Jumping Saddles or Saddle

Horses & Ponies are proud to be able to supply you with a very high quality range of jumping saddles suitable for all equestrian disciplines including eventing, showjumping, crosscountry or just for fun.

A jumping saddle often referred to as being forward cut/seat or a close contact saddle is specifically designed for the disciplines that involve jumping such as showjumping and crosscountry.

The main difference is in the forward cut of the flaps that allows for a shorter stirrup length. The saddle often comes with supportive knee pads or knee rolls that aid in the position of the knee, balance and barrier for the rider to hold against when landing from a jump.

The seats are often a lot flatter as you will spend far less time sitting in this saddle and you don't want the cantle or pommel becoming a hinderence when you are in the air.

Some saddles come with standard length billets whilst some of the modern saddles are built from single piece called a Monoflap. Other designs have given the saddle longer billets so that there is less under the riders leg.

Getting used to a close contact jumping saddle takes a while for those of you who have not tried then before. It is not imperative that you ride with shorter stirrups but the whole idea is not to have a long leg.

" I have used close contact jumping saddles for many years now both for competition and general riding. They mould nicely around the horse with a thin numnah or bartle pad and as long as you don't rider for hours on end with short stirrups you shouldn't find them uncomfortable.

My suggestion for those of you looking to buy one is to keep a general purpose saddle as well for those longer hacks as short stirrups for a long ride definately gives you knee ache."

If you are now contemplating buying a new jumping saddle because you have a new horse, you've just started jumping, your horse has grown out of your old one or it is simply worn out we have some tips to help you decide how to make your process.

Does the FIT really matter?
If you wore badly fitting shoes and walked around for a while you certainly would have sore feet. All you remember is the discomfort and don't really want to wear them again.

From a horses point of view this is exactly the same but they can't tell you in words so they either accept the discomfort and become sore or start to show the poor fit in other ways.

Some of the more immediate signs of a poorly fitting saddle would include white patches of hair, broken skin or sores, or hard lumps of muscle but many of the signs could be unseen.

• groans when you mount
• dips away as you sit
• favours one side
• rushes into different gaites

just some of the many signs but it is important to know your horse and look at all the issues together. Don't be too quick to decide that bad behaviour is a saddle issue.

What to consider when buying your saddle

1. To start with you have decided on a jumping saddle.
   
   
2. When deciding on the right saddle you need to consider size and shape of the withers, length and shape of the back, slope of the shoulder, muscle tone.
   A good fit will be clear of the withers all the way along the tunnel of the saddle.
   Sit behind the shoulders and not restrict movement or freedom of the shoulder blade or scapula.
   A poor fit will be very close over the wither, may pinch the aroudn the spine, be infont of the shoulder blade
   
   At this point we cannot stress enough the importnce of hacing a professional saddle fitter wotk with you and your horse to make sure what you are considering is correct.
   
   
3. When putting on a saddle, riders frequently place them too far forward. If the points of the saddle tree dig into the shoulder blades, the horse is unwilling to stride out. It also places the rider out of position with their weight falling near the cantle and hence unable to balance properly.
   
   
4. The sitting area of a saddle consists of the seat and the twist. The seat size is determined by the length of the riders’ thigh bones and size of buttocks! The twist is the area of the saddle from the pommel to the centre of the saddle and is important in terms of rider comfort. The length should also not extend beyond the horse’s 18th rib otherwise bruising of the lumbar area is almost certain.

Your saddle arrives!

You have had your saddler help you to fit and work out suitable saddles and have finally decided to buy the one you want. When it arrives:

• The saddle should sit flat on your horses back and not rock back or forwards.
• The saddle should fit your horses body shape
• There should be space between the underside of the pommel and the horse’s withers. This may well be 3 fingers or in the case of a close contact saddle may be 1½. Just ensure there is sufficient clearance when the rider is on board. You should also be able to run 3 fingers width along the entire length of the gullet so that it clears the spine.
• Slide your hand all the way down between the pommel and the horse’s shoulder to ensure the saddle does not pinch. Also run your hand along the length and breadth of the panel to ensure it’s touching in all parts and that it does not bridge in the middle.

Your ride

After getting down to a shortlist following the above guidelines, the saddles need then to be ridden in. A saddle always must be ridden in when trying them out. One that looked perfectly fine whilst static may not be when ridden in and needs to be disqualified.

The rider should get on from a mounting block and then include walk, trot and canter on both reins. At rising trot, notice must be made of how the saddle moves under the rear panel, both up and down and laterally. If the saddle is to be used for jumping, then the horse must be seen over a fence or two.

Attention must be paid to how the horse moves and how he behaves. Does he drop his back, flatten his ears, move with short steps or any other indication of discomfort. If he is happy, he will stride out boldly, lift his back and respond to your aids.

After your Purchase

Remember that horses often change shape and you must therefore keep an eye out for these changes. Changing shape will occur with the young horse who is developing, a horse which is coming back into work, a horse bought in poor condition who will put on weight and develop muscle etc Ensure to have your saddle checked regularly by an experienced saddler.

Make sure the flocking stays soft and smooth. Any lumps and unevenness must be corrected by your saddler, so as to prevent any undue pressure on your horse’s back.
Take care to store your saddle in the best possible way and regularly use a leather cleaner to improve its longevity. Check the stitching, especially the girth straps to ensure your safety.

All of our saddles are quality assured and we have many to choose from.

However, if for any reason you are unable to find your ideal saddle on the site do not worry.

We are uploading new stock all the time and I'll let you know about any new Showjumping Saddles that come in.

Why not check out some of our close contact jumping saddles by brands such as Pessoa and GFS