5 tips for finding the perfect saddle
- Find the saddle with the right shape. No two people are the same.
- Take account of your flexibility and your position on the bike. Test your flexibility.
- Measure the width of your sit bones. Saddles come in different widths.
- Set the saddle to the right height.
- Saddle position.
I heard many great reviews on Corriente Saddles and decided to invest my money into one. I will say it's by far one of the BEST investments I've made. The saddle is super comfortable and fits not only me, but pretty much any horse I put it on. I love the detail in the tooling, it really just sets off the saddle.
If there's 1/2″ to 3/4″ of space on either side of your fist, the saddle is approximately a medium tree. 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.
All western saddles come with a stated seat size. Seat size simply measures the distance from the base of the horn to the top middle of the cantle. This distance is then expressed as a size in half-inch increments from 12 inches to 17 inches.
A saddle's width is measured from edge to edge across the top, and Specialized recommends a 130mm saddle width for narrow, 143mm for medium and 155mm for wide. These ?gures should translate approximately across other ranges, with all other factors taken into account.
Take the average price of the saddles you see online and use that price as the base point for pricing your saddle. Used saddles can sell for anywhere between several thousand dollars to less than $100 dollars, depending on their condition and value.
A saddle can't really BE too small for a horse - yes it can look like a pea on a drum, but as long as it is big enough for a rider it matters not.
A small to medium size adult will ride in a 15 inch saddle, a medium size adult will normally ride in a 16 inch saddle, a large adult will need a 17 inch and an extra large adult will require an 18 inch saddle or larger.
Barrel Racing SaddlesFeatures on a good Barrel saddle would include a deep seat with a higher cantle, thin, tall horn, higher fork with wide swells you can hook your knees under, rough-out seat, free-swinging fenders and side jockeys, narrow stirrups, in-skirt rigging and short skirts.
English Saddle Fitting Guidelines
- Position the saddle correctly on your horse's back.
- Test wither clearance.
- Check the relationship of the pommel to the cantle.
- Check to see if the seat is level.
- Tree width does not necessarily ensure a proper saddle fit.
- Check channel or gullet clearance.
- Check panel pressure and contact.
The gullet is the tunnel underneath the fork and rides over the horse's withers. The design of the fork and the angle of the bars of the saddle tree determine the width and height of the gullet.
Most ponies' backs aren't long enough to accommodate even a smaller sized adult Western saddle, but pony saddles are cut to better fit a pony's back. But youth and pony saddles features a smaller seat size and a shorter skirt, so most ponies can comfortably carry these saddles.
1. You Come Off the Flaps or Cantle. If you find that your legs come so far forward on the flaps that they hang off the front, or if your seat moves up or off the back of the saddle, then you're riding in a saddle that's too small for you.
A standard
gullet measures
7 inches and is the most common measurement found in saddles described as having "full quarter horse bars". Any
gullet that measures larger than
7 inches is considered to be wide.
How many inches is a narrow gullet?
| Gullet Size | Inches |
|---|
| Medium or Average | 6.5” |
| Wide | 7” |
| Extra Wide | 8” |
Whatever level rider you are, the best way to be secure in a jumping saddle is to use a close-contact saddle with a small thigh block above the point of your knee, so that your knee and lower thigh can sink in behind the points of the saddle tree.
