How to Fit a Saddle: Checking Fit on Your Horse and Choosing the Right Seat Size

The parts that matter

• The tree is the frame inside the saddle. Its width and angle decide how the saddle sits on the horse's back. English saddles have a gullet plate that sets the tree width. Western saddles have two wooden or synthetic bars that lie along either side of the spine.
• Panels (English) or bars (Western) are the surfaces that touch the horse. They should spread your weight over as much of the back as possible.
• The gullet or channel is the tunnel down the middle of the saddle that keeps pressure off the spine.
• The seat is where you sit. Its size is measured in inches.

Before you start

• Check fit without a pad first, then again with the pad you'll use.
• Stand the horse square on level ground.
• Place the saddle a little forward on the withers and slide it back until it settles into its natural position behind the shoulder blade. Don't force it into place.
• Do the main checks with the girth done up, and do the wither check again with a rider in the saddle. The saddle sinks when someone sits in it.

Five checks on the horse

1. Wither clearance

You should be able to fit two to three fingers stacked flat between the withers and the pommel (English) or the gullet under the horn (Western), with a rider sitting in the saddle. Less than that, and the saddle may press on the withers as the horse moves. Much more, and the tree is probably too narrow and perching.

2. A clear spine channel

Look down the channel from behind. You should see daylight all the way along, and the channel should be wide enough to clear the spine and the muscles on either side of it. For most horses, that's about three to four fingers wide. A narrow channel pinches the muscles that support the back.

3. Even contact

Slide a flat hand under the panels or bars from front to back on each side. You're feeling for even pressure along the whole length.

• Bridging means the saddle touches at the front and back but not in the middle. It concentrates weight on two small areas.
• Rocking means it touches in the middle and lifts at the ends. The saddle will seesaw as you ride.
• Tight at the front usually means the tree is too narrow and will pinch the shoulders.

4. Balance

Look from the side. The deepest point of the seat should be in the middle of the saddle, and the seat should be roughly level. A saddle that tips back puts your weight on the horse's loins. One that tips forward drives the front into the shoulders and tips you forward. Tree width usually causes this: too wide sits low in front, too narrow sits high in front.

5. Length and position

The saddle should sit behind the shoulder blade so the shoulder can rotate freely as the horse moves. Find the back edge of the shoulder blade with your fingers and make sure the front of the tree doesn't sit on it.

At the back, the saddle should end before the last rib. Find the last rib on the side of the horse and follow it up and slightly forward to the spine. The panels or skirts shouldn't carry weight past that point, because the loin behind it has no ribs to support it. Short-backed horses, including many Arabians and Morgans, often need a shorter saddle.

Fitting a Western saddle

Western trees are described by their gullet width and bar angle, and makers use their own names:

• Semi-quarter horse bars are the narrowest and suit horses with higher withers, such as many Thoroughbreds and Tennessee Walkers.
• Full quarter horse bars are wider and flatter, for broad-backed horses with low withers, including many Quarter Horses.
• Arabian bars are shorter and flatter.
• Gaited and draft trees are made for those body types.

Because sizing isn't standard between makers, check every saddle on the horse rather than trusting the label. Look for the bars to lie flat along the back, with even sweat marks under them after a ride.

Measuring your seat size

A saddle also has to fit you. Too small and you're pushed against the cantle with your knees past the knee rolls. Too big and you slide around.

English seat sizes run from about 15 to 18 inches, measured from the nailhead beside the pommel to the middle of the cantle. A quick way to estimate your size: sit on a chair with your back against the backrest and your knees bent at 90 degrees, and measure from the back of your buttocks to the front of your knee.

Western seat sizes are measured from the back of the swell, below the horn, to the front of the cantle, and run from about 13 to 17 inches. A Western seat usually runs about two inches smaller than the English size for the same rider. Most adults ride in a 15- or 16-inch Western seat.

Saddle style, flap length, the depth of the seat and your discipline all change what feels right. Sit in the saddle on the horse whenever you can.

Signs a saddle is causing pain

Your horse will often tell you before you find the problem:

• Uneven sweat marks after a ride. Dry patches in an otherwise sweaty area can mean pressure so heavy that sweat glands stopped working there.
• White hairs growing in at the withers or under the saddle, from old pressure damage.
• Flinching or dipping when you run your fingers firmly along both sides of the back.
• Behavior: pinning ears or biting when saddled or girthed, refusing to stand at the mounting block, bucking in the first few minutes, hollowing the back, short or choppy strides.
• Swelling or bumps after the saddle comes off.

Any of these is a reason to recheck fit, and to call your vet if the back is sore.

Pads and shims: what they can and can't fix

A pad protects the horse and the saddle, absorbs sweat and can fine-tune fit. It cannot change the tree.

• A saddle that's too wide can sometimes be helped by a pad that adds height at the front, or by shims in a pad with pockets.
• A saddle that's too narrow gets worse with a thick pad, because the pad takes up even more room under a tight tree.
• Half pads help with minor issues such as a horse that has lost some topline. See our half pad picks.

Pick a pad shaped for your saddle, and pull it up into the gullet before you tighten the girth so it doesn't press on the withers. Compare English saddle pads and Western saddle pads.

When to call a professional

A certified saddle fitter can measure your horse's back with templates, adjust the flocking in wool-flocked English saddles, and change the gullet plate on adjustable saddles. It's worth having a fitter out:

• When you buy a new or used saddle
• When the horse gains or loses a lot of weight or muscle
• At least once a year for horses in regular work
• If you see any of the warning signs above

Sources

• Michigan State University Extension: Horse Saddle Fit
• Society of Master Saddlers
• Penn State Extension: Ride Safe: Essentials When Riding the Trails