Parts of a Saddle

In response to a request from Sara, today we go over the parts of an English saddle.

This is what a saddle, new from the box, looks like:

Actually, I should hope a saddle new from the manufacturer does NOT look like this. The saddle above arrived from Dover supposedly new, but was very obviously used. So if you get a "new" saddle that looks like this... ask for a refund or something in that vein.

Although the above saddle is used, it basically shows what a typical hunt seat saddle looks like. The important parts you can see are labeled. Use it as a reference in case you don't understand the rest of the post.

Under the skirt (see above) there is a little bar. It holds the stirrup leathers. Sometimes it has a part that flicks up (with some difficulty) to hold it more securely. With the saddle I took pictures of for this post, it took a bit of coaxing to make it go up. But it finally agreed.

This is the little bar with the piece down, and then a second picture with it up. There are no stirrup leathers in there, though.

The saddle I have here is an old (very old! Thirty years or so!) Stubben Siegfried. The stirrup bars are not recessed as most are today.
Anyway, stirrup bars are pretty darn essential. You don't see them while riding, but they hold the stirrups up. And trust me, you want stirrups!

The next part of the saddle is the tree. The tree is the basic form a saddle is built on. The flaps aren't on the tree but they are attached. The tree determines how wide the saddle is, or how wide a horse it will fit comfortably. I don't have pictures of the tree of a saddle, but it's essential in most saddles.

Stirrups and stirrup leathers are also important. They hold one's feet up and support one while in the saddle. You can ride without them and probably should once in a while for fitness, but in competition stirrups are kind of a must.
Stirrup leathers look like this, but actually on the saddle. I have no pictures of one on a saddle, but if you look them up you'll probably be able to find a picture somewhere.

As you can imagine, the stirrups go on these.
Now I have to resort to a stock image since I totally forgot to take any and I am SO not uploading pictures at this hour...

Yep, nice and basic. They go on the stirrup leathers, which then loop onto the stirrup bars. Then you put the tail into the stirrup leather keeper (see original image).

It can be a bit confusing to understand at first, but if you go to a tack shop and ask for a little more clarification, or just look over the saddle, you'll find that it's pretty simple.


And now that that's done... the model horse update of the day. I made another new halter with a fleece noseband for my ASB. It looks pretty snazzy on him. Here are a few pictures:

Also, I've revamped the old Model Horse Tack Shop website. Well, actually, I'm in the process of revamping it. It still needs some work, but it's getting there. I quite like it.
Queen's Gate Saddlery
Take a look!

Night all.

Horse Knowledge

In response to a recent request from Sara, I will be further continuing my horse knowledge posts so non-horsey readers understand what I'm talking about. Today I will discuss the difference between a halter and a bridle, because none of my friends seem to understand the substantial difference.. okay, almost none. I have a few horsey friends. Not many!

A halter is what you use to lead a horse around. Yes, you can lead horses around in a bridle, too. And yes, you can ride with a halter. Here's a picture of a basic, generic, plain nylon barn halter for everyday use.

This has no rolled throatlatch, no breakaway tabs, no snap at the throat, nothing. Nicer halters will have the throatlatch section rolled like the one below. The one below also has a snap at the throat to allow ease of use.

Again, a stock image. As you can see on the noseband, instead of plain metal rings, special halter rings are used. They have either two or three slots for the nylon to go into and it keeps the straps in order, as well as being good in cross ties, pictured below.

Not all halters are made of nylon. Pictured below is a nice leather halter, generally used at either high-end barns for every-day (in my experience) or at shows.

Another stock image. As you can see, this halter has a snap at the rolled throatlatch, nice brass hardware, and an adjustable noseband.
Some halters are used specifically in the show ring. For example, a Western show halter is seen below.
As is easily visible, Western show halters go heavy (no pun intended) on the silver and bling, though this one doesn't show as much bling.

Arabian show halters come in all forms, too. There's the wire variety, a very minimalistic halter that accentuates the Arab's dished face. I think they're in style now, but I could be wrong because I know next to nothing about that. For those wondering how on earth to actually lead the horse with it, there's a chain that goes through those two rings and attaches to a lead rope.

I said they come in all forms, and that's true. But since this is a comparison with the regular bridle, I have to stop here. There are rope halters for natural horsemanship and such, and many other special types of halter for show and for every-day, but these are the most common types.

The bridle is what most people use to guide their horse's while in the saddle. Many bridles have bits, but bitless bridles are becoming more and more popular.

The basic English bridle is seen below. It has a caveson, or noseband, a crown, a browband, a throatlatch, and a bit. And, obviously, reins.

An English-style bitless bridle can look like this, with an English Hackamore "bit." In reality, it's not actually a bit. It puts pressure on the horse's nose, chin, and crown, and has the same effect as a bit. AKA, stopping/turning/other stuff.

Another popular bitless bridle of today is Dr. Cook's Bitless Bridle [insert little trademark symbol here]. I have no idea how effective they are or how they work... but they look like this.

Looking at this again, I think the idea is to put pressure on the jaw.

The difference between halters and bridles is pretty simple when you put it in Hunter terms. Halters are for leading the horse, bridles are for riding the horse. When you get into it, they have all sorts of uses. But that's the simplest way to put it.


I hope you enjoyed that and that you now understand the difference between halter and bridle (if you're a non-horsey person).


Now for the daily update. I'm currently working on a halter with a fleece noseband for my ASB (picture below). The halter is black nylon and the fleece is blue. This is my first time doing something like this so here's hoping it works well.

New pictures of Jones tomorrow.