure or general purpose. Some common horse saddle terms you should familiarize yourself with are pommel, cantle, horn and cinch.

The English Horse Saddle

In Olympic equestrian events, the English saddle is the main type of saddle used. As the name suggests, this is the favored type among the majority of English riders. However, the English saddle can still be categorized into several more specific styles depending on the kind of event that is involved. Whether it is for show jumping, hunter jumper, eventing, dressage, horse racing, saddle seat, or polo, an appropriate type of saddle is consequently used.

The Western Horse Saddle

The Stock saddle or Western saddle is the most commonly used variety in the United States. This is the type of saddle you will see used by cowboys on cattle ranches. Today, it is used in a variety of western riding activities. Distinctively, western saddles don’t have as much padding underneath and must be used with saddle blankets or pads so that they can be comfortable for the horse. They do provide much more support for the rider.

Western saddles have stirrups that are sturdier and can utilize numerous cinches depending on what they are being used for. The horn present on the front is one major factor that distinguishes this type of saddle from its English counterpart. The horn is originally used to tie a lariat when roping cattle.

Finding the Right Size

The tree of the saddle, is the frame on which the saddle is constructed. It is usually made of wood or sometimes fiberglass and then covered with leather. The frame is made to fit both the rider and the horse.

Finding the saddle that fits may require more work than you may think. An ill-fitting saddle can cause injuries to both the horse and rider. Bruising and sores may result on your horse’s back muscles if you do not choose a saddle that fits properly. It is important to have a trial period before actually buying your saddle. Think of it as a piece of sports equipment for a human, it varies greatly from each individual horse. Be sure to always keep your tack clean and well oiled to prevent breakage or unnecessary discomfort to your horse.

Tips for an English Saddle

-Without a pad, put the saddle on the horse and tighten the girth
-Have a person sit in the saddle. Their feet should be in the stirrups
-Slide your fingers underneath the pommel. Make sure that you can comfortably get three fingers in between the arch below the pommel and the horse’s withers.
-The saddle should not get in the way of the horse’s shoulder movement by having someone lift the horse’s foreleg and pull it to the front. While doing this, your fingers should be between the top of the horse’s shoulder blade and the pommel. This must be done on both sides.
-Standing behind the horse and looking under the saddle, some light should be seen when the horse’s head is down.
-Make sure the saddle isn’t too long. It shouldn’t reach back onto the horse’s loins

Tips for a Western Saddle

-At least an inch thick of pad should be underneath the saddle
-The stock saddle should be placed on the horse’s back and the cinch tightened so a set of fingers can be placed comfortably between the girth and the animal.
-With someone on the saddle, make sure you can fit three fingers between the arch of the pommel and the horse’s withers
-Make sure that the width of the saddle tree is fitting for the horse. Put three fingers with a flat hand sideways between the saddle and the top of the horse’s withers. If the fit is loose, the tree is too narrow, if it is too tight and you have to squeeze in your fingers, then the tree is too wide

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Author: Annabelle Cabella
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In terms of horse riding, you won’t find a more widely used saddle than the English saddle. Its primary purpose is to make both you and the horse comfortable (which it does through lots of padding) as well as allow the horse to move as freely as possible for whatever task is asked of the horse, whether it be jumping or dressage.

There are several variants of English Saddle:

The All Purpose English Saddle – this saddle is perfect for jumping, hacking and showing, as well as any other purpose.

The Jumping Saddle is meant for fox hunting, cross-country and show jumping. You’ll find the flap design to be far different from the all-purpose saddle, as its unique design is meant to allow shorter stirrups, helping you to get the horse jumping effectively and without complications. Your knees will have great support thanks to the knee rolls on the flap.

The Dressage Saddle has a straighter flap than the all-purpose saddle, as well as a deeper, forward facing seat, so that the rider’s legs can be straighter and have a more upright body position as well. You’ll have more contact with the horse due to the slight lack of padding in the saddle, so the horse will be more controllable. This saddle sports longer girth straps, enabling the rider to attach the saddle closer to the elbow of the horse.

The Endurance Saddle: this saddle is perfect for endurance competitions, making horse and rider comfort a top priority. The seat and everything else has a lot of padding, and the rider’s weight is distributed through the large skirt. If you plan on being on the saddle for a long time, you can attack equipment with the many D rings.

