Saddle Seat Saddles - History and use.

Saddle Seat saddles are the choice when horses perform with high animation, and are a necessity if high animation is coupled with speed of gaits in a collected but forward moving form.

This style of saddle, is really the only truly correct one to use in saddle seat equitation but the special equitation saddles have a bit of a deeper seat, while still being flatter than non-saddle seat saddles.

SADDLE SEAT SADDLES AID SHOULDER MOVEMENTS OF THE HORSE.

The rider's center of gravity is more slightly to the rear than in classical dressage, because the horses must have free use of their shoulders to achieve such high action and animation in their gaits. This cut back saddle style forms an open U shape behind the withers of the horse, and this combined with the rider's weight being placed a little bit further back, enables the shoulders of the horse to move much more freely at speed. These saddles have had a direct influence in the effectiveness of the horse's animation, which is especially required with all the gaited horse breeds.

Breeds that utilize the Saddle Seat saddles are the American Saddlebred, the Morgan, the Arabian, the Missouri Fox Trotter, the Tennessee Walking Horse, as well as others, if the specific animal is gifted and trained for high action show classes. If the animal is to be shown or utilized in other disciplines, then appropriate saddles are used for that discipline. The cut back saddles are used throughout American, in Canada, England, South Africa and occasionally in other countries.

THE FORM OF SADDLE SEAT SADDLES AND RIDERS

As in the discipline of dressage there is a line drawn from the rider's ear down to the heel, but with the saddle seat discipline there is a bit more of a bended knee position. The stirrups are not as long as in dressage, because of the speed at which the horses move at the trot or other gaits. Like other English saddle types, the saddle seat saddles have pads underneath, leaving a clear channel for the horse's spine.

While there is slight variation among saddle makers, because the saddle seat rider's weight and center of gravity are toward the back, the saddle flaps are wider to protect the legs and are constructed to meet the cantle further back. The rider's knee is closer to the front of the flap.

The collection of the horse, under a Saddle Seat saddle is not the extreme collection used in dressage, because of the speed of forward motion coupled with the height of the motion. It was because both height and speed are required that lead to the development of this cut back saddle.


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