Saddle fitting

Saddle Fitting

Saddle fitting is more than just checking to see if the horse has saddle sores or not. There are much more subtle signs that affect performance as well as attitude when being saddled or groomed. a horse who is suffering from an ill fitting saddle may pin their ears or swish their tails when the saddle is being put on as well as being hypersensative to the brush while being groomed. They may also be reluctant to move forward while being ridden.

There are many factors to be looked at when addressing saddle fit: the contact of the panels on the horses back, if the panels are wide enough for proper support, whether the gullet is wide enough to completely clear the spine, the placement of the girth, levelness of the seat, where the stirrup bars are placed, and how the seat fits the rider.

The panels should contact the horses back evenly so as creating even pressure along the weightbearing portion of the saddle. the saddle should not rock or bridge on the horses back. The wider the panels, the less pressure there is per square inch, so keep that in mind when looking at saddles and attempt to get a broad panneled saddle.

No part of the saddle should contact the spine. The gullet should be at the minimum 2 1/2 inches wide. It should completely clear the spine on both sides.

The length of the saddle is also important. The saddle should not go any further back than the last rib, or there is risk of pressure on the loins.

There are many ways to see if there a saddle is a good fit or not for your horse. The front of the points of the saddle tree sit two or three fingers behind the scapula (shoulder blade). You should be albe to fit two or three fingers or more between the pommel and withers (without a saddle pad); The tree points should lie parallel to the horse's side or within 5 to 7 degrees. The gullet should clear the spine and panels rest evenly on muscles. The deepest point of the seat should lie parallel to the ground; proper relationship of pommel-to-cantle height for saddle type. The saddle panels should fit evenly on both sides with firm, even contact with horse's side, front, back and middle.

The saddle pad should have a clear margin around the saddle and should sit up into the front and back of the saddle gullet.

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