All About Saddles & Bridles: What’s Your Style?

There are two different disciplines of riding horses: English and Western. Each one comes with its own set of tack - different saddles, bridles, bits, and beyond. There are many different variations in both of these. But today, let’s just focus on the basic overview of our English and Western styles, and what they usually include.

Saddles: Big or Small

The largest and most obvious difference in these two disciplines is the saddle.

The Western saddle has deep roots in American horsemanship. It is much larger; with its horn (design for when cowboys would be roping cattle), wide skirt (the lower leather piece), and deep seat, it was created for both hard work and comfort. It helps spread the weight more evenly across the horse's back. These saddles were (and still are) used for long hours in the saddle, generally cattle work and covering miles of rough terrain.

The English saddle came to the US in the 1800’s. It is a small, more condensed saddle, which is also much lighter. It was designed to give the horse full movement and flexibility, specifically for foxhunting at the time. The lower cantle (the back of the seat) makes it easier for the rider to move in the saddle - a needed quality when jumping or eventing.

Bridles: More or Less

Here we see a little switch in size! 

The Western bridle for the most part is less restricting and just a smaller amount of leather in general. It doesn’t usually have a nose band (the lower strap just above the nostrils) and often doesn’t have a browband either (the strap across the face, just below the ears). Some Western bridles can even be without bits (the metal piece we put in the horse’s mouth); these are called hackamores. The reins are, for the most part, split reins - meaning you have two separate reins. This allows you to use ‘ground tying’; a technique where you train your horse to stand as if tied when one of the reins hits the ground.

The English, which appears to date as far back as the Middle Ages, has a good bit more leather - including a noseband, browband, a flash piece ( a leather strap to keep the mouth closed, mainly to prevent the tongue from getting on top of the bit) and more. English riders might even use a double bridle, also known as a full bridle; this has two bits and four reins. The English riding discipline is more precise and specific in movement and the bridle is a reflection of that.

And a little fun thought - you don’t have to pick just one style! You can create your own ‘style’ of riding by combining the things you like from both! That’s what I’ve done and I love it!

Got any questions about English and Western tack?

Let me know!