Shop English Saddles for Jumping, Dressage and All-Purpose Riding

Seat size depends mainly on your leg length and build. English seats are measured from the nailhead beside the pommel to the center of the cantle, and most adults ride in 16.5″ to 18″. In our stock, 17″ is the most common size. Measure a saddle that already fits you and compare it with the listing, then check the tree width against your horse, because the right seat on the wrong tree will still cause problems.

The best brand is the one that fits your horse, your discipline and your budget. In our stock, Bates and Antares are popular for dressage and competition, M. Toulouse and Henri de Rivel for close contact riding, and Wintec for synthetic saddles that are easy to care for. Stubben and Pessoa appear often in our used saddles. Choose the saddle type and fit first, then compare brands within that shortlist.

A jumping or close contact saddle has forward-cut flaps and a flatter seat, so you can ride with shorter stirrups and fold forward over fences. A dressage saddle has a deeper seat and long, straight flaps that suit a longer leg and a more upright position on the flat. An all-purpose saddle sits between the two. If you mostly jump, choose a jumping saddle; if you mostly school on the flat, choose dressage.

Yes, as long as the tree suits the horse’s shape. Many quarter horses have a broad back and flatter withers, so they often need a wide or medium-wide tree. Look for a listing that states the tree width, or choose a saddle with an interchangeable gullet so you can adjust it. With no pad, check for two to three fingers of clearance over the withers and even contact along the panels before you ride.

Often, yes. More than half of our English saddles are used, and a well-kept leather saddle from a respected maker can offer years of riding for much less than new. Check the photos for a twisted tree, uneven panels, worn billets and dry leather, and confirm the seat size and tree width on the listing. Used saddles can be tried through our 14-day Test Ride Demo Program so you can check the fit on your horse.

The 446 English saddles here run from $228 to $4,320, with the middle around $1,278. Used saddles from Stubben, Bates, Passier, Albion and Antares make up most of that range - these are makers whose saddles are worth reflocking and reselling rather than replacing.

Dressage saddles have a deep seat and long straight flap for a long leg. Jumping and close contact saddles have a flatter seat and forward flap for a shorter stirrup. All-purpose sits between the two. Eventing saddles are built for cross-country. The discipline decides the flap; the horse decides the tree.

It is less forgiving rather than harder. There is no horn and less seat holding you in place, so balance does more of the work. Most riders find the first few rides unfamiliar and then adapt quickly. What matters more is that the saddle fits you: too large a seat and you will slide, too small and you will be pushed against the cantle.

Choose a short panel, so the saddle does not extend behind the last rib. Seat size and panel length are not the same thing, so check both. For a curvy back, look for a curved or flexible panel to avoid bridging. A wither tracing makes this much easier to get right.