Fitting Western Saddles

There are 4 basic widths in the tree of Western saddles, the narrowest of these being the semi-quarter horse bar. This will fit 90% of all horses. Next you move up to the Arab tree. It is slightly wider at the gullet, shorter in length from front to back and very commonly found with a rounded skirt to accommodate a shorter back. The full quarter horse bar is again wider at the gullet and generally fits horses that have very little wither. The fourth width is draft horse. This is used on, you guessed it, draft horses, it is larger everywhere.

Once you have a saddle that looks like it fits properly, it's time to ride. Using a baby pad or very thin pad, make sure your saddle is in the right position with enough clearance behind the shoulder. Cinch the saddle up. Start by lunging the horse in both directions. When the horse has worked up a sweat remove the saddle and take a look at the pad. The sweat should be distributed evenly, if is not there are parts of the saddle that do not contact the horses back and you have a saddle that doesn't fit! If the saddle fits get on and ride, it is also important to make sure the saddle puts the rider in the proper position.

While pads are not the solution to an ill-fitting saddle, they can help to ensure a good fit on a horse that is just in between sizes. Note: You cannot make a saddle that is too narrow fit by adjusting the amount of pad between the saddle and the horse. This will only cause more discomfort to the horse. This can be seen in horses with sore backs, ear pinning while being saddled and bucking while being ridden. While on the subject of pads, there are hundreds on the market; a good pad is a good investment. For working, wool felt pads are ideal because they stay in place and they breathe. They can be topped with a colored rug to match the rider's habit in the show ring. While synthetics are often chosen because they are soft and fluffy be aware that they do not breathe and when wet can slip.

So, you have a Western saddle and you are not sure what tree size you have? Unfortunately many Western saddles come unmarked in that department but they are usually stamped with a serial number. You can contact the manufacturer with this number and they can assist you with additional information.

Still not sure you have a proper fit? We do both on site store saddle fittings and we make barn calls, just call to set up an appointment. We are also a stocking dealer for many brands, from Circle Y, Crate's, High Horse, Court's, and TexTan to Cowboy Tack, Dale Chavez, Billy Cook, Ammerman, Dale Martin, and Tucker.

Courtesy of Bill Grace, one of our many fitting specialists.