How to Measure Your Horse
Measure Your Horse for a Customer Saddle Fit.
1. First, note the line as illustrated. This represents the front edge of the saddle tree.
2. Next, snip off the ends of a common coat hanger, and bend over area indicated until you have a snug fit. Carefully remove without changing the angle.
3. Finally, trace the outline of the wire on some paper with a black marker. Fax (250-296-4164) or mail with your order. From this we can make a template and cross check it against your saddle order.
1. First, note the line as illustrated. This represents the front edge of the saddle tree.
2. Next, snip off the ends of a common coat hanger, and bend over area indicated until you have a snug fit. Carefully remove without changing the angle.
3. Finally, trace the outline of the wire on some paper with a black marker. Fax (250-296-4164) or mail with your order. From this we can make a template and cross check it against your saddle order.
Where to position the saddle on your horse: Australian Saddles sit more forward on the horses back than traditional Western saddles, the stirrups are also attached in a more forward position. This puts the rider’s center of gravity and weight over the horse’s shoulder rather than the middle of the spine. This position is unquestionably far more comfortable for most horses and greatly enhances horse performance. Before undertaking a long ride with your new saddle, we suggest many shorter rides allowing the padding to conform and adjust to your horse.
How the saddle should fit on your horse: Australian saddles do sit differently on a horse than Western or English saddles, and a different approach is required. Make sure you contact us directly with any questions you may have. Be assured no one else can offer you the kind of knowledge required for saddle fitment of Australian saddles. Do not rely on trainers, tack shops, conventional saddle fitters or friends, whom although mean well, do not have the expertise required regarding Australian saddles and how they should fit your horse
The ABC Saddle Fitment Program
The Front of the saddle is too high (A): The front (pommel) of this saddle is sitting too high. this will result in the majority of the riders' weight being transferred to the back half of the saddle. It's a simple principal of weight running downhill. This is uncomfortable for the rider and the horse; within a short period of time the horse will develop white hair, then visible saddle soreness. The saddle tree is too narrow for the horse, and you need a wider tree saddle. The narrower the saddle tree the higher the front of the saddle will sit.
The Front of the saddle is too low (B): The back (cantle) of this saddle is sitting too high. This will result in the majority of the riders' weight being transferred to the front half of the saddle. It's a simple principal of weight running downhill. This is uncomfortable for the rider and the horse; within a short period of time the horse will develop white hair, then visible saddle soreness. The saddle tree is too wide for the horse, and you need a narrower tree saddle or a saddle tree adjustment (avail. with most of our saddles). The wider the saddle tree the lower the front of the saddle will sit.
Absolutely as good as it gets (C): The front and back of this saddle is level, distributing the rider's weight evenly over the horse's back. Actually we don't just consider the front and back of the saddle, we also look at the seat itself, the seat in this saddle is nice and lever. To determine that the saddle is fairly level, just eyeball it, there is no need to use an engineers level.
It is not always possible to get this perfect "textbook fitment" shown here, however, if the front is a little higher or a little lower, you will be just fine, as long as you don't have the extremes shown above. (Several of our saddle models are made with a deeper seat and higher cantle, so naturally the back of the seat will sit slightly higher than the front on these models.)
It is not always possible to get this perfect "textbook fitment" shown here, however, if the front is a little higher or a little lower, you will be just fine, as long as you don't have the extremes shown above. (Several of our saddle models are made with a deeper seat and higher cantle, so naturally the back of the seat will sit slightly higher than the front on these models.)
Simple ABC
How can you determine saddle fitment in this way?
I saw some guy conducting a clinic and claiming you need to have four fingers of clearance at the front of the saddle and certain clearance on each side of the withers.
Well I guess you might say we have taken saddle fitment to a whole new level. If you don't have enough clearance between the top of the withers and the saddle, the front of the saddle is obviously sitting too low on the horse, this is diagnosed in illustration "B" above. If you had too much clearance at the front this is diagnosed in illustration "A". Our new fitting program is as simple as ABC, you would wonder why saddle fitters try to make it so difficult, unfortunately they probably see it as another income stream.
I saw some guy conducting a clinic and claiming you need to have four fingers of clearance at the front of the saddle and certain clearance on each side of the withers.
Well I guess you might say we have taken saddle fitment to a whole new level. If you don't have enough clearance between the top of the withers and the saddle, the front of the saddle is obviously sitting too low on the horse, this is diagnosed in illustration "B" above. If you had too much clearance at the front this is diagnosed in illustration "A". Our new fitting program is as simple as ABC, you would wonder why saddle fitters try to make it so difficult, unfortunately they probably see it as another income stream.