When selecting a saddle for your horse, there are several factors to keep in mind and sorry but you should be #2 in the equation! Your horse has no choice but to accept whatever you put on him so let’s start trying to make him comfortable.

First of all, you should only shop where they allow you to either bring your horse to their store for fitting or allow you to take it home to check it out on your horse. There isn’t any good way to do it otherwise. Coat hangers are too easily spread to fit the saddle gullet and besides there is more than one point of fit.

A few important facts about saddles should be known before you head to the store. The first biggest misconception is about semi, full or quarter horse bars. That is a measurement each saddle maker uses to know how wide to make the gullet. It has very little to do with fitting your horse. Each manufacturer has their own designations and they will vary from company to company. The gullet measurement is taken at the base of the gullet where the bars tie in. Fit comes into play wherever the bars come into contact with the horse. The shape of the bars will dictate how well the rest of the saddle will fit your horse.

One little known fact about a horse, is that they do not have a collarbone to connect their shoulders to their skeleton. The shoulders are actually “free floating”. They are only connected by tissue and muscle. This also will cause a horse to lean one way or the other and can cause overdevelopment of the shoulders often to 1 side which will again influence saddle fit. (please see the article on symmetry) When you have a saddle that is too restrictive over the shoulders, it will squeeze the shoulders in and as you can imagine be very uncomfortable for a horse. The pressure increases on the ribs and you will generally notice, besides other things, the horse’s trot will be very stiff.

The first couple of points of interest in fitting are of course, the withers and the gullet. Placing the saddle on your horse without a pad and not cinched, let’s start checking the fit. You should have a minimum of 2 fingers (placed one on top of the other) between the top of the gullet and the horse. Next you should be able to comfortably “sweep” the entire shoulder area starting at about the latigo holder down to your rigging. If it is too tight to get a flat hand underneath the skirts at that point, once you add padding and cinch down, it will be too tight on your horse.

Next, with a flat hand, you need to locate the bars of your saddle. They are at the base of the swells and the cantle. Following throughout the bars, you should have even pressure. Your hand should glide thru fairly easily without gaps of pressure or extremes in changes. If you have to force your hand, it is too tight. If you have gaps in pressure, your saddle is bridging and will create pressure points wherever it is in contact. Generally the front is the worse. Digging down into the front of your horse is very common and will cause a great deal of discomfort for your horse. The general appearance of your saddle on the horse’s back should be level front to back.

Let’s just say, your saddle has passed the above tests. Now it’s time to saddle up and go for a ride. If the saddle is fitting well, don’t take away from that great fit by adding too much padding. Only ½” of padding is needed if the saddle fits well. Too much padding and it takes away from fit. I prefer wool next to the horse in padding and cinches to help dissipate heat. Neoprene (or rubber type products) create heat and although easier to clean, may create many problems of discomfort to your horse.

A rear flank strap is a necessity, not a luxury. It should be snugged up with no daylight showing. This also will allow you to loosen the front cinch when done properly. The less movement in your saddle, the more comfortable your horse will be regardless of the speed you are going. If you leave it hang a couple of inches, it will do no good and some horses will kick at it underneath like it will with flies. Make sure you have a connector strap from the front to the rear cinch to keep it from moving back into the flanks. After riding for a few minutes, you may notice the rear flank will become loose. You should stop and readjust it up. This is a good sign your horse has raised his back into the saddle to properly carry your weight .

All the above is a good start to checking your current saddle or when shopping for new or used. There are many variables that go into saddle fitting and can be much more complicated than the article suggests. There are many things that will change over the lifetime of your horse that can cause a saddle to not fit as well as it did at first. Always stay away of your horses fitness level, fluctuation in weight both up and down.

Meleta Brown has been studying saddle fit issues for over 15 years. She owned Brown’s Speed & Action until Jan. 06 when she sold the business to pursue the love of helping people understand saddle fit in relation to their horses. She will be conducting clinics and speaking at horse expos across the US. If you have any questions you would like to see answered, please contact her and ask her to address your concerns.