Jumping saddles
in the saddle Portrait

Over the last 100 years, various riding saddles have been developed for equestrian sports, including dressage saddles, eventing saddles and jumping saddles. These saddle types have evolved to meet the different requirements of individual equestrian disciplines. A dressage saddle, for example, usually has a deep, narrow seat with a flap for an elongated rider's seat. This makes it perfect for dressage, but it would be difficult to adopt a standing seat over a jump.

Compared to the deep seat of a dressage saddle, the jumping saddle has a long and flat seat with longer panels. The characteristic appearance of a jumping saddle is immediately recognisable by the flat seat and the short saddle flap, which is pulled far forward. The knee rolls are set high so that the rider's leg, which is more angled due to the short stirrup leathers, is supported in a light seat.

This position and shape of the knee rolls provides the rider with particularly good support when jumping and landing. Together, these features make the jumping saddle a real specialist for riding in a light seat and for show jumping on courses or cross-country.

The eventing saddle is a very similar relative to the jumping saddle. This is a kind of hybrid of a dressage saddle and a jumping saddle. Compared to a dressage saddle, the saddle flap is cut slightly forwards, but not as much as on a real jumping saddle. The length of the saddle flap and the panels are also between those of a dressage saddle and a jumping saddle. This makes the eventing saddle a real all-rounder among riding saddles.

A good jumping saddle is optimally adapted to the horse, lies evenly on the horse's back and offers the greatest possible freedom of movement for the horse. The saddle must not restrict the horse's freedom of movement in any way so that it can perform at its best at the jump. The panels of the jumping saddle should be soft and wide and create a sufficiently large spinal canal.

In order for a jumping saddle to lie correctly and remain in place even over large jumps, the gullet width must be optimally adjusted using an adjustable or replaceable gullet plate. The panels and the correct angle of the gullet width ensure that the saddle lies parallel to the back and distributes the pressure evenly on the horse's back from front to back. A jumping saddle should be as light as possible so that the horse does not have to carry any unnecessary weight over the jump. A jumping saddle usually weighs around 5-6 kg.

As with all saddles, good leather and high-quality workmanship make a good saddle that you will enjoy for a long time. A jumping saddle can have a bare saddle flap or be doubled. Compared to a classic dressage saddle in black, the colours brown and cognac are also very popular in show jumping.

Are you wondering which jumping saddle is right for me? It is important that the saddle has the right seat size in inches for you as a rider. The seat size also determines the size of the saddle and the length of the panels. The same applies to choosing the right jumping saddle for ponies or full-size ponies such as Haflingers. In order to find out which jumping saddle offers the best fit for you, we recommend that you test ride or jump different models. In this way, you can find out whether you prefer a large or a rather flat knee roll and which saddle provides you with optimum support over the jump.

Your warmblood horse has a particularly high wither and you are wondering which jumping saddle is suitable for a high wither? In this case, the saddle needs a saddle tree that rises at the front and allows a raised position of the gullet plate. The wide and soft saddle panels must provide sufficient height over the withers and the entire spine so that the horse's movements are not restricted or the saddle even rests on the withers. We recommend an additional saddle pad with a lambskin underside and, if necessary, the option of additional padding in the blanket to provide even more height over the withers.

The right saddle pad or saddle cover for a jumping saddle is important for an optimum fit. The shape of the saddle pad should match the shape of the saddle and always be wider/larger than the saddle itself. If the saddle pad is too small, chafing or uncomfortable pressure points can easily occur.

If your horse is shod or you use studs from time to time, we recommend a wide stud guard girth. This has an enlarged area around the horse's belly. This protects the horse over the jump from being touched or injured by the studs or shoes of the front legs on the horse's belly.

The stirrups are buckled shorter on a jumping saddle than on a dressage saddle. The appropriate length of the stirrup leathers depends on the length of the rider's leg in the light seat. We recommend lightweight stirrups or safety stirrups that open in the event of a fall so that the rider cannot get caught in the stirrup.

To find out which saddle you would like to buy and how or where, we recommend a saddle consultation with a mobile saddle service as a first step. Of course, you could buy a jumping saddle online and have it delivered directly to your home with free shipping. Dealers offer the sale online and entice you with countless favourable offers for various jumping saddle models on the Internet on Amazon or ebay classifieds.

If you already know which saddle model suits you and your horse or you are looking for a second-hand jumping saddle, this can certainly be an opportunity for a bargain. However, regardless of whether you are looking for a second-hand saddle, a used demonstration saddle or a new saddle, we recommend buying through a mobile saddle service. Take the opportunity to test ride different saddle models and convince yourself of the quality of the saddles, the leather and the service.