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1)
Have the horse standing squarely on a level
surface. Check the tree width by standing at the horse’s
shoulder, lifting the flap of the saddle, and checking
that the points of the tree parallel the structure of
the horses back that is under it. The angles should
match within 10 degrees. Most tree points are visible,
and sit in a small stitched pocket in front of, and, a
little lower than the stirrup bars. Run your hands under
the tree points and look for even pressure from the top
of the point to the bottom. Remember to check both sides
of the horse. Many horses are asymmetrical, and make
sure the saddle fits acceptably on both the left and the
right.
2)
Check for basic balance of the saddle. The
saddle must sit level on the horses back. Use the
deepest part of the seat as a reference point. It should
be level to allow the rider to sit centered and
balanced.
3)
The saddle must have adequate clearance at the withers and spine. I look for two to three fingers of
clearance at the front of the saddle. Wider horses may
safely have a little less clearance at the wither than a
horse with a prominent wither. I look carefully to make
sure the gullet channel clears the spine all the
way to the back of the saddle, and make sure that
the gullet is wide enough that there is no pressure on the sides of the spine.
4)
The tree of the saddle must not extend beyond
the horses 18th thoracic vertebrae. If you
are not quite sure where this is located, feel for the
last rib, and go up from there. If the saddle extends
too far back, it is likely that it will cause some
discomfort, as well as the problem that the horses hip
movement will tend to push the saddle forwards.
After
that first look, then go ahead and put your fittings on
the saddle with the pad that you anticipate using
(preferably a fairly thin pad without lifts or
cushions). Ride the horse and note the following things:
1)
The rider must feel balanced and not feel like
he or she is being pitched forwards or backwards.
2)
The saddle must not ‘rock’ when the rider is
in the posting trot
3)
The saddle should be laterally stable, not
tending to roll with a moderately adjusted girth
4)
The saddle should not create ruffled hair,
which indicates movement.
5)
The saddle pad should stay in place under the
saddle. Saddles that don’t fit well may tend to ‘spit’
the pad out the back. (Sometimes this can be a pad
problem also)
6)
I look for a reasonably even sweat pattern.
Dry spots can indicate areas of pressure, but note that
there may be a dry area corresponding with the channel
of the gullet which may actually result from good
airflow down the spine.
7)
The saddle should not
‘bridge’ excessively- some horses may be a
bit saggy in the back while they are standing on the
crossties, so it is important to assess this after the horse has been worked a bit and
his back has come up.
8)
Above all, the saddle should feel ’good’ to
you when you ride in it. If you think that you’ll get
used to it for your horses sake, you probably wont!
Special Fitting Problems: Here is
where we have to discuss some of the laws of gravity and
conformation:
1)
If your horse is built high in the rear end,
you WILL have problems with a saddle slipping forwards
until it jams to a stop behind the shoulders.
2)
If your horse has a big ribcage, tapering to
narrower shoulders, the saddle will tend to slip
forwards to the narrowest spot.
3)
If your horse has a big ‘laid back’ shoulder,
he may tend to push the saddle back; this is
particularly true with forward seat jumping saddles
whose flaps sit on the horse’s shoulder anyway.
4)
If your horse is very
short backed, it can be a real challenge to find a
saddle that is the correct seat size for the rider, but is not too long for the
horse’s back.
5)
If your horse is very flat backed or mutton
withered, the saddle will tend to roll. These horses
must be mounted from a mounting block, and will probably require a snug girth.
Now that we have gone over the
basics, we'd like to share some of our own thoughts and
observations on saddle fit
1) Before anything else, the saddle
must sit level on the horse’s back. You should sit in the deepest part
of the seat and not feel like you are being tipped forward or backward.
You must make this determination on your horse, and not on the saddle
stand in the tack shop which is probably not shaped like your
horse.
2) 95% of horses can be fit correctly without
lifts, wedges, gels, or protector pads which can compromise stability. You must, however, have a
good pad that fits the saddle properly and generously so the saddle is
not resting on the ‘edge’ of the pad. We
recommend pads that are contoured or shaped at the withers to eliminate
pressure; these pads also help to keep
the saddle from moving backwards!
3) You must have good clearance at the withers
to avoid pressure, and sufficient gullet clearance so there is no pressure on the spine.
4) The saddle should not ‘pop’ up and down when the rider is posting to the trot.
5) The saddle should allow the rider to ‘drop’ into the correct position. Your knee should cradle into the deepest part of the kneeroll
and your thigh should parallel the front of the flap when your stirrup is adjusted to your comfortable
riding length.
6) Do not be fooled into thinking that a wide
tree will solve all problems. This is like buying shoes that are too
big. A saddle with a tree that is too
wide will tend to tip forwards, lose stability, and pinch the withers
higher up than a narrow tree, but will
pinch just as badly, or worse than a tree that is too narrow. A saddle that is too wide can
sometimes be padded to work acceptably, but a tree that is too narrow can not be made to work. If
you expect your horse to grow or significantly increase his muscle mass, you might choose a tree that is one
size too wide.
7) Dry spots or ruffled hair indicate uneven
pressure. Try to make your fitting judgments while the horse is in
motion. Problems like ‘bridging’ may
go away after the horse has warmed up and lifted his back up.
8) A saddle that slides forward or back is probably not fitted correctly. Cruppers or breastcollars are
rarely necessary unless your horse is extremely up or downhill, or you ride on very mountainous
terrain.
9) A difficult to fit horse may do better with a wool flocked panel than a foam panel. Wool will move and conform to the horse after about 20 hours of riding. A saddle that is softly stuffed will break in more quickly, but may also require some restuffing
after 6 months of use. Foam may be a more appropriate
choice if you are riding many horses with the same saddle. It can not be adjusted, but will
tend to retain its shape and integrity better than wool. Foam panels tend to be thinner,
keeping you closer to the horses back, wool is bulkier so you may feel
like you are further away. Each type of saddle has advantages
and disadvantages.
10) Your horse is your best judge of how your
saddle fits. Judge on how your horse is
moving, compared to other saddles that you have tried. Bucking after a jump,
traveling crooked, and reluctance to go downhill are warning signs of
pinching or bruising.
11) Hock and stifle problems can cause sore
backs. If changing saddles does not create improvement, consult your
veterinarian.
12) Make sure you ride in a saddle three or four times before you make a final decision.
13) All saddles come through slightly
differently, even if you order the same size and model of a saddle that you believe is perfect, it
may fit quite differently due to differences in stuffing and panel
placement.
14) It is not an easy job to get the perfect saddle. Be patient, you and your horse will be glad you took the extra time and care!
For more
information regarding saddle fit and measurements, please follow the
link below .
How to take a wither tracing
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