What Makes Saddle Seat Riding Different From Other English Disciplines?

Saddle seat riding is a form of English riding designed to showcase horses with a high-stepping trot.  It can be traced to it's origin from two sources. 

• The first, it was the Plantation style of horse riding. This was where a eloquent, smooth moving and high-stepping horse was used.
  
• The second, was an European influence of a flatter English show saddle. Riders showed off their high stepping horses by riding them through parks on Sundays.  Hence the term “park horse” was coined and is still used today. 

The biggest differences in saddle seat versus the other English disciplines is the rider equitation, the saddle, the type of horse, and the rider clothing.

Rider Equitation: 
The saddle seat rider sits well back in the saddle. This position is set behind the horse’s center of balance and allows the aids of the rider to encourage the front high stepping action of their horse. They carry their hands higher than in other riding disciplines.
 
Riders must sit straight and are penalized if they are leaning too far forward. The rider’s position reflects the desired carriage of the rider’s mount. They must remain upright with shoulders back and they must post in a quiet fluid motion. The rider must make the ride look effortless. 

Saddle (Tack):
The saddle seat saddle is very different than other English riding disciplines saddles. 
They contain a cut-back pommel to allow for higher withers and neck clearance.  It features a flat seat with very little padding, and it sits further back on the horse to allow a behind the motion effect. This translates to higher action in the front while gaiting. They tend to be longer overall in length. The saddle seat horse typically wears a double bridle, allowing the rider to aid in the neck carriage of the horse. The bridles sometime sport colorful brow bands, depending on the breed and current fashion trends.

 Type of Horse:  
The horse type used for saddle seat riding is typically the American Saddlebred.  The horse must have a high upright neck and high action gaits.  Alternative common breeds include: the National Show Horse, the Tennessee Walking Horse, the Racking Horse, the Spotted Saddle Horse, the Morgan, the Arabian, the Hackney, the Dutch Harness Horse, the Paso Fino, the Missouri Foxtrotter, and the Rocky Mountain Horse.

Rider Clothing: 
For all riders, both male and female, attire resembles that of a men’s business suit or a tuxedo.

These include the following:

• Long Fitted Coats in solid colors, common colors include: black, navy, brown, hunter green, or gray
  
• Shirts - Solid colored or pinstriped
  
• Vest - Worn over the shirt
  
• A Tie
  
• Gloves
  
• Kentucky Jodhpurs - Close-fitting pants with knee patches and bell bottoms that strap over the boots
  
• Jodhpur Boots - Boots that are above the ankle in height
  
• Derby hat or helmet - The rider is topped off with a derby hat or they can opt for a helmet