Horse saddle

Are you looking for your next horse saddle? Then there is a lot to think about and many choices to make. A horse saddle can look in many different ways and serve different purposes. For example, there are horse saddles that are specially designed for dressage, while others are made for jumping.

The type of horse also plays a role in the choice of saddle. It is important to find a saddle that both you as the rider and the horse are comfortable with. A horse saddle is nothing more than a genuine craft with a history that goes way back in time.

The history of the saddle

The horse saddle can be traced far back in time. As early as 400 BC, there are archaeological findings that show horse saddles with support for the rider's legs. Before that, blankets were used, which were tied around the horse's belly.

As with many things, it was the war that really developed the saddle and made it the type of saddle we see today. It was important that the soldier sat firmly in the saddle and could use his weapons, even on horseback.

Different types of horse saddle

The saddle has evolved over the centuries, but most of the basic construction looks the same today as it did several hundred years ago. Now there are several types of saddles, with the so-called all-round saddle being the most common. This type of saddle is designed to be all-round and suitable for all types of riding. You can jump, dressage and pleasure ride.

Jumping saddle

For the rider who focuses on jumping, there are horse saddles for this very purpose. This type of horse saddle has smaller so-called cowls, which is the part of the saddle that extends along the side of the horse. The reason why the covers are smaller is so that the horse has more freedom to bend his joints when he jumps. Even the stirrups are shorter when jumping, which is why a jumping saddle has more support for the rider's knees.

Dressage saddle

A dressage saddle also has certain characteristic features that distinguish it. For example, you often see a higher rear arch. This construction aims to keep the rider in place and make the seat more balanced.

In dressage, you also have longer stirrups, which means that the rider's butt hangs more vertically downwards. A dressage saddle thus has longer, but narrower covers than other saddles.

Galloping saddle

A galloping saddle is for doing exactly what it sounds like – galloping! A galloping saddle is mainly used at competitions, when it really needs to go away. Then things like weight come into play, which is why a galloping saddle is designed to weigh as little as possible. The stirrups are short, so that the rider can stand high above the horse and give it free play to gallop at the highest possible speed.

Bareback saddle

The last saddle type we will go over is the bareback saddle. It may sound contradictory to ride bareback with a saddle, but this type of saddle aims to make riding more comfortable, while sitting as close to the horse as possible. Bareback riding can otherwise be painful for the body, if you are out for too long. A bareback saddle allows the rider to ride longer distances.