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TERMINOLOGY

Parts of the saddle

Rise: The part of the seat in front of
your pubic bone.
Twist:
The part of the seat under your crotch / between your
legs.
Comparison of twist widths: wider twist in red,
narrower twist in green.

Knee roll: On cc and ap saddles; runs
the length of the front of the sweat flap.
Knee block: On the top of the sweat flap
above the knee; usually triangular shape.
Calf block: On the rear of the sweat
flap on some cc and ap saddles.

Thigh block: On dressage saddles, on the
front of the sweat flap; often runs the entire length of
the front of the sweat flap
Point billet: Billet attaches to the
point of the saddle tree; may emerge through the rear or
the end of the thigh block.
Swing or sliding rear billet: “Self
adjusting” rear billet attached via a ring to a nylon
strap; the nylon strap is attached at the middle and
rear of the saddle tree, creating a “V”.

Gullet:
The area under the head (front, pommel) of the saddle.

Channel: The space between the panels.

Mono-flap: Saddle with one single flap
(see photo above); knee / thigh / calf blocks will be
external.
Flap strap: The strap on the bottom of
the flap, either buckles to the girth or to itself.
Pretty common on older models of dressage saddles, now
rarely seen (except on the Bates and Wintec Isabell).
Overlay billets: External billets that
lie on top of a monoflap saddle’s flap.

Flocked panel- wool (or synthetic fiber)
is ‘stuffed’ into the panel. These panels are often the
softest of all the panels and break in quite quickly and
can be adjusted by adding, shifting, or removing wool.
Swiss panel: Wool flocking encased in
felt. These panels can be adjusted by flocking, though
not to the degree a plain flocked panel can.
French panel: Foam encased in felt. Can
only be adjusted with pads and shims.
Foam panel: Plain foam. As with the
French panel, these can only be adjusted with pads and
shims.
Wither gussets: Gussets in the front of
the panel, in the wither area. Fitting option used for
a horse that has dips below the wither.

Dropped /
trapezius panel: The panels are deeper in the area
below and to the rear of the wither. Fitting option
used (often in conjunction with wither gussets) for a
horse with dips behind and to the rear of the wither.

“K” panel: Panel is deeper under the
front half of the saddle. Fitting option used for a
horse with a high, “shark fin” wither.

Upswept panel: Rear of the panel is
“swept up” rather than being squared off; gusset is
sometimes quite shallow (compare with photo of regular
gusseted panel below). Fitting option used for horses
with short backs, or those that are croup-high.

Standard
panel

Gusseted panel: The panel has a
wedge-shaped piece sewn in under the rear half of the
saddle, from the rear of the flap back. Fitting option
common on many saddles; it broadens and flattens the
weight bearing area in the rear panel area.

Plain or non-gusseted panels: Often a
better choice for a horse with a dippy or “roof” back.

Plain or non-gusseted panels: rear view

Independent panels: Each panel is a
separate unit.

Integrated panels: Panel is sewn into
the sweat flap and joined at pommel and cantle.
Centimeter measurements (for those saddles that have
them): Every saddle co. measures its saddles in a
different place. A 30 cm. Stubben, a 30 cm. Prestige
and a 30 cm. Duett will all be different sizes. We give
a general idea of the tree width (medium, medium-wide,
etc.) in each saddle’s description.
Definitions of condition:
“Fair”:
Well-worn but still useable. May have some staining,
scratches, cracked leather, or loose stitching; may need
reflocking or minor repairs (which will be noted in the
description). Great starter saddles, often older models
of quality saddles.
“Good”:
Serviceably sound in leather, stitching and flocking,
with normal wear, color fading and marks on flaps, seat
and billets. Saddle may have a ding, scratch or surface
cracking of the leather that is cosmetic and does not
affect the integrity of the saddle. Saddle has seen the
equivalent of 4 or more years’ worth of use.
“Very
good”: Well broken in, showing a little fading or wear;
a saddle that has been well cared for and has seen the
equivalent of 2 - 4 years’ worth of use.
“Excellent”: Just broken in, with leather and stitching
showing very little wear. Flocking not lumpy or uneven,
no color fading, no scratches or dings.
“Demo”:
Saddle has had a few rides and may have light rubs on
flaps or marks on billets.
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