Female friendly is a term I hear on a regular basis. Women call daily, asking if there is such a thing as a “Female Friendly saddle.” Of course there is, but not every saddle maker offers it. But first let’s look at why it’s necessary.

My husband is one of those people that can ride any horse. He has one particular saddle he likes, and it’s the only saddle he will ride. It fits him perfectly. He’s comfortable, balanced and his back (despite having major back and hip issues) never hurts when he rides in his saddle.

I sit in his saddle and feel like I’m dying. There is absolutely nothing that feels comfortable to me, I feel off balance, constantly moving forward, my legs are numb and my lower back just plain hurts. Generally this occurs within 60 seconds of my sitting down in the seat. He, of course, thinks I’m crazy.

The saddle I enjoy and feel comfortable riding, has a narrow twist. It has just enough rise to keep me centered and balanced. I’m comfortable, my back doesn’t hurt, and I’m a happy camper… Hubby sits down on it, and he’s off the horse in less than a minute.

Why? Female Friendly and Male Friendly seat types.

Long before phrases such as Mars/Venus became popular, we knew that there were major differences between the males and females. Everyone has known for years that there is a different perspective in attitude, outlook and more importantly in physiology. But for some reason, most saddle makers never took that into consideration. A saddle was made typically for men, and women were left dealing with it.

And women did deal with it…. For awhile.

So many women describe to me the feeling of being forward in their saddle seat. Also that they feel like they are sliding forward and back as the horse moves out.  Why? Because they are basically straddling the seat, not riding it. With the wide twist for a woman, she is not centered. Think of sitting on a very wide tree branch. You’re up there, you’re not falling, but you certainly aren’t comfortable nor are you balanced. If the tree branch is more narrow, you feel balanced, and don’t move around as much. With a narrow tree branch, you aren’t putting strain on your lower back. Now apply the narrow twist to your saddle. If you are balanced you’re comfortable. If the twist corresponds to your pelvis width, you feel no pressure to your lower back.

I know from personal experience about this folks. When I started riding, I always felt I was flying forward.  In some cased I actually went up onto the horses neck. Not a good place to be, for sure. My legs always felt like they were behind my hip bones, my head felt in front of the horn. If my horse spooked, I had a better than average chance of flying off the side, or cracking my jawbone on his head. Not pretty, and did nothing for my confidence level.

So how do saddle makers deal with twist and rise?  Most don’t. Or if they do, they respond by making one saddle model that is modified for a woman. But honestly!  How many women like the same saddle? I asked 5 different women what type of saddle they liked, and not gave me the same response.  If we all liked the same saddle style, shopping would be a thing of the past, as we’d all ride the same exact saddle…… NOT!

One of the things that drew me to Allegany Mountain Trail Saddles, was options!
Options come in a variety of colors, horn/hornless, weight of the saddle and tooling…. But wait!  There is more than one style of saddle for a woman to choose from.  We don’t all have to have just one style. With the AMTS saddles, any saddle can be designed for a woman.

So when you’re searching for that new saddle, for your special horse, ask your saddle maker if he uses “Male or Female Friendly “ seat styles… It’s worth it. Comfort and control of your seat can make a mediocre ride become wonderful…. Or just call me, and we’ll figure out the style …. Just for you!
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