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Saddle Fitting

The most important point to concentrate on when fitting a saddle is the width. Many people put a saddle on a horse, check that it clears the withers and are satisfied. But a saddle can clear the withers and be much too tight. Think about the width of the horse's chest, imagining a point about 6" below the wither, this is the width to guide the fit.

It is always better to have a slightly wider saddle and add flock to the wither area, (rather than one which is too tight), thus allowing the horse to work through his back and free the shoulder movement. The pressure of a too tight saddle either side of the wither is comparable to a belt which is too tight for you.

If a horse has been wearing a saddle for a long time which is too tight on each side of the wither, he will have deep hollows in the "junction box" area where the muscle should be.

A saddle which is wide enough to allow a horse to develop the muscle in this area would initially be too low on the withers because it would not yet have muscle to support it. And a saddle which appeared to fit would not allow for muscle development. So if the horse's shape is wrong, it is important not to fit to that wrong shape, or the situation will not get any better. This is where padding may help initially. But expert help should be sought in such a case; a saddle which is too wide will still be too wide, even when the horse is properly muscled and should not be padded to try to make it fit. The padding is a temporary remedial measure...