When it comes to riding on the horses, there are various types of saddles that you can find. Typically, the more common ones are the English saddles and the Western saddles. Hence, it is common for riders to choose between each of them. As such, it will be good to know the differences between the English saddle and the Western Saddle so that you will know exactly which saddle is suitable for a particular event.
Differences Between English Saddle And Western Saddle
It is important to know the differences since there is a specific use case for each of the saddle types. Let us look into the details behind the differences between the English Saddle and Western Saddle.
English Saddle
The English saddle is a thinner and smaller saddle when coming it to the Western saddle. The choice of material is usually lighter too, and hence it allows for more flexibility when it comes to riding the horses. This means that English saddles are good for sporting events since the additional flexibility will help the rider a lot when it comes to controlling the direction of the horse.
Of course, given that the stirrup leathers are thinner than usual, it does allow the horse to respond more efficiently and faster to the commands given to them during dressage events too. The position of the knee rolls is such that it holds the rider’s legs properly. Hence, if you are looking to correct your posture when you are riding, the English saddle will help you with this.
There are different variants within the English saddle too. Indeed, if you look closely at the designs itself, there are some saddles that have a longer and straight flap that helps to keep the rider’s close to the horse itself, which allow the rider to provide faster delivery of instruction to the horse. For saddles with a shallower seat and a flap that is more forward, it is specifically designed for riders whose horses are required to jump often. Last but not the least, there is the all-purpose saddle whose deepness of the seats is in between that of the dressage saddles and the jumping saddle. The position of the flaps is also in between that of the jumping and dressage saddle. This allows the rider to ride or jump effectively.
Indeed, if you are a beginner, the English saddle will be the one that you can choose from. It allows you to have the full range of movement and control that is required for all of the various events, hence helping you to save up on some of the money from buying different types of specific saddles.
Western Saddle
Comparatively, the western saddle is much larger and heavier than the English saddle, and it is deliberately designed in this way so that the weight of the rider is distributed evenly across the horse’s body. With an evenly distributed load, it will be more comfortable for the horse across a longer distance. Perhaps it is named as the western saddle due to its ability to provide comfort to the horses during long-distance riding as well as the horn at the front of the saddle. The horn allows the rider to coil their ropes on as they drag cattle across distances.
The Western saddle is usually used for extreme sports. One such activity is the barrel racing, where fast and sharp turns are often expected. To help cater to this, the saddle required will need to have a deeper seat as well as a high cantle and horn so that the rider would have security in the seat itself. Of course, other activities require various adjustments, like a lower horn or a skirt that have closer contact.
What Influences Your Choice between Western Saddle Vs English Saddle
There are various factors that will influence your choice between the English saddle and the Western Saddle
- Type of activity: For more long-distance activities of activities that require a heavy load on the horse, the Western saddle will be more suitable. If the activity requires quicker assimilation of instruction, then you should get the Western saddle.
- Customizable: If you are looking to customize your riding, then the Western saddle will be a good choice. If not, stick with the English saddle as it is a good all-rounder.
- Weight of saddle: If it is just for reference sake, the western saddle is a preferred choice for a lighter saddle.
- Saddle for beginners: The best saddle for beginners have to be the Western saddle, given that it is a good all-rounder for a saddle. The cost is more efficient than to purchase separate saddles for various usages.
