Can I measure my horse for a saddle myself? Yes, you absolutely can measure your horse for a saddle yourself. This guide will show you the simple steps to get accurate saddle fitting measurements. Getting the right fit is vital for your horse’s comfort and performance. A poorly fitting saddle can cause pain, resistance, and long-term back damage.
Why Accurate Saddle Measurement Matters
A saddle must fit the horse’s back correctly. It needs to sit balanced. It must not pinch or press on sensitive areas. Determining correct saddle size involves more than just seat size. It focuses mainly on the tree width and the length the saddle takes up on the back.
The Impact of Poor Fit
When a saddle does not fit well, several problems can arise:
- Pain and Soreness: The horse’s back muscles become tight.
- Behavior Changes: Your horse might buck, refuse to move forward, or swish its tail.
- Muscle Atrophy: Poor pressure points can cause muscle wasting over time.
- Uneven Weight Distribution: This leads to poor riding balance for you.
Gathering Your Tools for Horse Back Tracing
Before you start the process, collect what you need. Having the right tools makes the job neat and precise. You need tools for equine back measurement techniques.
Necessary Equipment List:
- A Flexible Tape Measure: Must be soft, like a tailor’s tape. Metal tapes are too stiff.
- A Long, Straight Edge: A yardstick or a very straight plank of wood works well.
- Paper or Cardboard: Large pieces for tracing the shape.
- A Felt-Tip Marker or Pencil: For drawing clear lines.
- A Helper (Optional but Recommended): A second person helps keep the horse still.
- A Clean, Dry Horse: The horse should be standing squarely on level ground.
Step 1: Preparing Your Horse and Setting the Scene
The horse must be relaxed and standing correctly. This ensures the measurements reflect its natural shape under saddle.
Positioning for Best Results
- Level Ground: Always measure on flat, firm ground. Hills change the horse’s posture.
- Square Stance: Ask your horse to stand perfectly square. This means both front and hind legs are parallel and directly underneath the body.
- Relaxed State: The horse should be relaxed. If the horse is tense, its back muscles will tighten up, leading to false readings. You might walk them briefly before measuring.
- No Saddle: Ensure the horse is bareback or wearing only a thin, well-fitting half-pad for positioning reference, if necessary, but bare is often best for pure tracing.
Step 2: Finding the Saddle Support Area
The saddle should never sit directly on the horse’s loins (the area near the croup). It must rest on the strong muscles behind the shoulder blades. This area is called the saddle support area.
Locating Key Bony Landmarks
Wither Tracing for Saddle starts by finding the highest point of the shoulder blades.
- The Withers: Feel for the bony prominences along the top of the spine, just behind the crest of the neck. This is the highest point where the neck meets the back.
- The Last Rib: Feel along the horse’s side to locate the last rib. This marks the end of the main weight-bearing area.
- Saddle Area Mapping: The viable saddle area runs from just behind the shoulder blade edge to the area just before the loins start to slope downward.
Step 3: Measuring the Length of the Saddle Area
This step determines how much space the saddle is allowed to take up. A saddle that is too long will press down on the loins, causing pain.
Technique for Length Measurement
- Mark the Start Point: Place a finger or a small weight (like a coin) on the lowest point behind the shoulder blade. This is where the saddle should start.
- Mark the End Point: Find the point where the back begins to slope sharply downward toward the tail (the start of the loin area). Mark this spot clearly.
- Measure the Distance: Use your flexible tape measure to measure the straight-line distance between these two marks along the horse’s back. Keep the tape flat but not pulled tight.
- Record: Write down this measurement. This is your maximum saddle length measurement.
Table 1: Typical Saddle Length Ranges (Inches/Centimeters)
| Horse Type | Typical Saddle Area Length (Inches) | Typical Saddle Area Length (CM) |
|---|---|---|
| Small Pony | 14 – 16 inches | 35 – 40 cm |
| Average Adult Horse | 17 – 19 inches | 43 – 48 cm |
| Large/Long-Backed Horse | 19 – 21+ inches | 48 – 53+ cm |
Note: These are general guidelines. Always rely on your direct measurement.
Step 4: Determining the Gullet Width (Tree Size)
The gullet is the channel underneath the saddle that sits over the spine. It must be wide enough to clear the vertebrae and surrounding muscles without touching. This is crucial for finding the right gullet width.
How to Trace the Wither Contour
This part requires a horse back tracing method to capture the angle and width.
- Position the Straight Edge: Place the long, straight edge across the horse’s back. It should rest just behind where the saddle should sit, typically right behind the highest point of the withers. Ensure it is level, not dipping or bridging up.
- Use Cardboard for Angle: If your horse has very prominent withers, the straight edge might not touch the back on both sides. In this case, slide a piece of stiff cardboard under the straight edge until it rests firmly against the sides of the horse’s back.
- Mark the Tracing: Using your pencil, trace the outline of the cardboard onto a large sheet of paper, or mark where the cardboard touches the cardboard template. This template shows the shape of the bare back where the tree will sit.
- Measure the Angle: Take the template (or use the straight edge placed directly on the horse) and measure the distance between the points where the saddle tree needs to sit. This measurement, taken across the base of the tracing, gives you an idea of the width needed.
Interpreting the Wither Tracing
A flat back requires a flatter gullet angle. A very rounded or muscular back needs a wider or more curved gullet plate.
- High Withers: If the withers are high and pointed, you might need a “gullet plate” that rises higher up (like an ‘A’ shape) to avoid pressure.
- Flat Withers: A flatter shape across the top requires a more U-shaped gullet.
