Submitted by: Brad Goldstein

Let me introduce myself, my name is Brad Goldstein and I have owned EquuSport Custom Saddlery over 20 years and have repaired virtually ever make of saddle in those years, additionally I have been involved in the English Show jumping industry all my life as rider and trainer. What follows is a compiling of experiences with horses, saddles and the owners of both and the conversations in the shop when riders inquire what I believe are the best saddle.

In English Saddle Fitting, there are no mysteries, just miss conceptions. Every saddle needs to fit the horse and rider perfectly. In general, French saddles are better than English or German and calfskin is better than pigskin.. However, in reality, there is no best saddle only a saddle that accomplishes what the rider needs.

In today s general saddle market there have been a few more additions in the past 40 years, whereas on the A circuit the types have changed and narrowed. French is language and Custom the currency. The following observations are largely based on jumping saddles but the premise does apply to Dressage and Eventing as well.

Many structure go together to form a saddle. Saddle trees are essentially the same across the board, a multilayer wood laminate and metal reinforced tree. There are exceptions such a Prestige s nylon tree. Most manufactures offer gullet widths from narrow to wide, and lengths from 12 to 18 with larger sizes available upon request.

A very important note for those of you who are continually resetting your saddle, it is a futile attempt. There is a reason for which the saddle will not stay where you put it, it is not fit it is the simple fact that the tree is made to sit on the last third of the withers, no matter how high or long. A saddle will never stay at the heartline because it is your horse s scapula movement that pushes it rearward. Most horses after the saddle has moved back travel freer and jump better because their shoulders are clear.

Finally, well fitting saddles do not need lots of accessory padding, saddle cloth and a gel is plenty. More pads will not make it fit better or help your horses back and will in some cases even harm the tree. You may love your saddle but unfortunately if it does not fit, it simply does not fit.

Leather is another integral part of the saddle and all leather is not created equal. For example, old Argentine saddles were not well crafted, but today the Collegiate which is built on mediocre tree with decent imported leather has made it an inexpensive saddle of reasonable entry level quality that was light years ahead of the same saddle 30 years ago. On the higher quality side there are the French saddles with beautiful lines and leather, leaving the British and the Germanic saddles squarely in the middle.

An important point to address is which leather should be used for seats and knees. In recent years, calfskin has replaced pigskin for seats and in some cases padded knees. It (what is it clarify) is also being used to cover or overlay the flaps. French calf is tackier than the British or German types and thus the rider is better able to grip the saddle and horse. German hides as a whole are more durable no matter the type leather but the British as curriers and finishers of vegetable tanned hides are still the finest in the world.

Finally we are left with saddle panels. There are two types, wool panels (stuffed) and foam/felt (molded). Wool panels are older, more versatile, and more traditional and generally seen in a large group of Dressage and All Purpose saddles. The foam/felt panels are what are most used in today s jumping saddle. The primary difference in wool versus foam is that wool can be adjusted and foam cannot.

This proves to be a great asset in fitting the changing body types of horses. Wool can be added or subtracted as needed but a saddle with foam must have a complete panel change to accommodate a new body type. Panels should come in contact with the horse s back fully. Panels that do not fit properly and break away early at the cantle tend to rock and you get sore loins as a result. Panels that bridge, that is sit on the shoulders and the cantle and gap in the middle will give sore backs to both you and your horse.

Padding your saddle might be a temporary fix but it can have detrimental effects. The best way to correct the problem of poorly fitted panels is with a qualified saddler. The longer you wait, the worse it will get. Lastly, the question I receive most often is Do I need to re-stuff my panels? The answer most often is no. Even after many years, if your saddle rides the same and no back issues are being noted it does not need to be re-stuffed.

We went through a lot of information and I am sure you are wondering, well, where does that leave me? Do we buy custom, stock, wool, foam, blocks, padded knees, deep or shallow seat saddles? Here are my recommendations. Riders need to sit in as many saddles as the can. Note what you like as well as what you dislike. If you ride with a professional, they should help in letting know what helps and what does not. The following are of the upmost importance regardless of discipline.

Does the saddle sit grossly uphill or down

Curl up in front or behind,

Force your leg forward or back

bite in the inner thigh at the stirrup or under your seat

If any other critical criteria are present then the saddle is not right for you, no matter what people say, including your trainer. It is much more important to get your saddle right the first time then have to end up back at square one.

In closing you will have noticed that I have made no recommendations as to make, this is because the saddles available from European makers are all of good quality and thus your choice can be made on your individual needs and the subtle differences that separate one maker from the next.

About the Author: EquuSport Custom Saddlery is a purveyor of high quality English Made Bridles, Strap Goods and fine crafted English Bits, with an extensive network of European Suppliers which allows us to obtain that hard to find item that is not within the realm of a local Tack Shop.

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