The Showing Saddle: Showing competitions are where this saddle variant excels, it needs to be smaller, so that more of the horse’s conformation is visible, allowing the judges to see as much of it as possible. There are no knee rolls and not much padding, leaving the rider with little support.

The Western Saddle: This variant has been around for a long time, as it was meant to be a more utilitarian model, enabling cowboys to work with the horses in the old days of the frontier. It’s similar in form to the English saddle, with the addition of a horn-like knob on the saddle’s front, which was meant to secure a rope typically used on a cow. You can find Western saddles with all kinds of decorations and embellishments on it, as it’s the showiest saddle out there. Compared to the English saddle, the Western saddle has a bigger tree, and you need a saddle blanket to make up for the lack of padding on the skirt, allowing the horse to be comfortable; a cinch is used to secure the saddle to the horse, as opposed to the girth that’s used on most other saddles. If the rider falls, the stirrups won’t go with them, since they are attached directly to the saddle.

There are several Western Saddle variants:

When you are barrel racing in a rodeo, you often get the specialized Barrel Racing Saddle, which allows you to make those sharp turns. The rider is secured strongly to the animal through the high cantle and pommel and flatter seat, as well as its light weight.

The Roping Saddle: Gives you a thicker rope horn on its heavier, stronger frame.

The Endurance Saddle: the tree on this light saddle is bigger, so the rider’s weight is distributed more evenly; this way, the rider can go longer on the horse.

The Show Saddle: this saddle is meant for decoration and aesthetics almost exclusively, with deep seats and silver embellishments.

The Treeless Saddle: A fiberglass pommel and cantle provides the base for this saddle, as opposed to the rigid tree found on most models. If your horse’s back is very wide, and you need a bigger saddle to accommodate that, get this particular saddle variant.

Joy Gregory is a web designer and artist with an MSc in IT. She has a daughter with an obsession for horses and cross country events and has spent many hours in cold wet fields watching daughter and horse competing.

Visit us at Saddles and Bridles and Saddle Bridles UK for more tips on choosing and using horse tack.

Author: Joy Gregory
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Saddles are usually made of wood, with the majority of saddles based around a structure called the tree, and the tree must fit the horse. Forget about cheap saddles. Why?

Because quite literally, you DO get what you pay for if you buy a cheap saddle. And it’s not just that you will be uncomfortable, but it will not make your horse all that happy either, and may actually do him harm. Ok you’ve tried cheap and figured out that isn’t the way to go. You’ve tried expensive and, well, that worked, but holy smokes are the prices ever high. So here are some tips on how to shop for your next saddle.

Saddles can be priced from several hundred dollars to more than $8,500 – specialty or antique saddles can easily range into the tens of thousands. You’re not going to be spending that kind of money, but you DO want to spend enough to get something decent and something that properly fits your horse. You will want to look for value, fit, fit and fit. Yes that’s right, the most important thing about your saddle is that it fits right. Look at it this way, if you had something that was too tight or too big, you would feel very uncomfortable.

Why would you want to saddle your horse with something that doesn’t fit? Before you go hunting, know the kind of saddle you want. Don’t just have a vague idea of what might work, – have in mind a picture of precisely what you want. Then hit the road and start looking for the right fit. The saddle must fit you, the rider. English or western, jumping or cutting, pleasure or gaming, you must be comfortable in the saddle all the time. You don’t want to be thinking about your saddle when you are riding. The right fit makes your saddle seem like a natural extension of your butt. If the saddle doesn’t fit your horse, no matter how great the price, it was too much to pay.

If you’re looking at ready-made saddles, then make sure you have the try it before you buy it option. If they won’t let you try it, don’t bother – after all you don’t need to ride the horse more than a few minutes to determine fit. And if you put a pad under it and handle it carefully, you won’t damage it. If the saddle is custom built, the saddle maker will want measurements of your horse in order to determine the proper tree, skirt lengths, gullet, etc. This is where you will be paying out good money.

