SADDLE BUYING TIPS

 What are you looking for in the saddle you are buying? Is it color, style, low cost? These are all valid characteristics. I suggest you might want to consider some other important characteristics such as:

·         Size and shape of the horse

·         Size and shape of the rider

·         Size and shape of the saddle

·         Type of riding

Take it from me that riders frequently buy the wrong saddle. I have bought the wrong saddle. Some of my friends have bought the wrong saddle. I have ordered saddles from magazine ads. I have bought saddles that looked really good but did not work out. I want to make your saddle choice as good as possible for you and for your horse.

Before you buy your saddle consider your horse. Is the back wide or narrow? Does the horse have high withers or rounded withers? Is the back long or short? Example: an Arabian horse will generally have a short, narrow back. A saddle that is too wide or too long will not be comfortable for an Arabian horse. Conversely, a narrow saddle will not be comfortable for a wide-backed quarter horse.

Next, consider the rider. Are you short or tall? Are you thin or heavy? A heavy rider will generally need a longer seat. A short rider will need stirrup adjustments that will put the stirrups high enough for the rider, stirrup adjustments generally have a range of 4 in, example: 32 in to 36 in. A taller rider or a rider having longer legs will want longer stirrup adjustment.

Most of the saddles on this site have several terms in common. The terms you will see are defined here.

Seat: The distance measured in inches from the base of the pommel (front rise) to the stitching on the cantle (back rise). Larger riders need a larger seat to fit comfortably between the pommel and the cantle.

Tree: The saddle tree is the frame on which the saddle is built. Its shape determines the shape of the saddle, which varies from the flat-race tree weighing only a few ounces to the modern dip-seated spring tree. Ideally, the tree should be built to fit the back of the horse for which the saddle is intended. Most of the time, however, saddles are manufactured for certain sizes and shapes and will fit most horses of equivalent sizes and shapes. Trees are usually made in three width fittings: narrow, medium, and broad, and four lengths: 15 in, 16 in, 16 ½ in and 17 ½ in.  Some problems resulting from an ill-fitting tree are bridging and rocking.  Bridging occurs when the tree is too long for the back of the horse from withers to the rise of the hips (proust).  A stiff tree will also contribute to this as the saddle will bridge above the back between the high points creating pressure points.  Rocking occurs when the saddle has too much curvature for the contour of the horse causing the saddle to rock backward or forward with the movements of the riser.  Bridging and rocking will result in a sore back for the horse.  A flexible tree is great for most riding but is unsuitable for activities such as roping.

Bars: Usually this is given as semi quarter horse or full quarter horse for western saddles. The bars are the sides of the saddle where the weight is transferred to the horse. The more area of contact between the bars and the horse, the better the weight distribution and the more comfort for the horse. The semi quarter horse bars generally have a slightly narrower gullet and a narrower angle to fit a horse with a narrower back or higher withers. Full quarter horse bars have a wider gullet and wider angles to fit a horse with a broader back or with low withers.

Gullet: This is the distance between the bars measured two inches below the narrowest part. Wider horses need wider gullets.  A gullet too narrow will cause pressure points on the sides of the horse below the pommel.  These pressure points will show as white spots, usually oval about 2 inches by 3 inches or approximately that size.  Detecting this on a horse with white coloring in that area could be difficult.  One symptom of this problem is no sweat forming in that area due to the sweat glands being crushed.  Another means of checking for this problem is to put a thin cloth under the saddle pad and checking for dry spots after the horse has worked up a sweat.  This is a serious problem because it causes pain for the horse and makes the horse sensitive to being saddled and difficult to ride.

Rise: The height of the pommel. This is designed to allow room for the withers.  The pommel should have at least 2 inches of clearance above the withers to keep the weight off the point of the withers.  This allows the saddle to conform to the sag between the withers and the middle of the back.  The rise distributes the weight of the saddle and rider along more of the back by fitting to the contour of the back. 

Cantle: The back rise of the saddle. This keeps the rider from sliding back and holds the bars together at the back of the saddle. A calf roper will want a low cantle to allow rapid exit from the horse without interference from the cantle. A high cantle gives more support and stability to the rider but can cause problems for mounting and dismounting for riders with limited flexibility.

Skirts: The broad panels extending outside the seat. The skirts can be square backed or rounded back. A round-back skirt can be beneficial to a horse with a short back.

Horn: The projection above the pommel. This is used by ropers to tether their lariats after roping the animals. Horns can vary in thickness and height depending on the use by the riders. Cutting riders use a tall thin horn to help them keep on the cutting horse as it does the radical side-to-side movements. Barrel racers have a slightly lower thin horn to help them to stay on when the horse does its sharp turn around the barrels.

Stirrup: The numbers in the descriptions provide the maximum and minimum length of the stirrups. The adjustment for western saddles is generally a range of 4 in. Example: 29 in to 33 in or 32 in to 26in.

You will also need to know your girth of the horse to properly fit the saddle. Measure around the horse at place where the saddle will be attached. The girth strap generally consists of three parts. The off-billet is generally on the right side of the saddle, the girth strap attaches to the off-billet. The girth strap fits beneath the body of the horse, it is generally wide and flat and comes in fixed lengths from 28 in to 34 in or larger. Girth straps can be neoprene or fleece-lined nylon or leather or multiple wool ropes. The cinch strap generally goes on the left side of the saddle, completing the girth. The cinch strap may be leather or nylon and is used to tighten the saddle to the horse. The saddles in this website usually do not come with a girth strap but may include a cinch strap or an off-billet. 

Most riders will use a blanket or a pad under the saddle. The blanket is generally used to protect the fleece lining of the saddle from the sweat. A saddle pad is generally used to provide cushioning for the horse as well as to absorb the sweat. Adding padding to make up for a poorly fitting saddle is not a good idea.