Picking a Saddle

Albion SLK Ultima Dressage Saddle

Take your time when looking for saddle. Browse online to start. Then decide what type of English saddle you wish to buy. Then decide how much money you want to spend. Then go to all of the tack shops around to look at prices. Make sure that you sit in the saddles to check for proper fit and ask for assistance for the store operator. Then check at other stores as well but remember to write down the size, type, and brand of the saddles. Used saddles are OK, but check for loose stitching; good billets, and check the leather so that it does not smell like rotten eggs or fish. Remember saddles sell out fast, so stay on top of it but never buy the first saddle that you see; keep looking.

Assessing saddle fit is hard for beginners, and an incorrectly fitted saddle can result in far worse problems than a few white hairs. Ask your riding instructor to help you check for a correct fit. Place the saddle on the horse's back (without a saddle pad) first, so that you can clearly see how it fits. Standing behind the horse, you should see that the gullet (the valley that runs down the underside of the saddle) is lifted away from the horse's spine. If it presses on the spine or on the withers at the front, no amount of padding will make it OK, you need another saddle. The people who work at the tack shop are great resources. Describe your horse to them: is he fat and broad, or tall and skinny? Do his withers stick up like Mt. Everest? They know the saddles they sell and can help you select one that is most likely to fit your horse.

The $150 saddle packages are nothing short of a disaster. Warped trees and incorrectly flocked panels put pressure on the horse's back, which will lead to painful pressure points and sores. Behavioral problems will amount. If you are working with a limited budget, buying a used high quality saddle is your best route.

The English saddle was designed to allow maximum freedom and movement of the horse. Varieties of the English saddle have been designed to accommodate jumping, flat riding and dressage.

1. Step 1
Expect to pay anywhere from $750 to several thousand dollars for a leather English saddle. Purchase a saddle from a tack shop or online once you know what you want. They can be new or used.
2. Step 2
Determine which event you will be using your saddle for the most. Jumping saddles have shorted stirrups, and the seat is designed to keep the rider forward and up off the horse to accommodate jumping. Dressage saddles have a deeper seat that allows the rider to be closer to the horse's back so she has a better feel of what is going on underneath her.
3. Step 3
Test the saddle on your horse, if possible. It is as important that the saddle fit your horse properly as it is that it fit the rider. Set a saddle pad on the horse's back, just covering the withers. Place the saddle over the pad. Check to make sure the saddle doesn't have any gaps or push into the skin at any points.
4. Step 4
Secure the saddle with the girth. Step back and see if the seat appears level. It should not be higher at the cantle than the pommel, nor should it be lower than the pommel.
5. Step 5
Try to run your fingers all the way around the edge of the saddle. You should be able to get your fingers underneath without much effort. You should be able to fit your fist in the space between the pommel and the horse's back.
6. Step 6
Allow the horse to walk with the saddle on.
7. Step 7
Ride the horse. See if the horse moves freely without apparent strain or restriction.