A Stubben saddle for every discipline

Home -> Articles -> The various types of stubben leather saddles

To the passive observer, leather saddles, apart from obvious variations in colour and size, all look pretty much the same. In the most basic sense, they are pieces of leather glued and stitched onto a composite or wooden tree. However, anyone with a smidgen of horsey knowledge will know that saddles are designed to fit specific disciplines that the individual horse and rider competes in.

This article will look at one saddle manufacturer in particular, Stubben. This is because Stubben has a heritage of saddle craftsmanship that dates back over 100 years, and its collection of saddles directly reflects their vast knowledge of the horse world and the varying wants and needs of the rider.

Types of leather saddle

Most leather saddles can be separated into three distinct categories; the Dressage saddle, the Jumping saddle and the General purpose saddle. As their names suggest, the three saddles cover the three distinct equestrian disciplines; being Dressage, Jumping and General Purpose (GP).

The subtle differences in the saddles are what make them suitable for the different disciplines. A Dressage saddle generally has a straight flap, deep seat, long billets and little to no knee roll. This is all designed to place the rider in the optimum position to carry out dressage movements, in close contact and in harmony with the horse. The long, straight saddle flaps and long billets mean the rider is able to ride with a straighter leg and use aids with little interference and bulk between their leg and the horses side.

The Stubben Dressage saddles are all deep seated and straight cut like most other leather saddles, however, like its Jumping range, there are subtle differences to favour a particular riders needs. The HP saddles have long knee rolls with the highest point lower down in the panel to help the longer legged rider get a good feel, whereas the CL saddle has an anatomically shaped knee roll that is moulded into the saddle flap.

A Jumping saddle differs greatly to a Dressage saddle in the shape, cut and under flap features. Its shape is much more forward cut, the seat is generally not as deep as that of a Dressage saddle and the billets are shorter and hidden under the saddle flap. The under flap detailing often includes both knee and thigh blocks that are ergonomically placed to secure the rider in position over the fence when jumping. The flaps are more forward cut because when jumping the stirrups are considerably shorter, so if you had a straighter, more Dressage cut then there would be no saddle for your knee to rest against.

The Stubben Jumping leather saddles have the forward cut you would expect from a jumping saddle, but come with a range of different models to suit the riders particular needs. For example, the CS saddle has a half deep seat that is slightly wider than normal, with square cantle and a more forward cut flap, whereas the mark II saddles are a more flat seated saddle which suits those riders that want to shift their weight back when going over the jump. All these saddles then come with different shapes and size knee and thigh blocks as well as in a stunning range of leather types and colours.

General Purpose leather saddles do exactly as the name suggest, they are suitable for general purpose riding. The style and shape of the saddle is usually halfway between Dressage and Jumping saddle, which means that you are able to compete and ride in both disciplines, but would not be suited to serious competition where you need a specialist saddle for each discipline. The general purpose saddle is a perfect partner for everyday riding.

With regard to Stubben GP saddles, they have two types; the VSS and the VSD. The VSS All Purpose saddle is like the general purpose saddle of yesteryear but is designed to favour one discipline over the other. The purpose of the VSS is to be a good all round saddle but is cut to emphasise a more jumping position. This means the saddle flaps are more forward cut than a Dressage saddle but not so much as a pure Jumping saddle. Also the VSS leather saddles have larger knee rolls and thigh rolls to keep the leg secure in place.

On the other hand, the VSD is a GP leather saddle, with its emphasis is shifted towards Dressage and Trail Riding. Its saddle flaps are more straight cut than jumping but not as straight as a pure Dressage saddle; this enables the rider to ride longer in the stirrup leather to do a Dressage test and school, but is also forward enough cut to allow for jumping at a small height.

The Stubben collection

The above mentioned saddles are only a sample of the huge Stubben range; which also includes Polo saddles, Youth saddles, Trail/Distance saddles, Gaited saddles as well as Icelandic saddles.

Stubbens collection of leather saddles is further complemented by a vast array of leathers that includes soft supple double leather, elk leather, buffalo leather, cuir crispe leather and embossed cowhide leather.

It goes without saying when it comes to leather saddles, Stubben have the finest range to suit any equestrian activity and individuals needs.

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