This photo shows what is concealed under the "skirt" of an english saddle. The skirt is the piece of leather covering the equipment shown here. When mounted, the skirt is directly under the upper thigh of the rider. The most important piece of equipment concealed by the skirt is the stirrup bar. The stirrup bar is a solid piece of metal securely anchored to the tree (the "skeleton" of the saddle) and is the bar to which the stirrup leathers attach. At the end of the stirrup bar is a lever which can be left open (as shown) or set in the up position For all activities except eventing, fox hunting, and serious endurance riding, the stirrup bar should be left in the down position. Left down, this allows the stirrup leather to detach itself from the stirrup bar in the event a rider falls and is drug by a foot caught in the stirrup. However, extreme jumping and climbs, can cause a stirrup leather to slip off the bar during the course of the event so for these types of activities the stirrup leather should be left in the up position.
Also under the english saddle's skirt is a D-ring, where various pieces of auxiliary tack attach, a button, sometimes marked with the saddler's emblem, and usually a plate identifying the manufacturer. Underneath the skirt of a saddle is the first place to look for a brand name or originating information about a saddle.
