Dressage Saddles - By: Jane Smith

Dressage saddles – for dressage!

Dressage Saddles are (unsurprisingly) designed for riding dressage. If you need just one saddle to use all the time, the dressage saddle may not be the best choice, as it can be very hard to use this for jumping, or for occasions where you may wish to use a shorter stirrup length. A GP saddle would be better if you do intend to use if for jumping.

However, if you intend to do a lot of schooling and light hacking, or you want to get serious about your competition dressage, then investing in a dressage saddle could be a great move. The straight cut flap encourages a longer stirrup length and longer leg. You may feel like more of you is in contact with the horse and that you can cue your horse more accurately and with more precision.

The seat is also deeper and quite often there is less flocking/stuffing than on other saddles to allow for a closer contact all round.

Most dressage saddles will require a different, shorter, girth than a jumping or GP saddle. This is because the billet straps for the girth are longer, allowing the buckle of the girth to sit further down and not interfere with the cues from the rider leg, or take away from the close contact design.

If you have the money to invest, even in a used saddle, it can make huge improvements to rider position and cues. As with any saddle, it is worth getting a professional or someone knowledgeable to check the fit of the saddle.
Other type of saddles

General purpose saddles:

The majority of us will own a general purpose or GP saddle. GP saddles are designed to be just that, fit for many purposes. They are not as straight cut as a dressage saddle, so are also comfortable for jumping, hacking and cross country. When you take part in many disciplines this is the most economical saddle to own as it will cover you for every eventuality.

Jumping saddles

These have a larger, more forward cut knee roll than a dressage saddle. This allows for a more stable and balanced position while jumping. The pommel and cantle are flatter as not to interfere while jumping.

Rosie

While some of us know which discipline we would like to specialise in, others go all round and dabble in every discipline from jumping to dressage. But which saddle should you choose?

Rosie runs a popular horse blog dedicated to saddles amongst other horse related things. Visit her blog equestrian saddle at http://equestriansaddle.info