Henri de Rivel Saddles and Accessories

What riders say about Henri de Rivel saddles

Riders tell us it comes down to fit: how easily the gullet changes, how one saddle sits on different horses and how the seat feels.

Choose the Henri de Rivel line by the work you do, then by seat size and tree width. Close contact saddles such as the Memor-X, Advantage, Cahill and Synergy are built for jumping and eventing. The Vegan-X, VSD and Dresseur cover all purpose and dressage riding, and the All-Terrain is the endurance and trail saddle.

Close contact saddles have a flatter seat, padded or forward flaps and knee support for jumping. Many Henri de Rivel saddles add the IGP gullet system, so one saddle can be fitted to more than one horse. Dressage, all purpose, endurance, polo and pony saddles round out the range, along with the gullet plates and gauge that go with it.

Every Henri de Rivel product, in every category, is on the Henri de Rivel page.

A close contact saddle puts your leg nearer the horse with a flatter seat, forward flaps and knee support, which is why jumpers and eventers choose it. Henri de Rivel builds close contact saddles from a first saddle up to show-ring level.

The Novice Club and Club are for beginner, pleasure and young show-ring riders, with padded flaps and removable or concealed knee rolls. The Advantage, Memor-X and Lumina suit hunter, equitation and jumping riders. The Cahill, Synergy, Phoenix and Galia add knee and thigh blocks and forward flaps for jumpers and eventers who want a closer feel.

Tree width and flap length vary by model. The Pro Pony offers short and long flaps in select seat sizes, the Advantage Flocked comes in regular and wide trees, and several covered-leather models add a flap guard and reinforced billets for wear.

Henri de Rivel dressage saddles come in leather, synthetic and mono flap, and its all purpose and VSD saddles suit riders who flat, school and jump small fences.

The Dresseur, Parisian Monoflap and Pro Buffalo Leather dressage saddles give a close feel of the horse's back, and the Dresseur and Parisian add the IGP gullet system. The Vegan-X Dressage and All Purpose saddles are synthetic, made to resemble leather, light and easy to clean. The Advantage All Purpose is a classic, comfortable choice for beginner and pleasure riders who show, school, jump and ride on the flat.

A VSD saddle (Very Slightly Dressage, from the German Vielseitigkeitssattel Dressur) bridges the gap between an all purpose and a dressage saddle: a straighter flap than an all purpose saddle, with stirrup bars set slightly back for a more dressage-appropriate leg. The Henri de Rivel VSD IGP Saddle with Flocked Panel is the one for riders who do a bit of everything.

An IGP saddle has an Interchangeable Gullet Plate system, so you change the gullet plate to change the saddle's tree width instead of buying a second saddle. It suits riders who fit more than one horse, and horses whose shape changes with training and the seasons.

Henri de Rivel gullet plates are color coded by size: yellow for Narrow, green for Regular, black for Medium, blue for Medium Wide and red for Extra Wide. They are easy to replace. The Cahill, for example, takes plates in all five sizes, sold separately, and the endurance saddle has its own four-size plates.

To choose a plate, measure first. The Henri de Rivel Gullet Gauge is a double-sided gauge that measures your horse for Henri de Rivel fixed tree and IGP saddles, so you know which plate to order.

Seat size follows the rider and tree width follows the horse. Henri de Rivel lists seat size in inches, with a tree width of Regular, Wide or X Wide, and some saddles add a flap length of Short or Long. On IGP saddles you change the width with a gullet plate.

The Find your fit row above the grid runs from seat size 14 to 19 inches, and each size links to every Henri de Rivel saddle in it. Fit is individual: check the flap and tree options on the product page, and have a saddle fitter confirm the fit if you can.

Henri de Rivel youth and pony saddles include the Memor-X Close Contact Youth Saddle, the Pro Pony Close Contact Saddle, the Vegan-X All Purpose Pony Saddle and the Vegan-X Junior Close Contact Saddle.

The Memor-X Youth has the adult Memor-X's memory foam deep seat and removable knee blocks, with shorter flaps for younger riders. The Pro Pony is designed for show ponies and riders and offers short and long flaps in select seat sizes. The Club and Club Plus close contact saddles are made for children who enjoy the show ring.