08/29/2026
A Saddle Is a System, Not Just a Shape
Saddles are made up of surfaces and connectors.
We have the back surface, belly surface, foot surface, thigh surface, and pelvic surface, with a right and left side for each. Those two sides are connected by arches. Once we build this structure and add the leather and other components, we create five interacting systems that need to be considered whenever we design, buy, or fit a saddle.
Those five systems are the pressure-distribution system, rigging system, seating system, communication system, and protective system.
The Pressure-Distribution System
Its job is to put the pressure created by the rider's weight where we want it on the horse.
There are three basic approaches to pressure distribution: relatively even pressure; an open front and back with greater pressure through the middle; or pressure toward the front and back with less through the middle.
These aren't simply different ideas about saddle fit. They are directly related to where the rider intends to sit on the horse and how the entire horse-saddle-rider system is supposed to function.
The Rigging System
The rigging connects the saddle's horse-contacting surface to its belly surface. Its job is to hold the saddle quietly and consistently in the desired position.
There are three basic rigging configurations: double, single, and triangular. Each manages the forces acting on the saddle differently, so the rigging cannot be considered separately from the rest of the saddle.
The Seating System
The seating system creates the desired platform for the rider. This comes from the relationship between the pelvic surface and stirrup alignment.
I generally describe these configurations through five historical schools or models of riding: ba****ck, Jineta, Brida, Estradiota, and the rocking-horse model.
Before purchasing a saddle, a rider should understand where and how they want to sit, because the saddle should support that intention rather than determine it for them.
The Communication System
This is one of the most important—and most overlooked—functions of a saddle.
A saddle is a motion translator. It sits between the horizontal axial skeleton of the horse and the vertical axial skeleton of the human. It must translate the horse's movement to the rider while simultaneously allowing the rider's intent to be communicated back to the horse.
Good communication should be immediate, clear, and distinct.
The Protective System
The protective system includes components such as skirts, seat jockeys, panels, flaps, and related parts. Its job is to protect the horse, rider, saddle, and the functional components of the other systems without interfering with their jobs.
This is why saddle fitting is not simply a question of gullet width.
It is the intersection of horse health, rider health, anatomy, biomechanics, riding and training philosophy, saddle construction, and socioeconomic considerations. Different riders and manufacturers place different priorities on each of these systems, and those priorities affect the finished saddle.
Every rider should have at least a basic understanding of these five systems. It provides an informed foundation for the many decisions we have to make for ourselves and our horses.
These are the concepts I teach in my classes and clinics. If you have a group that would like to understand saddle fit from a systems perspective, contact me and we can arrange a teaching format appropriate for your group.
