How do I know if my saddle fits my horse?
Magazine Reads :: Everything Horse
A question asked by many horse owners is ‘how do I know if my saddle fits my horse?’ So, we asked Tricia Bracegirdle, specialist saddle fitter for Childéric Saddles UK, for her advice and top tips for basic saddle checks you can do both from the ground, and in the saddle.
NOTE: This advice should not replace the expert advice from your own saddle fitter. Your saddle fitter will have many more years and experience fitting saddles than you, so if in doubt, call your saddler out if you are concerned and ensure that you have regular checks on your saddle. This article is only meant for general advice.
Identify fit from the ground first
You should be familiar with your saddle, including the way it feels and fits. As a rule of thumb, this should be something you check every single time you tack up and ride. Starting with tacking up your horse, always check for any slight differences in the fit or look of the saddle.
Aspects to consider when looking at the balance of the saddle include:
- Is the seat sitting in balance, or does it look like it is tipping, or rocking, forward or back? Is the pommel much higher than the cantel, or the other way around?
- Does the girth sit where it should, i.e are the girth straps pointing to the back of the pecks (where your girth should naturally sit) or when attached does the girth look further back than it should?
The saddle should sit still EVEN without a girth secured. If your saddle is rocking this could be caused by too much contact to the horse’s back in the middle of the saddle. This will cause the saddle to be unstable, but might not necessarily be the only issue with the saddle.
Running your hand under to the flap of the saddle, you should feel consistency in the fit against the horse to the back of your hand. If you can feel a gap, particularly in the middle, this could mean there is more contact/pressure at the front and back of the saddle. This can have two negative effects as it can cause pressure points and the saddle may move forward or backwards. This is what we call bridging.
You should also check that there is freedom for the horse to move its shoulders. On the ground, you can get some indication by running your hand down the knee roll (between horse and saddle). If its tight all the way or just on the shoulder this can be a result of bridging (above) and affect the horse’s freedom and comfort. However, if all seems well, you can review this when you are riding –NOTE: be mindful that when you lean forward to check this when mounted, it can make the situation appear worse than it is.
Pommel Clearance
Perhaps one of the most checked areas by riders is the clearance between the wither and the pommel of the saddle. There is now no ‘fixed’ rule to how many fingers you should or shouldn’t be able to slip in between the saddle and horse’s wither. For example, if you have a horse with a high wither, it’s logical that you may not fit three fingers in, but, there should be space either side of the wither too – as a rule of thumb, there should be space all around the horse’s wither when mounted. There should also be a clear sight through the gullet of the saddle, no areas of panelling should be in contact with the spine. You can check this by girthing up and standing behind (slightly to the side) without a saddle pad.
On the topic of the saddle pad, one point to consider carefully is the thickness of the one you choose to use. A saddle which has been fitted with a cotton saddlecloth will not offer as good of a fit when you add a ‘fluffy’ numnah underneath. If you are planning to ride with a ‘fluffy’ or heavier saddle pad, then discuss this with your saddle fitter so they can advise/fit the saddle to accommodate this additional thickness. With satin and shiny saddlecloths being highly fashionable right now, it’s important to check that they may make your saddle to slip and slide, so shop ‘matchy-matchy’ with care and thought to your saddle fit!
Once you have girthed up your horse, you can recheck the balance of the saddle, ask yourself; does it stay in the same position or does it lift at the back? If so, there could be an issue.
Saddle-Up
Now the basics from the ground have checked, we can then assess if the saddle fits when saddled-up and on board. I always chat with my customers to get an essence of what they are feeling in the saddle. By watching them, I can see what is going on and can gain an overall picture. It might be helpful to get someone to video you as well, so you can examine the footage, as a guide, for yourself.
If your saddle is moving forward or backwards, it could be caused by numerous factors from bridging (discussed above), wrong girthing, or a poor fit for the rider. The list is fairly extensive!!
If your saddle is moving over to one side, again there are lots of reasons for this. It could be due to asymmetry in the panels or perhaps, horse/rider straightness. To begin with check the saddle symmetry and discuss it with your preferred trainer. However, if the problem persists and you become worried, discuss with your horse’s vet/physio for or see someone to help you.
If you are finding that the saddle is too small to accommodate your seat, this needs serious consideration. Not only will it be uncomfortable for you to ride in and put you out of balance, but it could over time impact on your horse’s back with uneven distribution of weight over the saddle seat.
If you can get someone on the ground to look down the gullet with you onboard, they should be able to see all the way down the gullet (without a saddle pad!)
Parting Thoughts
These are some very very basic saddle checks, and I would always recommend that you get an experienced saddle fitter out to regularly check your saddle.
As the rider, you will at some point notice something has changed or feels and looks different about the saddle; Do you feel tipped forward? Has your horse changed shape? Has he muscled up or lost muscle? Have you changed shape?! Has your horse’s behaviour changed when tacking up?
Get familiar with what feels and looks right, and you’ll quickly notice when things start to change!
Watch Tricia Checking A Customers’ Saddle:
With thanks to Tricia Bracegirdle from Childeric Saddles.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.