The guy who invented ortho flex, Len whatshisname - he has been doing some very interesting stuff with pads and saddles. He’s got some western dressage models which have a modified western tree, more of an English twist, and less skirting than what we see on most western saddles. He also had a traditional dressage saddle made on a tree he designed, which I thought was fascinating. His website is a train wreck but he’s more than willing to pick up the phone if you call. I spent an hour on the phone with him talking shop about pads and saddles and the Spanish riding school. He’s an interesting character who is willing to think outside the box for the sake of the horse. I bought one of his CorrecTor pads and it helped one mare. I bought the last one he ever made for English saddles, he couldn’t sell them so he stopped making them. It’s a cool pad.
I don’t know about that. I’ve spent most of my riding life in either a western or hunt seat saddle. The few times I’ve riden in a dressage saddle I’ve quite liked it. Never thought it felt weird, actually comparable to my western saddle. Weird huh?
Perhaps I was mistaken. Your skin is quite possibly relatively thick!
I’ve lusted for a Wade for a long time.
Fwiw, I know two people that are what I guess would be described as informal but skilled backyard/pleasure riders: Did a little 4H junior rodeo type activities as kids; were mostly self-taught or learned to ride mostly from tagging along with parents & older siblings, can bring along their own young horses nicely. Horses are trained solely western. Both swear by Wintec dressage saddles for trail riding & found the feel to very similar to their regular western saddles.
I’ve always wanted one for driving & farm work. They’re smarter than me, though! 
Most Western saddles I’ve seen have an upslope cantle. I’ve worked cows in my dressage saddle and in that purpose, I was at a direct disadvantage without a horn and a horn attached to a stable saddle that wouldn’t move on the horse. Dallying is an important part of roping.
I don’t think that’s weird. I have a couple of old, well-made equitation saddles and those buckets line me up, heel, hip, shoulder and ear like a dressage saddle does.
Also, I have a gelding who was started by a high-end Western trainer. This horse had a lot of buttons that came from your seat. He absolutely could feel those in my big stock saddle.
I ride him like a dressage horse in this saddle (made by Broken Horn Saddlery in L. A.) because it’s the only one of mine to fit him. But I’m pretty sure “fancy broke” Western horses can feel seat aids just fine. The stuff you can get a made WP horse to do just with your seat is legendary.
You might like dressage saddle thigh blocks as they end before the knee starts. I ride broad backed horses and appreciate some bend in my knee. My long femur enjoys a set back stirrup bar, too. Our saddle is a custom Hulsebos 17" WB4.
And my horse is a western pleasure X halter bred Appaloosa that would rather jog and lope, but I ride him in traditional dressage tack and show in regular dressage tests.
If I can show my “western” horse in regular dressage, can’t you show your “dressage” horse in western dressage?
They don’t look that way too me. Will you show me a picture of this kind of cantle on a Western saddle that you are talking about?
Western saddles have a lot of different seat shapes, depending on the job they are built to help the rider do. An equation saddle is really not like a cutting saddle or reining saddle. None of those are like a barrel saddle, for example. There are some makers that specialize in “close contact” Western saddles (I’m thinking of Fallis saddles) and then the Wade-type saddles that so many in the Great Basin tradition of ranching like are different again.
At this point I’m done with dressage saddles. I had a Hulsebos on trial too, filled by the man himself. Nada. I’ve never found the combination of saddles that my horse and I both liked and we both love the western saddle so I’m embracing it.
My OP only questioned the reasoning behind requiring a dressage saddle. And I’m not you😊
I consider this saddle a close contact wade. It is a working cowboys saddle made by a cowboy. It does put you in an aligned position. I ride my horse off my seat and my Uber sensitive horse can feel my cues.
Not sure how a particular saddle type gives someone more advantage if it just helps them ride better. Current saddles with those massive thigh blocks and bucket seats look a lot different than the pancake saddles I learned on. But I don’t see anyone even raising an eyebrow about those. If a saddle works for you and your horse, great.
The difficulty for tack checks is a valid point, though.
Of course, competitions can run as the organizers choose, with whatever requirements they want.
The idea that a horse can’t feel a 100+ weight on her back shifting around is a bit strange. Has no one ever carried a pack? Tiny weight shifts are absolutely felt even through thick padding and metal framing supporting the weight.
Teaching the horse what that shift means is the tricky part, but it is felt, alright.
yeah but…
shifting / leaning is one thing, inner thigh pressure is quite another.
If all you really want is an answer to your question, ask USEF. They make the rules, and should be able to provide the reasoning for them.
The difference between Dressage - with the associated tack, dress, culture and traditions - and Western Dressage, with the associated tack, dress, culture and traditions, is about 8,500 kilometres. Neither is right or wrong, just different.
One of the strange moments in my life was attending the International Salon du Cheval de Paris, a huge show and quite fascinating. One ring out of the many was for Western breeds and disciplines. There was a bar to one side, filled with lots and lots of cowboys, all in boots, jeans and hats, drinking wine and speaking French.
They can feel a fly, a mosquito…
