Forward Seat

All purpose

Dessage

Lane Fox

1. Close Contact Jumping
This saddle has a fairly flat seat and usually has a squared cantle. The flap is often plain or has a "pillowy" knee pad in the front, usually of a softer leather. The flaps are smaller than other saddles with a small knee roll or no knee roll under the flap. The flaps are rounded in the front and the panels are very flat and not sewn to the sweat flap.

2. General Purpose
There can be a variety of saddles classified as general purpose, but usually they have deeper seats than a close contact, a larger, rounded flap, usually with a suede or leather knee pad, a larger knee roll under the flap and a larger, more rounded panel. They can be used for jumping or dressage.

3. Dressage
A saddle for dressage has a very deep seat and very straight, long flaps. They are usually black and have heavy rounded panels that are very thick. The outer flap can have knee pads, knee rolls, or raised areas on the flap. They often have an extra billet sewn to the bottom of the flap.

4. Lane Fox
Lane Fox saddles have very long, straight flaps like dressage saddles, but the flaps wider and never have a knee pad. The seats are very long, but fairly flat and the panels are flat and thin. There is no sweat flap on a Lane Fox. Lane Fox saddles are easily recognized by a 4" long "cut back" on the flat pommel.

5. Side Saddle
Easily recognized by the two horns in the front and the long flap on one side and short one on the other side. Side saddles are rarely used today.