Emphasize the good, because what you get will be precisely what you need, and what your horse needs. Having said that, the price must fit your budget. And just because your budget is low does not mean you can’t find a saddle that has a proper fit. It just means spending the time to find it. Try this: if you are ordering a custom built saddle, tell the saddle maker the highest amount you’ll pay, and then let him design to fit the budget.

Saddle makers can be very creative and stay within the budget. Or try buying a used saddle that FITS, and is eye-catching. That is often a better value than a new saddle. Are you into silver? Then only go with sterling because the silver-plated doodads and other imitations fade like crazy and are a waste of money. Just remember the saddle you want needs to FIT. That’s what you need and that’s what you want!

Sonia is a book reviewer, coach and author. Go to: http://dressage.ebooksgain.com for more exciting and interesting information on your passion!

Author: Sonia Dixon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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English saddles differ among themselves in several distinct ways. Primarily, the differences lay in the seat location and the flap shape and flap length. In disciplines like jumping where the rider needs shorter stirrups for extra support, the flap is more forward and shorter to accommodate the bend of the knee. For the same reason, the seat is positioned further back so that the rider is not pushed ahead of the saddle when jumping a fence. Additionally, padding in the seat and knee rolls of a saddle will assist the hunt seat rider, but is not necessary in other English saddles.

Within the discipline of Dressage, the rider sits more upright and with a longer stirrup length than a hunt seat rider because Dressage riders do not jump obstacles. Therefore, the saddle flap is longer and straighter down behind the horse’s shoulder than a hunt saddle. The seat is closer to the horse’s withers which helps keep the rider’s center of gravity in the proper place. The pommel is a bit higher and the deepest point of the seat is more forward as it allows for a longer leg position.

The seat is usually much deeper in a Dressage saddle than a jumping saddle, and allows the rider to comfortably sit up in the saddle yet in a relaxed position to influence the horse. The padding of the panels is usually less than in a hunt saddle to permit a closer feel to the horse. It often has a wider bearing surface than a jumping saddle as well.

Some designs feature more padding in front of the knee, much more than in a jumping saddle, said to assist the rider in keeping the knee down and thigh back. However, there is usually little padding behind the calf, as the rider needs to be able to freely move the lower leg around to give aids to the horse.

The billets of most dressage saddles are very long, to allow the girth to be buckled near the horse’s elbow rather than underneath the rider’s leg (which would get in the way of giving effective leg aids).

It is important that your saddle fit both you and your horse. When you decide to select a Dressage saddle be sure you measure your horse from his hoof to his withers and then from his withers to his croup. You will need these measurements when you select your saddle to be sure it fits. However, if you ride more than one horse, it is not that practical to buy a different saddle for each one! You can try gel pads that will conform to your horse’s shape to help your one saddle fit. Try to fit the saddle such that there is sufficient room between the gullet and the horse’s withers and spaced over the spine evenly.

You should also sit in several Dressage saddles to find one that is most comfortable for you. Most often you can visit tack shops and sit in the Dressage saddle you may buy while it is on a saddle stand. Brands and styles vary, so become familiar with them all before spending a lot of money!

Author: Lisa Blackstone
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The word “dressage” is derived from the French word meaning “training.” Its origins can be traced back over 2000 years, when the Greeks used dressage as a means of training for war. During that time, fighting on horseback is advantageous and so it was very important for the horse to be in sync with its rider. Dressage would entail movements such as pirouettes, piaffes, and courbettes — those which can be used in the battlefield.

While the Greeks didn’t use dressage saddles when riding horses, it is said that they used jointed snaffles to aide their maneuvering. The beginnings of a proper dressage saddle would be developed by the Assyrians about 700-800 BCE, and consisted of a cloth attached around the horse’s girth.

The art of dressage declined during the Middle Ages when soldiers began to use armor to protect themselves. Their horses would be covered in heavy armor that weighed from 50 to more than 150 pounds, therefore hindering any complex movements that classical dressage entailed. The dressage saddle evolved into a stronger piece of equipment that could reliably support an active soldier. The cantle and pommel became higher so that the rider wouldn’t be unseated. The seat was padded with wool or horsehair and covered in leather — something similar to the dressage saddle of today.

The Renaissance period saw the comeback of dressage as warfare made the transition into firearms for combat. Armor was significantly reduced as one could engage the enemy from a great distance. The battles in this era called for chargers — horses swift in movement so that strategic formations within the army could be executed. Dressage once again comprised of critical action on the part of the horse.

