How to Fit a Horse Saddle

Fitting a horse saddle is very important for the health and well being of your horse. The horse will silently endure a tremendous amount of pain and discomfort without the owners knowledge. Saddle fitting can be a mystery to many horse owners.
Here are a couple of tips for helping you fit the saddle to your horse.
1. First of all, take a tracing of your horses withers. This is accomplished by using a flexible ruler, and placing it over the withers of your horse. Do not use a coat hanger, it is not flexible enough, and it could hurt you or your horse if there is some type of commotion.
Very carefully lay the flexible curve down on a heavy piece of paper and trace the inside edge. Then set your saddle pommel down on this shape. You should not be able to see the whole shape on the inside part of the saddle. Make sure there is a three to four finger clearance at the top of the shape between the outline of the withers and the inside of the pommel.
2. Make sure the tree of the saddle is straight and symmetrical. Your horses back may not be symmetrical, but you want to start out with a straight saddle, then have your English saddle panels flocked or shims made for your western saddle to get a custom fit.
3. If step one and two are completed, then try the saddle and make sure it fits you and is comfortable, and then take it home to try on your horse.
There is no sense in even taking a saddle home to try if the saddle is not straight or symmetrical, and does not line up with the tracing you took of your horse.
Important!
To save your horse's back, get a free illustrated report at Introduction To Saddle Fitting or go to http://www.western.saddlefittingguide.com
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