Saddle

Types of equestrian saddle

English saddle

English saddles are used throughout the world, not just in England or English-speaking countries. They are the saddles used in all of the Olympic equestrian disciplines. To non-horsemen, the major distinguishing feature of an English saddle is its lack of a horn and its panels: a pair of pads attached to the underside of the seat and filled with wool, foam, or air.

The term English saddle encompasses several types, including those used for eventing, show jumping and hunt seat, dressage, Saddle Seat, horse racing and polo.

Western saddle

Western saddles? are saddles used in (or based on) cattle ranching in the United States. They are the "cowboy saddles" familiar to movie viewers, rodeo fans, and those who have gone on tourist trail rides.

The Western saddle has no padding of its own, and must be padded with a saddle blanket in order to provide a comfortable fit for the horse. It also has sturdier stirrups and uses a cinch rather than a girth.

Sidesaddle

The Sidesaddle? is a type of saddle on which the rider sits aside rather than astride the mount.

The sidesaddle was designed for use by women, as it was considered unbecoming for a lady to straddle a horse whilst riding. This results from cultural norms in Western Europe in the Middle Ages where a lady or gentlewoman was much more restricted in her movements. Other

McClellan saddle

The McClellan saddle? was a riding saddle designed by George B. McClellan, a career Army officer in the U.S. Army, after his tour of Europe as the member of a military commission charged with studying the latest developments in engineer and cavalry forces including field equipment. Based on his observations, McClellan's proposed a design that was adopted by the Army in 1859.

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