What kind of riding you choose to participate in will determine what style of English saddle you buy.  English saddle designs are based on physics.  Where the stirrup bar is in relation to the deepest part of the saddle will influence where your leg hangs below it.  The farther forward the stirrup bar the more in front of you your leg will be. Saddles are measures from the button on the front of the saddle to the center of the cantle. The measurements are in inches.  Children’s saddles are from 12” – 16”.  Adult saddles are from 16” – 19” every half inch.  A correctly fitting saddle will leave you room behind your bottom measuring about the width of your hand.  There should be room in front of your crotch to allow you to comfortably post with out hitting the pommel of the saddle. Also, be sure that your knees do not pass the front of the flaps when you are wearing your stirrups.

Jumping or Jumper styled saddles are designed for classic equitation with the rider’s lower leg placed more forward. . The jumper saddle’s stirrup bars are installed to make proper equitation possible but with a slightly safer position for jumping higher fences. Jumping saddles can have plain flaps or padded flaps.  Under these flaps you may find knee and/or thigh blocks.  Knee blocks help keep you mounted when you horse spooks, stops at a fence or wheels around.  The block helps you recover your balance when you fall forward and gives you time to push back into an upright position. It does not affect equitation either way; most of the time you will not even know a knee block is there.  Thigh blocks prevent your leg from slipping back under your body.