If you are measuring horse for custom saddle, this tracing is essential for the saddler.
Step 5: Assessing Slope and Muscle Development (Conformation Check)
Horse conformation for saddle fit is highly dynamic. A young, fit horse looks different from an older, settled horse.
Evaluating Muscle Rippling
Gently run your hands down the horse’s back, feeling for lumps, dips, or muscle tension.
- Dips or Hollows: If there is a dip behind the shoulders, a saddle tree that is too flat will bridge and only touch at the front and back, creating pressure points.
- Muscle Definition: Very well-muscled horses might need a wider tree than their bony structure suggests.
Important Note on Weight: Always measure a horse at its current weight. A horse carrying excess weight or significantly underweight will have different back contours.
Step 6: Using Commercial Templates or Guides
Many saddle brands offer specific saddle measurement guide templates. These often simplify the process. They usually involve placing a specialized foam pad or device on the back to capture the shape.
Foam Impression Pads
Foam impression pads are excellent tools. They are placed on the bare back, and the horse stands on them briefly. When removed, the foam retains the exact contour of the back, showing pressure points and the shape of the gullet area. This visual proof is often easier to interpret than just numbers.
Step 7: Converting Measurements to Gullet Size
This is where it gets tricky, as sizes are not universal between brands. A size 3 Medium in one brand might be a 34 cm, while in another, it might be a 32 cm.
Gullet Size Standards (General)
Tree sizes are typically categorized in two ways:
- Traditional/Inches (English Saddles): Often refers to the seat size (e.g., 17 inches), but tree width is usually indicated by letters (Narrow, Medium, Wide).
- Metric (Centimeters – Common in many European and custom saddles): This measures the width across the points of the tree where it rests on the back.
If you are measuring horse for custom saddle, you will provide the direct back tracing and the width measurement across the tracing base.
Procedure for Translating Tracing to Width:
- Look at your tracing template or the flat measurement taken across the base of the wither area tracing.
- Compare this width measurement to the manufacturer’s chart. A measurement of 13 cm across the base might correspond to a “Medium” tree in Brand X.
Table 2: Approximate Gullet Width Conversions (English Saddles)
| Width Designation | Approximate Gullet Width (cm) |
|---|---|
| Narrow (N) | 28 – 30 cm |
| Medium Narrow (NM) | 30 – 32 cm |
| Medium (M) | 32 – 34 cm |
| Medium Wide (MW) | 34 – 36 cm |
| Wide (W) | 36 – 38 cm |
| Extra Wide (XW) | 38+ cm |
Note: These are general conversion estimates only. Always check the specific brand’s measurement chart.
Step 8: Measuring Saddle Fit on the Horse (Trial Run)
After you have chosen a few potential saddle sizes based on your measurements, you must test them on the horse. This is the final confirmation of your saddle fitting measurements.
The Two-Finger Rule for Width Clearance
- Place the Saddle: Put the saddle (without a pad initially, for accuracy) onto the horse’s back, ensuring it sits squarely over the muscle mass. Do not cinch it down yet.
- Check the Gullet: Reach down into the gullet channel. You should be able to slip two fingers easily between the gullet and the horse’s spine, without the gullet bars touching the spine or the muscles on either side.
- Check Clearance While Weighted: Now, gently sit in the saddle (still cinched loosely). Check the gullet again. If the tree bars sink and press on the spine, the tree is too narrow.
Checking Saddle Length on the Back
Use your initial length measurement as a guide.
- Spinal Clearance: Look at the front of the saddle flaps. The front points of the tree should sit a few fingers’ width behind the edge of the shoulder blade.
- Loin Clearance: The back edge of the saddle panels must finish well before the soft loin area begins. If the saddle overhangs the loin area, it is too long. A long saddle will rock when the horse moves.
Step 9: Final Adjustments and Professional Consultation
Even with careful measurement, subtle changes in the horse’s condition or conformation can affect the fit.
When to Call a Professional Saddle Fitter
If your measurements fall between sizes, or if your horse has pronounced dips, high withers, or significant muscle asymmetry, professional help is key. A qualified fitter uses specialized tools beyond basic taping. They observe the horse moving under saddle to confirm the fit dynamically. They can advise on shims, flocking adjustments, or the best tree type for your specific horse conformation for saddle fit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How often should I remeasure my horse for a saddle?
A: You should remeasure if your horse has gained or lost significant weight, gone through major muscle development (e.g., starting a new intense training program), or is aging. For a healthy, mature horse, rechecking measurements every 6 to 12 months is a good habit.
Q: Does the horse’s age affect saddle size?
A: Yes. Young horses (4-6 years old) are still developing muscle, especially across the topline. Their shape can change rapidly. Older horses might lose muscle mass, especially over the loin and shoulder. Always measure when the horse is mature and settled in its work level.
Q: What if my horse has one shoulder that sits higher than the other?
A: This is common and is called riding the fence, or being asymmetrical. If you are measuring horse for custom saddle, you must measure both sides and tell the fitter. They will usually recommend a saddle that can be adjusted with specialized padding (like shims in the panel) to compensate for the difference, ensuring an even seat for the rider.
Q: My tape measure shows one size, but the saddle feels too tight when I put it on. Why?
A: This often relates to the tree shape (angle) rather than the width. Your tape measure gets the straight-line distance, but a modern saddle tree must match the curve (rock) of the back. If the tree is too flat for a curvy back, it will feel too narrow, even if the measurement seems correct. This highlights the importance of saddle area mapping.