Reading the parts of an English saddle
Knowing the names makes a conversation with a saddle fitter much easier. Start with the visible parts, then look underneath.
From pommel to cantle
The pommel is the raised front of an English saddle; the cantle is the raised rear edge. Between them sits the seat. Those three names help when describing a problem, but their appearance alone cannot tell you whether a saddle fits. A photograph of a level seat, for example, does not show how the saddle behaves with the horse moving and the rider aboard.
The large flap lies beside the rider's leg. Its shape varies with the intended use: a flap designed around a shorter jumping stirrup looks different from a straighter dressage flap. Blocks may sit on or beneath it to influence the space around the thigh or knee. A bigger block does not automatically make a saddle more secure or more suitable for a particular rider.
Under the flap
Lift the flap on a saddle resting securely on a suitable rack. The girth straps, also called billets, hang beneath it and connect to the girth. Their number and arrangement vary. Use the combination specified for that saddle and agreed with its fitter; an unused strap is not necessarily a spare that can be substituted without thought.
The stirrup leather hangs from a stirrup bar near the front of the seat, usually covered by a small skirt. It supports the stirrup iron. Bars and release arrangements are not identical across saddles, so ask for a demonstration of the particular system. Leather should not be twisted, cracked or squeezed into an incompatible fitting simply because another saddle was arranged that way.
The surface you do not sit on
Underneath, the panels form the supporting surfaces on either side of the horse's back. The channel between them is often called the gullet channel. People also use 'gullet' when discussing the front width, so clarify which part is meant when ordering or describing a saddle. Padding and internal construction differ between models; a soft feel to the fingers is not a fitting assessment.
A conventional saddle has an internal tree that contributes to its shape and support. Most of that structure is hidden. Do not bend or twist a saddle forcefully to test it at home. If it has been dropped, trapped, or has developed an unusual movement or noise, set it aside and ask a qualified saddler to inspect it. Learning the vocabulary lets you describe the concern accurately; it does not replace that inspection.
Reading & references