It’s a good topic for a blog post! Please note that these excellent descriptive photos are from: How to Measure an English Saddle. Have ideas for a post? © 2021 WILD SKY MEDIA. The saddle tree is the rigid structure that gives the saddle its shape and helps distribute the weight of the rider. Western saddles are made in basically 8 gullet sizes (see below), which cannot be mechanically widened from one size to another, as can many English saddles. If the front of the saddle is high, the tree may be too narrow. It is now time to determine the width of the tree. Have a saddle fitter measure your horses back and find out what tree size would be best. Another low tech method to estimate the width of a saddle is to clench your fist and put your knuckles up to the front of the saddle. For example, if you measured 17 inches (43 cm) from the nail head to the center of the cantle, it’s a 17 in (43 cm) English saddle. The tree points are considered the lowest parts of the tree and there is one on each side. Tree material is determined by flipping over your saddle and looking between the two sides of fleece; you will be able to see the tree. The next part of the English saddle you’ll want to fit is the flap of the saddle. Readers will remember that recently I bought a saddle on eBay that didn’t work out at all. I bought a saddle on eBay that didn’t work out, Eight ponies make mischief on A4 in Paris, March Edition of Carnival of the Horses « Confessions of a Struggling Dressage Rider. Try on a bunch of saddles at your stable to the horses back. I’m in the middle of finding a used French saddle and it’s beyond stressful. Lift up the saddle flap and look in front of the billets—the straps that you connect the girth to—in order to locate the points. Since the length of the tree points differs by saddle manufacturer it’s almost impossible to compare them. I do not need a saddle only the tree because mine has warped. How do you measure gullet size on a saddle? Great article. Tree material. Check to see if the seat is level. Use the bottom of the tree points as your measuring locations. Tree Width – Barrel size. Improper fit can cause a horse discomfort or pain; do not use a saddle that does not fit the horse you are riding. Once a saddle is finished, there is really no way to determine the gullet width. Use the bottom of the tree points as your measuring locations. email me at lizgo@mindspring.com. How to Measure an Australian Saddle Gullet. This measurement is either described in centimeters or as medium, medium/wide, etc. Getting the correct saddle for the rider and the horse depends on two things – the type of riding and properly measuring and fitting the saddle. I have a County saddle that is marked as a medium but must have been widened by a previous owner as it fits like a wide. Kim. Thanks for this comprehensive and user-friendly instructional about tree widths. Gullet Width – Shoulder size. This can lead to some confusion! Pick Your Size Range: Find Your Seat Size: Weight Height Pant Size Ladies Pant Size Gents Saddle Size English Saddle Size Western; 50-100 lbs. http://www.saddleonline.com How to Measure a Gullet on a Western Saddle Then spring trees were developed which combined wood and steel. Measure across the front of the saddle from one point to the other. Tree size. A bit of a nightmare. Write down the number in inches. This is really informative. Western Saddle Tree Sizes – How to Measure Western Saddle Tree Sizes Here are some things to look for when trying to measure Western saddle tree sizes to match your particular horse. #fail. Thanks! full leg (can be padded up for slimmer leg) Bent Pommel (acute angle) impairs rider’s position and comfort . A tree point is the portion of the frame that comes down the farthest on the horse's back and will sit slightly below and behind the horse's withers. If the saddle is not level, try adjusting it by using shims, sliding it forward or back to raise or lower the front, or trying different rigging positions. Shape The World. Most commonly people provide the measurement of the distance between the D-rings of the saddle. A saddle that fits properly, will lie flat on the horse’s back with the deepest part of the saddle level. What Is the Difference Between a Gaited Horse Saddle & a Western Saddle? Wow, this is some really great information! Thank you, have not been able to find this info anywhere!! Toowoomba Saddlery’s saddles are available in up to 5 saddle sizes. Under 16.5 inches — You probably need a 15-inch seat size in an English saddle. If you got 29 cm, it is standard; 30 cm is medium. Add the rider and you are putting a lot of pressure right onto one of the nerves that runs down your horse’s back. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. While this may/may not correspond with the position of the points, it’s a common distance that allows you to compare different saddles. It only makes sense that a 31cm tree in Prestige would be the same as a 31 cm tree in a Stubben. Now, convert the inches into English seat sizes. What would 27, 28, 29, and 30 correspond to what widths? Empower Her. BUT, you have to put that in the context of the brand. How to Measure an English Saddle Seat The best way to measure for your seat … Measure from the knee cap to the back of the buttocks. Second, medium means different things depending on the manufacturer. I’m in the process of trying to find a saddle for my difficult-to-fit TB. Twist width is usually a fairly personal choice, too, though the twist is an aspect of saddle design that is supposed to accommodate the horse's shape more than the rider's. How do you measure the tree size on an English saddle? These diagrams and table should give you an idea of how each saddle size compares to the seat size and saddle length. The Bars of the Western saddle tree. The longitudinal balance of the saddle often gets overlooked as riders tend to focus more on the front of the tree and the width associated with it (N,M,MW,W,XW). One of the issues was that the tree, which was described as medium to medium wide, was way too narrow for Freedom. Average Set. That’s a great question and you would think it would be easy to answer. Most gullet measurements are taken on a raw saddle tree and not on a finished saddle. First, more than 50% of the time when someone tells me their saddle fits, they’re wrong. Thanks for this post! We use the Sprenger gauge to measure the