Many people are familiar with western riding, and some are familiar with English riding; mostly thinking of horses and riders flying over jumps or perhaps doing dressage. There is another form of English riding, and it is called Saddleseat.

Saddleseat is a style of English riding that focuses on the elevated action of the horse. To compare to Western type horses, the western horse should not lift its legs too high – this would be a waste of energy. It is different from huntseat also again in the fact the horse is more animated.

photo source

The type of saddle used in Saddleseat is called a Cutback, it is designed to sit the rider further back on the horse to allow for more action from the shoulders. The pommel is “cut back” to make more room for the fact that these horses have more upright necks. The stirrups would also be longer than on a huntseat saddle.

Young horses would be trained in snaffles but once they are five years old they are usually shown in the double bridle. The double bridle being a bridle with 2 bits, an English curb bit as well as a bradoon (small snaffle). As such there are two sets of reins. The riders hands are held high to encourage a higher head set for the horse – again to add to it having more action.

The riders are dressed formally in saddleseat suits complete with a bowler hat, or a fedora for men. These suits have long pants and often colorful silk vests and ties.

Saddleseat Breeds and Classes

Some of the horse breeds commonly shown in Saddleseat are:

Arabian
Morgan
Saddlebred
National Show Horse
Tennessee Walker
and other gaited breeds.

Some of the classes for Saddleseat are:

Park
English Pleasure
Country Pleasure
English Equitation (only the rider is judged)
Three Gaited
Five Gaited

Saddlebred horse - photo source

Other Information about Saddleseat Horses and Classes

The main gait is the trot, action should be high, in both the knees and hocks, but sometimes in effort to have high knee action, the action of the hocks is lost.

The horses are shown at the walk, trot, strong trot, canter, and sometimes the hand gallop. During the strong trot the crowd tends to go wild particularly when their favorite horse passes in front of the judge.

In some breeds action can be increased with weighed shoes.

Some criticism is often made in regards to horses being sored before being shown to get such elevated action, and while this does occur it is certainly more common in some breeds (particularly the gaited breeds) than in others.

Riding a saddleseat horse is a different experience, they are powerful, and work up a sweat rather quickly.

Saddleseat is sometimes written as two words, Saddle seat.