Saddle Fitting Horse
Take the pommel with your right hand and pull the saddle sharply back and down.
Saddle fitting horse. The saddle should fit the horse without any need for padding underneath it. Try a different saddle pad a wider cinch neoprene cinch or flank cinch to help secure the saddle. Stand behind the horse and look through the gullet or the hollow space over the horse s spine and make sure you can see all the way to the horse s mane. The horse s body is dynamic changing with every activity and level of fitness and weight gain loss and the only way to ensure correct saddle fit is to have it checked on a regular basis.
Determine if you have the correct tree size by placing the saddle on the horse s back. It determines the fit of the saddle on the. The problem is saddle fit is also like shoe fit it must be perfect or it pinches rubs and shifts and makes your horse miserable and like shoe fit most of us can t afford custom. In general the tree or bars should provide adequate protection to the horse s back and be designed to place the rider in the best balance for the type of riding that he or she is doing.
Even though saddle manufacturers make saddletrees in different sizes wide medium and narrow each horse is an individual and may not fit into a saddle that corresponds to the apparent width of the horse s back. Before you try to fit a western saddle place a saddle pad on the horse s back. Draft horses need an extra wide or draft tree. A saddletree is the wooden or fiberglass frame on which the saddle is constructed.
Check that the saddle is the correct fit for the horse. If you have spent one day in a pair of ill fitting pair of shoes then you understand the importance for our horses. Fitting the horse and rider. They could affect the fit comfort of your saddle.
2 show your saddle fitter which numnah you usually use and get them to check the saddle with it on your horse. It improves the way your horse will work making them more willing. Don t be tempted to suddenly add extra pads or numnahs on the day of the ride just because you re riding for longer than you normally might. If you can place two to three fingers between the gullet and his withers this is a good fit.
Correct saddle fitting is essential for the health of the back neck joints feet and mental health of the horse. Bars of the tree should settle behind the horse s scapula. The panels underneath the saddle should conform to and. Place your hand on the horse s neck in front of the withers.
A good fitting saddle is imperative for the comfort of both horse and rider. Instead of looking for the best looking saddle or the cheapest deal take a few minutes to get a proper saddle measurement and outfit your horse in the best tack for its body. Ensure the saddle does not block the horse s front shoulder or extend beyond the last rib in their ribcage.