How do you know if your saddle fits correctly?

With your saddle correctly positioned, put your hand underneath and slide your fingers along the panel. If it doesn't feel equally snug from front to back, it's “bridging”–and the places where it's tight will becomes sore from the extra pressure.

How do you know if a saddle fits you?

As a rule of thumb, you should be able to fit at least a four-finger width between the end of your seat and the cantle. Any less than that and the saddle is too small. In a properly fitted and properly balanced dressage saddle, you may be able to place slightly more than four fingers behind your seat.

How do you tell if your saddle is too small for your horse?

Signs of a Bad Saddle Fit for your Horse

You should be able to stick two of your fingers between the saddle gullet and your horse's withers. The saddle should have even contact along both sides of the bars. After girthing up, your saddle should look even on the horse's back, not tipping up or drooping down.

How tight should a saddle be?

You should be able to put one index finger under the cinch to your finger's first joint. If you can reach in at the back of the cinch more than that, it's probably too loose. If you can't fit a finger in at all, it may be too tight.

What happens if a saddle is too wide?

When a saddle is too wide in the front, it can sink down over the withers. This takes the saddle out of balance by making the pommel lower than the cantle, which in turn carries more pressure over the front of the tree (at the withers/shoulders) than a saddle with a properly sized tree.

How to tell if your saddle fits | Kate Ballard, Society of Master Saddlers

What happens if a saddle is too small for a rider?

If a heavier rider sits in a saddle which is too small, the rider has no chance for a pliable seat and therefore doubles her natural weight. She is not able to swing through her back nor harmonize with the swinging of the horse`s back.

Where should girth sit on horse?

A correctly fastened girth should rest approximately one hand's width behind the horse's elbows.

What should saddle sweat marks look like?

When you take your saddle off at the end of a ride you should see even sweat marks on both sides of the spine that resemble the bottom the saddle. If you see dry areas, it is supposed to mean that the pressure there was so high that it shut down the sweat glands.

Why does my saddle tip forward?

This is because the saddle makes them tip forward, affecting their balance.” If you're constantly trying to stay in balance when you're riding, this can indicate that the saddle doesn't fit your horse. “Tipping forward is very common in Western saddles that don't fit right,” Harman notes.

Where should the cinch sit?

The lowest point your cinch should sit is 3-4" above the elbow. This allows clearance and no interference when riding. The best way to get an accurate cinch size is to take a string and hold it on one side 3-4" above the elbow. Then you run it under the horse, to the same point on the other side.

Why are dressage girths shorter?

Short girths are designed for saddles with long billets. Most dressage riders prefer a short girth because it keeps the area underneath the thighs and/or knees bulk-free. The downside is that the buckles are located farther down, directly on the horse's body.

Where should sit bones be on saddle?

The optimal saddle width guarantees that the sit bones lie completely flat on the saddle. This is the only way in which pressure is relieved on the sensitive area in men and on the pubic arch in women and ensures more efficiency.

How do I know what size gullet My horse needs?

Place your hand into the space between the saddle and your horse's wither, using your fingers to measure the vertical space. The gap should fit no more than two fingers to two and a half fingers. If three or more fingers fit, the gullet is too narrow. If fewer than two fingers fit, the gullet is too wide.

How wide should the gullet be on a saddle?

The ideal width for a saddle gullet is between 2.5″ and 4″ depending on your horse.

Can you over tighten a cinch?

Don't over do it! Your cinch only needs to be tight enough for you to mount without the saddle slipping. If your horse has good withers, you won't have to over-tighten; if he has poor withers, he'll have to get used to a much tighter cinch.

Will a breastplate stop my saddle slipping?

BREASTPLATE FOR SAFETY

The breastplace prevents saddle from slipping back on horse. But be sure it fits: snug enough not to catch a hoof when jumping and not too tight to cut into the horse's muscles.

How tight should rear cinch?

Ideal: A properly fitting back cinch should fit around your horse snugly, but not be tight. There should still be enough space to slide your hand in flat in between the cinch and the horse's stomach. Adjust the back cinch so that it is even on both sides and the center dee of the cinch aligns with the horse's sternum.

What size saddle do I need for a 16 hand horse?

Under 16.5 inches — You probably need a 15-inch seat size in an English saddle. Between 16.5 and 18.5 inches — Look for a 16-inch saddle. Between 20 and 21.5 inches — Try a 17-inch saddle. Over 21.5 inches — Try an 18- or 19-inch seat size.

How long should a horse cinch be?

Western cinches are typically sized in 2-inch increments, between 26 and 34 inches. To measure, place an unrigged saddle on your horse's back.

Do girths hurt horses?

It extends the length of your horse's underside all the way up into the girth area. The delicate balance of the hindgut is easily disrupted for many reasons, causing minor pain at best and serious conditions like ulcers and colic at worst. Many assume a girthing problem is related to the stomach.