Saddles

“No minute of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.” - Anonymous

A saddle symbolizes one thing to me, the connection between me and my horse. There are a variety of saddles a rider can use depending on what they want to do with their horse.

The English style saddle is used for the hunter/jumper type of riding, and is the simplest design. These saddles are made of a relatively small, unembellished piece of leather, with a plain looking pair of stirrups attached on the sides, for the hunter-jumper rider. There isn’t much variety in style, size or shape.

For Western style riders there is more variety. There are simple western saddles that someone might use if they just want a quick lightweight saddle to just “horse around” with. Then there are work saddles and show saddles. These come in a million sizes, shapes and colors, that need to fit the rider’s body, and the horse’s body as well. When I started riding at the farm I was pretty little, and so was the horse I was riding. Over the years, as I grew, I changed horses and saddles several times. Sitting on a new saddle for the first time is like trying on a new pair of shoes. If the fit is good, you know you’ll be able to walk for hours, or run, twist and turn, without the fear of blisters on your heels. When you get the right saddle, it feels kind of magical. You are able to feel the horse move better, and communicate your movements to the horse very easily. If you sit in a bad fitting saddle, you’ll know right away. Your horse will be confused because you will need to overcorrect your commands because of the bad fit.

Work saddles and show saddles are two of my favorites because both you and your horse know that work has to be done. These saddles are usually made of several layers of leather, and can be extremely heavy. For the last couple of seasons I have had the honor of using my trainer’s saddle that she used back when she was around my age, and competed in state and national competitions. I use it for both working my horse and in shows. I especially like it when show season comes around, because I will spend half a day at the farm before the show, polishing every piece of silver, leather, and ivory to achieve the ultimate shine. Veronica likes to see it when it’s finished because it reminds her of when she used to go through the same process. It makes me feel proud that she trusts me to use her prized possession.