What is the difference between english&western saddles?
English and Western style saddles are designed for two totally different purposes, and their design reflects those purposes. English saddles are basically designed for sporting or cavalry use. Like many sporting applications, they sometimes seem to be made to make riding more difficult rather than less. They are very minimalist, to allow for maximum flexibility, that is, to afford the rider a semi-stable platform and a place to put their feet, while not getting in the way of the rider as s/he bends and stretches and reaches in any direction. Think of the movement needed for a polo rider to hit a ball on the ground, or a cavalryman to use his sword in any direction against either an enemy cavalryman or infantryman. You don’t want to restrict either one in any direction. English saddles are also used for jumping, and in this application the horse has to be able to move in any direction without impeding the rider. You wouldn’t want the pummel of the saddle to catch you in the chest or the
