Dressage Saddle Vs. All-Purpose English Saddle

Both dressage and all-purpose English saddles are made for riders in the English riding discipline. Both types of saddles go with any English-style bridle or bit. But the dressage saddle is for a specific type of horse sport, while the all-purpose English saddle, as its name suggests, can be used for many horse sports, including dressage.

  1. History

    • Dressage saddles are older than English all-purpose saddles. Dressage is based on principles of cavalry riding written down by the Greek general Xenophon (431 to 350 B.C.). Many years later, cavalry saddles pictured on the Bayeux Tapestry bear a striking resemblance to dressage saddles. Dressage was once called “military test riding,” but became a recognized sport by the 1912 Olympics. By contrast, jumping on horseback did not develop until the late 1800s by the Italian cavalry. The foreword seat saddle, from which the all-purpose English saddle comes from, is thought to have been invented by Capt. Frederico Caprilli (1868 to 1907).

    Identification

    • Both saddle types are made of the same materials and come in the same colors. But dressage saddle flaps hang straight down, almost hugging the girth. They lack the knee rolls of all-purpose English saddles or other types of jumping saddles. The curve of the seat for the rider’s buttocks is also shaped slightly differently. The curve is often more obvious in a dressage saddle.

    Significance

    • A dressage saddle encourages a rider to have a long leg and to sit deeply and securely in the saddle. This position of the rider helps the horse to collect itself, or come into proper balance in order to perform the movements required in dressage. In contrast, an all-purpose riding saddle encourages the rider to get up off the horse’s back and lean forward so the horse can jump.

    Uses

    • Dressage saddles are only for dressage. They are not to be used for other horse sports such as jumping. Because of the long leg and deep seats a rider needs to stay comfortable in a dressage saddle, the rider will not be able to properly get up off the horse’s back for a jump. This can make a horse slow down or jump awkwardly. On the other hand, an all-purpose English saddle can be used for dressage, jumping or trail riding.

    Speculation

    • Dressage saddles are best for intermediate to advanced riders who want to concentrate on dressage. The best English saddle for beginner riders or for pleasure riding is the all-purpose saddle, sometimes sold under the name “general purpose” saddle. Beginner riders find it easier to have a saddle with knee flaps, which dressage saddles do not have, in order to help them get their balance.