This photo shows what is concealed under the "skirt" of an english saddle. When mounted, the skirt is the piece of leather 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 attached to an english saddle's tree and is the piece to which the stirrup leathers attach. Good saddles have a stirrup bar recessed into the saddle so when the buckle of the leather rests on the bar, there is no lump created under the rider's leg.