It was also during the Renaissance that the design of dressage saddles began to branch out. In England, as foxhunting became popular, so did it call for a modification of the saddle structure. The pommel and cantle had to be lowered so that jumps would be safer and more comfortable. The flap’s angle was also adjusted so that the equestrian saddle could achieve a better position during a high jump.

The dressage of today came about during the Twentieth Century in the standards of Olympic sports. Rather than being used for war, dressage has become a competitive sport practiced by all countries in the world. Men and women of all ages are now welcome to take part in this activity that is both fulfilling and enjoyable. It is regarded as a time-honored tradition that encourages lightness, balance, and harmony between the rider and his horse.

Author: Brooks Wiley
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Learning how to ride is a very rewarding experience, but it can often be a bit confusing as to which type of riding is most suited to your goals with regards to what you want to do with your horse. A good place to start is by talking to experienced riders. Find out what they like about each style and see which fits you the best. You’ll find that whichever style you choose, you’ll have to comit a good amount of time to learning the basics, and even more if you want to be a competitive rider.

If you are going to compete, knowing what you want to do in the competition is essential before choosing a riding style. If you like the more formal style of dressage, hunt seat and saddle seat, than your choice will be the English riding style. On the other hand if you want to compete in less formal events where jeans and western style shirts are the trend then rodeos or trail riding, endurance events, cross country rides, gymkhana, western pleasure riding or any type of working cow horse event then your only option is to learn to ride western style. You can ride for pleasure on the trails with either style of riding.

Besides just what events you can compete in there are also differences to the actual riding styles. Western riding tends to be more casual with the rider somewhat relaxed on the back of the horse, longer stirrups with less posting during riding and more firmly affixed to the back of the horse to maintain balance. Western riding also has the reins held in one hand, leaving the other hand free for using a rope. With English riding the rider has shorter stirrups that keep the rider erect and forward in the saddle with reins in both hands. Some English riding will require double reins, one set to direct the motion of the horse and one set to control the head position. English riding also has several different styles including hunt seat, dressage, saddleseat, and endurance. Each of these disciplines has their own style of tack – a dressage saddle, jumping saddle, all purpose saddle, and so on.

Whichever style you choose, proper safety equipment, especially a helmet should be part of your routine. Proper safety equipment is a must for all junior and novice riders. When you select a style you can always decide to learn the other style at a later date, after all your horse can certainly learn another style, but learning both at the same time is overwhelming and can lead to confusion.

For those new to riding, the wide variety of saddle types available in both English and western riding can be a bit confusing. First you’ll want to consider the type of riding that you’ll be doing and which types of events you might like to participate in. For many English equestrians the English saddle type is going to be an essential component to the tack and while there is some overlap in saddle usage there are essential elements each saddle must have. Understanding the features of each of the saddle types will help you understand why each is suited to a particular activity or riding style.

Jumping saddles are designed to provide the rider with a moderately deep seat and a forward leg position for maximum control of the horse over jumps and obstacles. Without this type of saddle adjusting balance would be extremely difficult for the rider as the horse’s body changes positions very dramatically through the jumping motion. Because of the more extreme movement involved, a jumping saddle will have a larger kneepad and thigh roll than you’ll find on the more general use, all-purpose saddle. The jumping saddle will have a lot of support and cushion for the rider to support them through this arduous activity.

A very versatile saddle type of a variety of English events from hunt seat to moderate jumping is the English close contact saddle. These saddles have a very flat overall seat and cantle but they do have the slightly forward flaps and stirrup bars to allow the rider to keep the knees slightly bend for posting and jumping. The close contact saddle is a very popular English saddle type as it provides the rider with a lot of “feel” of the horse by eliminating most of the knee and thigh roll.

The dressage saddle has been specifically designed for the art of dressage and will have long, straight flaps and less forward strirup bars that positions the rider deep in the saddles with the legs hanging below them. The kneepads and thick rolls are low on the saddle and the seat tends to be deeper than that of a more all-purpose saddle. Dressage saddles can be used for any type of groundwork but are not designed for jumping or hunt type events.