Saddle fitting guide

The following information is simply a guide to saddle fitting and by no means replaces a consultation with a professional saddle fitter. This guide relates to the fitting and measuring of a conventional saddle and the fitting guidelines for western or alternative saddles may be different.

A well fitting, comfortable, saddle is vital to the welfare of any ridden horse.

The static tests:

1. 

   The point of the tree.

   

   The tree is the same angle as the horses wither.

   

   Run a flat hand from the gullet downwards.

   The tree of the saddle should be at a similar angle to area on which it sits. The tree is the unyielding structure within the saddle.

   When the saddle is in place it should be viewed from the front. The angle of the points should be compared to the angle of the horse. It is important that the tree points are not confused with any facing or piping that runs down the front of the saddle and the area on which the saddle sits should not be confused with the shoulder (which is in front).

2. There should be sufficient clearance each side of the spine. There should be no pressure on the side of the spine at the pommel, cantle or at any point between. The gullet of the saddle should be at least three fingers wide.

   With the saddle un-laden and un-girthed you should be able to run your hand freely from the area of the gullet downward.

3. There should be sufficient clearance over the spine. The amount of clearance can vary depending on the type of saddle and horse. However, at all times there must be no contact between the saddle and the spine.

4. The saddle should be balanced. The cantle should be higher than the pommel or at the very least be level. The most important factor to this test is that the seat should be flat. With the horse on flat ground a pen or similar round object can be placed on the saddle. This object should sit in the centre of the seat. See pictures #4, #5 and #6.

   

   Too low at the back (too narrow) and also extends past the last rib.

   

   Too low in front (too wide) and lifting at the back.

   

   This saddle is in balance.

5. 

   Even pressure should be felt.

   The panel of the saddle should make even contact along the back. Lifting the flaps you should be able to run a flattened hand between the panel and the horses back and a constant pressure and contact should be felt. This test should be done un-laden and un-girthed.

6. The saddle should not extend past the last rib. With the saddle in place, palpate the last rib and follow it upward.

The ridden test:

1. A ridden test should be carried out in walk, trot and canter (gallop and jump if necessary). This should be carried out without a numnah if possible.

2. With the rider in place the saddle should be clear of the spine (over the spine and each side).

3. The saddle should sit squarely on the horse and not move over to one side. It is good practice to complete some circles and serpentines to test this.

4. The back of the saddle should not move about too much. It is inevitable that the saddle will appear to move a little as the horses back moves underneath but it should not bump around or flip up and down. Rising trot is a good pace to test this.

5. Once the ridden test has finished the saddle should be removed carefully and the print be studied thoroughly. The print that the saddle has left on the horses back should be uniform. There should be no offending hairs or rub marks. There should be no sign of pressure points. It should be clear that the panel made contact along the length of the back.

Some extra tips:

• It is vital that any saddle to be worn by your horse has a sound tree and the stitching is safe. Contact your local saddler if in doubt.

• Bear in mind that numnahs pads and girths can all make a difference to the fit of your saddle. If you are to use padding, it should be used when fitting the saddle. The use of pads can assist with difficult problems but they are not a substitute for a well fitting saddle.

  • A thicker pad can be used if the horse has little top line or suffers from a sensitive back.
  • A front riser can be used if the horse has muscle atrophy of the trapezius muscle under the front of the saddle or if the horse is croup high. N.B. Make sure that the saddle is not too wide for the horse and that is the reason it is tipping forwards!
  • A back riser can be used if the horse has dropped away due to having time off work or if he has a very high wither and low back in comparison. N.B. Make sure that the saddle is not too narrow for the horse and that is the reason it is tipping backwards!
  • A non-slip pad can be very useful to help keep a saddle in place. If you have trouble with your saddle slipping, a point and balance strap may help. Speak to your local saddler.

• Saddle accessories should fit well and be clean. Ensure there is no binding under the saddle which could cause pressure points.

• The panel should be smooth and cushioned but firm enough to sustain the rider weight. The flocking should be uniform and free from lumps and bumps. All flocked saddles will need regular attention from a saddler/saddle fitter.

• It is very common for the saddle to be put on too far forward. The tree points should sit behind the scapular. On most horses the saddle will slide into place if put on slightly further forward and gently pushed backwards. This works better without a numnah.

• A second hand saddle will have adopted the shape of the previous wearer. With good care the saddle should take on the shape of its wearer.

• Any new saddle should be checked by a professional saddle fitter and the soundness and flocking should be checked.

• A horses shape can vary dramatically between seasons and differing stages of fitness.

Measuring a saddle

Although saddle sizes are mostly described in a similar way (narrow, medium, wide and seat length in inches) there is no universal sizing policy. Just because your last saddle was a medium 17.5, does not mean if you bought a saddle of the same size, it will fit your horse. There is huge variety in the width sizes between makes of saddles. One manufacturers medium could be another manufacturers wide or narrow! The following is merely a guide to help you describe your saddle in a way that is universal throughout the site. If you are a buyer you can refer to this guide to see how the seller has measured the described saddle (check that the seller has measured the saddle as laid out in this guide).

1. 

   This saddle is medium/wide.

   

   D to D measurement is subjective.

   

   Measure from stud to centre of cantle.

   Width – the width of a saddle may be stamped on the stirrup bars or somewhere on the leather or buckle guards. As mentioned above this measurement can only be used as a guide. Some manufacturers use measurements rather than stating medium etc. Refer to the manufacturer to see how these translate.

   Place a fist in the front of the saddle. As a very vague guide if the saddle is tight to your fist it is reasonably narrow and if you can fit two fists in the space it is likely to be wide or extra wide. This is obviously very subjective and can only be used to give you a rough idea.

   D to D Measurement. A measurement can be taken across the saddle between the D rings. Once again this is very subjective as these D’s vary in position but it can give you an idea of the width across the front of the saddle.

   As mentioned, all of the above are subjective but all together they should be able to give you a better idea of the width of the saddle. When considering the above measurements bear in mind the angle of the tree and the amount of flocking. For example: a wide saddle may be overflocked and have deep panels and you may only be able to get one fist under the arch. You might think this is narrow but consider the angle of the tree also! We suggest that one of your three pictures is of the arch so that potential buyers can attempt to gauge the width of the saddle.

2. Length – measure the length of the saddle from the stud to the centre of the cantle. The size is usually described in inches and half inches. The size will sometimes be stamped on the saddle but it is recommended that you also check this by measuring as above.

   The seat size can vary due to the placement of the stud and the shape of the cantle. Also, a particular size in a deep seat can feel very different to the same size in a shallow seat.