Other things you need to consider along with western saddle fit on your horse or mule:
1. Saddle position: Most saddle trees are designed to sit behind the horse’s shoulder blade. The saddle tree should sit approximately 2 fingers back from the shoulder blade when your horse is standing squarely on the ground. That’s where the TREE is designed to sit so that it does not impede your horse’s shoulder motion. Sitting it too far forward will result in poor saddle fit and an uncomfortable fit for your horse. Notice that I emphasize TREE, not saddle. The tree should sit behind the shoulder blade, the leather and fleece on the saddle should extend over the shoulder. If you put the entire saddle behind the shoulder blade, that is too far back– and the front of the saddle skirting will dig into the shoulder and usually the saddle will pop up in the rear. There is usually 3-4 inches of leather and fleece in front of the tree. (Interestingly, most mule riders automatically sit the tree in the right place…most horse riders put it too far forward!)
2. Rigging and/or cinch: Here’s a general rule of thumb. If you go with a rigging that is hung from the tree - that type of rigging is meant to be used with a rear cinch. The inskirt riggings in a 7/8’s or 3/4’s position (most of our saddles), the inskirt 3 way rigging (see gaited saddles MHG1 and MHG3) or centerfire riggings can be used without a rear cinch because they put the cinch down and back further. It’s all about keeping the weight distribution as even as possible when the horse is cinched up. (Again…mule folks seem to have figured this one out already! A lot of mule riders use a regular cinch for the rear cinch and cinch it as tightly as they do the front). If you do not use the rigging as it is intended to be used, sometimes it doesn’t matter. However, for some horses with certain types of build–especially with a prominent wither, sway back or a down hill build…rigging your saddle correctly is a very important part of getting the right saddle fit (most comfortable fit).
Cinch type is important too. I have put the same saddle on the same horse and had completely different experiences depending on what type of cinch material I use. I’ve had roly poly horses on whom the saddle would slide with a strand type cinch or felt cinch, but when you use a neoprene mesh or “Aire Grip” cinch, the saddle stays put. But, I have other horses that do great in a felt cinch. I’ll probably repeat this so much that you’ll get sick of hearing it…but BE WILLING TO EXPERIMENT when it comes to cinches and pads. We can’t evaluate those particular products without being there in person and riding your horse for you. You’ve got to figure out what works best for your individual horse. And, if it doesn’t work, either wash and resell or hang on to it. Just because it doesn’t work on this horse, doesn’t mean it won’t work on another one of your horses or someone else’s horse. That’s why there are so many different styles and types of saddle pads and cinches on the market. Which brings us to:
3. Saddle pad: The wrong saddle pad can make a correctly fitted saddle fit wrong. The correct saddle pad can make a saddle that isn’t a perfect fit, fit comfortably. Saddle pad fit is AS important as saddle fit for most horses. Unfortunately, saddle pad fit is a heck of a lot harder to evaluate than saddle fit!!
BE WILLING TO EXPERIMENT. That’s what I’ve learning in my almost forty years of riding horses with not only saddle pad fit, but with training and interacting with horses and horse people. Here’s some things that may help you with saddle pad fitting:
a) We can recommend a type of saddle pad when we do a tree fitting. The tree fitting will clearly show if there is an issue that the saddle alone cannot accomodate comfortably on its own. We can give you some guidelines (built up front, extra padding along bars, etc)…but they are guidelines. We would have to be there in person and ride your horse ourselves to be able to evalute if the length, material, etc of the pad works for your horse.
b) Consult a certified equine massage therapist who has established themselves with good training and experience. I have a certified equine massage therapist who has several years of experience and continually takes the time to educate herself further …and she is a total blessing. I also have a vet in the area who does chiropractic, cranial sacral and other holistic approaches to medicine. You want to be sure the person you consult is experienced and well qualified. I have a list of certified equine massage therapists and have shared the information with customers in the past to help them find qualifed help for evaluating their saddle or pad fit.
c) Experiment. I thought a short backed horse should have a short saddle pad. However, we discovered that while one of my horses did very well in a shorter pad (as long as it was contoured up in the rear)…my other short backed horse got very sore right where the pad ended. He actually did better in a longer pad (34-36″) that was soft and provided more support at the rear. Try different pads…and not always the expensive ones (although the more well known brands will resell easier). Also, horse’s change over time…a horse that has had a normal back all their life may suddenly have their back drop a couple inches when they age. So, a new pad may be required to accomodate that change and help your horse be more comfortable. Health issues where there is sudden drop in weight may require a different type of padding.
Most horse people could open their own used tack store….and there is nothing wrong with that!! Every time I’ve cleaned out my tack room and had a garage sale or eBay sale, I usually find later down the line that I need those items back again!! Getting a new horse, riding other folks’ horses for them, having a horse change in body due to maturing or aging, etc…you need a well stocked tack room with lots of options if you are going to be a horse owner. The reason there are so many different horse products on the market is because horses are all individuals with different needs and those needs change over time. It’s okay to have 3 or 4 saddle pads per horse in your tack room! At different times in your horse’s life…you may use all of them!
Another note on saddle pads:
On the cordura saddles, they do not have the structure of an all leather saddle because the skirting is soft. The right saddle pad that has a little extra padding along the bars can help provide that support. We have several of the Abetta saddle pads with this option…and the EquiPedic and Supracor pads (not the Cool Grip, but the regular Supracor Western pad) offer that benefit as well.
4. Saddle Style: Most people that love their horses will sacrifice their desire for a certain “style” or look they may like if it doesn’t comfortably fit their horse. However, some won’t…and there’s not a lot we saddle fitters can do to help with that situation! For a lot of horses, it doesn’t matter the style of the saddle, the tree fit is what is important. However, the design of the skirting, the weight, the rigging, etc all affect how a saddle fits and feels to your horse–and on some horses the same tree in a two different styles of saddle makes the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable. For example, a shorter backed/shorter coupled horse usually does better in a saddle with minimal, rounded skirting. 5. Your riding ability and your seat: Oh boy…we just went THERE! But, it’s true. A poor seat and an unbalanced, uncentered rider can make a saddle that actually fits the horse well– feel like it doesn’t. The proper seat and balance is as important with trail riding as it is with dressage, reining or any other discipline, although there may be slight variations.
So, if it is YOU and not the saddle, what do you do to improve your balance and seat?? See the next post!!