horse’s shoulder angle. A tree that is 31 cm is wide and one that is 32 cm is considered extra-wide. A woman’s hand will generally measure about four inches across. Then if you want to get really technical, pull out your protractor and start measuring the angles of the points! Most commonly people provide the measurement of the distance between the D-rings of the saddle. Measure across the front of the saddle from one point to the other. Use the bottom of the tree points as your measuring locations. Tree size is determined by the angle of the gullet. And a 32 a wide. We recommend you start figuring out what seat size you need as a rider, and you can then start shopping around for a suitable gullet size and fit for your horse. Measure across the front of the saddle from one point to the other. Do not put one of those no brand ebay saddles on your horses back or i will jump through this computer screen missy. Liz this is an extremely helpful post. There are three basic ways to measure the size of a tree on a used saddle. average size leg . 5″ – Medium. There should be a two-finger distance between … It is put behind the shoulder blade, so that the upper arm of the device is parallel to the angle of the horse’s scapula. Saddle Fitting Guide by Maureen Webb (HP Saddle Fitter) When you mention 'Saddle Fitting' to many people (and some saddle fitters! How to Measure an English Saddle When you begin to measure for an English saddle, remember that the different parts of a saddle - the seat size is for you, the rider, and the gullet size/saddle width/… Today, spring trees are still prevalent but you also see manufacturers using synthetic materials such as polyurethane, often reinforced with fiberglass. This is a common method used to measure saddle trees on European saddles but NOT on 'Western' saddles. If there’s 0″ to 1/2″ then the tree is narrow; and if there’s more than 1″ of space on either side of your fist, the tree is wide or extra wide. If there’s 1/2″ to 3/4″ of space on either side of your fist, the saddle is approximately a medium tree. When all else fails, you may need a different saddle with a better fit. Semi QH Bars have a higher pitch and Full QH Bars have a flatter pitch. Whether your horse has a narrow or wide back, you should follow the below guidelines. An English saddle is measured from the middle of the cantle to either side of the pommel. I owned a very nice Stackhouse that had foam panels and my horse’s back changed just enough to make it not fit without swapping out the panels. This is a problem because it puts too much pressure on the back of the saddle — and the weakest part of the horse’s back: the loins. This is a somewhat approximate measurement since no two manufacturers seem to use exactly the same method and the measurements are based on the distance between the tree points. ), they only consider ONE thing - The angle of the tree at the front of the saddle, which usually come in various sizes - Narrow, Medium, wide, extra-wide, etc. Very true! I also tend to choose saddles with wool panels because they are a bit more adapatable to changes. Locate the tree points on your saddle. Other than … Thanks! This gives you the saddle tree size. While this may/may not correspond with the position of the points, it’s a common distance that allows you to compare different saddles. To measure the seat size of an English saddle, you can measure from either nailhead on the sides of the pommel to the middle of the cantle, or the end of the saddle. Thanks for sharing this! There are not any standards or definitions of specific tree sizes, but each saddle builder provides a description to give an idea of the size of horse the tree should fit. Take your measurement in centimeters. In general, horses with a wider build need wider trees or bars. In general, a tree will stretch slightly so it’s not unusual for an older saddle to run a bit wider than it’s “official” size. According to an article on the Lorien Stables site: A tree that is too narrow for your horse will perch the saddle high on their withers and tip the rider toward the cantle. The most detailed tree sizes are seen with Stubben, which measures tree sizes in centimeters, and a few of the other real upper end brands. In general, a 27 would be quite narrow. The above image demonstrates how the bars flare out to accommodate with width of the horse’s back. Not only is a properly fitting saddle more comfortable for the horse, but it puts the rider in a more balanced position, too. Traditionally, trees were made of wood. Now on to point number two. How do you size and measure a saddle for proper fit? Gullet Width or sometimes referred to as bar spread is the measurement 2 inches below the narrowest part of … There are some saddles with adjustable trees that might make your long-term usage easier, but none of them are French. We can get these measurements by your visiting us with your horse or mule in Lowry City, Missouri, at one of the shows we attend, or by your taking the required measurements and sending them to … Be Her Village. A medium or regular saddle has a 90 degree angle–a “right angle,” like the corner of a square. It is really informative without muddying the water. If the tree is too wide then the saddle will sit on the withers, potentially pinching the nerves that run down the spinal cord. Saddle Fitting Guide for English Style Saddles. Google how a english saddle should sit and buy a safe brand of used saddle. Therefore, although your horse may be a medium-wide in some brands, he might need a wide (or a medium) in another! Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! You need a straight line across the front of the saddle. Tree is a completely different measurement: it refers to the distance between the bottom of the points of the tree. Wide Set. When sitting tall in a chair, measure the length between the start of … Trees are available in different sizes — some manufactures give a centimeter measurement, others use narrow/medium/medium-wide/wide. The directions on evaluating saddle fit will explain the basics on how to tell if the tree size is correct for your horse. How to Measure a Western Saddle for Cantle Height, How to Measure a Western Saddle Fit for a Rider & Horse. Will need to follow up with that. Maybe I could straighten mine out? Thanks for contributing it to the Carnival of the Horses! 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