Learn to tell the difference between English and Western saddles

As any horse-person can tell you, the various riding disciplines often seem as different as night and day. Goals and technique differ greatly among the different ways of riding. Each type of riding also has its own set of equipment. Two of the most common types of riding are known as English and Western riding. While there are smaller categories within both English and Western, each of the disciplines is known for its trademark saddle.

The English saddle is typically streamlined and sleek. As with most types of traditional tack, the English saddle is most commonly made out of leather. However many companies also purchase synthetic varieties today. This saddle is very simple in its style. The pommel, or front top point of the saddle, fits over the horse’s withers. These saddles come in different sizes to fit different sized riders, but the seats are almost always minimal. The saddle flaps lift to expose the girth straps, called billets. The rider’s removable stirrup straps fit through a hook on the saddle flap, with the metal stirrups hanging at the bottom of the strap. The underside of the saddle is padded to protect the horse’s back and provide shock absorption for horse and rider.

In contrast, the Western saddle is much larger. These saddles most often contain a large horn at the pommel, which is often incorporated into Western riding technique. The Western saddle is usually much more ornate than the English saddle. Likewise, everything appears to be designed on a larger scale. Instead of a girth to hold the saddle in place, the Western version is known as a cinch. The stirrups are commonly less streamlined on the Western saddle. In fact, the entire Western saddle has more body and substance than the average English saddle.

The different saddles were developed for use with their respective disciplines. It would be difficult to practice an English style of riding in a Western saddle, and viceversa . Again, within both English and Western disciplines, there are smaller, more specialized techniques for riding. It is exciting to study the different types of saddles to gain a better understanding of the different riding sports.