Can you jump in an all purpose saddle?

Question

My parents got me an all purpose saddle for christmas, but i do hunter/jumper. I dont show, but i dont know if this is the right saddle. I was useing a friends saddle up until now and it was a close contact saddle and its what everyone at my barn uses. I jump between 2'3" and 3'2". Ive heard that all purpose saddles give you bruises on the legs when you jump with it and its not good for the horses back. Is this true? Or can i jump with this all purpose saddle?

Answer 1

Close contact jumping saddles have a shallower seat and more forward flaps, allowing the rider to easily take up their jumping position and giving them security over fences. Some have added design elements to make them more stable while jumping. For riders that like to do both dressage and jumping, the saddle of choice is the General Purpose, or All-Purpose saddle. These saddles offer a deeper seat than close contact jumping saddles, though not as deep as dressage saddles. The flaps are somewhere between those of a dressage or jumping saddle, giving comfort and security to the rider whether they are riding on the flat or if they choose to jump. These saddles are often used by lower level eventers, who compete in all three aspects of eventing, but who are not ready for the financial outlay of purchasing separate saddles for the dressage and jumping phases.

Yes, you can jump in an all purpose saddle. However, some people find that all purpose saddles cause them to be "left behind" slightly over jumps due to the deeper seat and leg flap position. There is also more leather between you and the horse with an all purpose saddle and many riders prefer the closer contact with the horse of the close contact saddle. You should not get bruises and the saddle won't hurt your horse's back if properly fitted but you may find that this is not an ideal saddle if all you do is hunter/jumper. Most saddles are returnable since it is hard to fit a saddle to the horse without trying it on the horse. You may want to return it for a close contact saddle especially if you don't plan on doing any dressage or eventing.