Rules to know about Horse's Saddle

Rule 1: All saddles don't fit all horses.
This would appear obvious, but the novice might buy a saddle with only the rider in mind. While it is obvious that a Belgian, Quarterhorse, and Haflinger would each require a saddle of a different size this is still a lovely rule to keep in mind.

Rule 2: Some western saddle (trees) fit most western or stock horses.
There is truth to this statement. A Western Saddle built on semi-quarter horse bars will fit most cow ponies and similarly an English saddle on a medium tree will fit most horses. Either way, you have possibly an 80% chance of success. But in case you require to go through the trouble of returning a saddle or must suffer with a poor fit those are not necessarily the best odds.

Rule of Thumb #3: In case you buy a saddle based on appearance alone, it won't fit (Murphy's Law applied to saddle purchasing).

Well, all of us do things like this occasionally, probably more with automobiles than with saddles. It is hard to turn down something that appeals to the eye. But most experienced horsemen and horsewomen would not buy based on looks alone - would they?

Rule 4: Like other things in life, the more information you collect, the better your chance of success.
What this says is that if you are going to buy a saddle, the more you know about saddles and the more you know about the horse(s) in query, the better your chance of success (a lovely fit) will be. You needn't be an professional - take the time to learn a few things like, why fit is important, the basic parts of the saddle tree, etc..

Rule 5: In case you don't know a lot about horses, get somebody who does to help you out.
A corollary to this rule is - find out what the saddle maker or retailer needs in the way of information to get you the saddle you require. In the event that they don't ask for some information find another retailer.

Put another way - In case you don't know what you are doing, don't do much of it. This is probably the best ruile for the novice to follow. Receive a mate or aquaintance who knows a lot about horses, or your vet or your local outfitter - somebody you feel you can trust - to help you out. They can tell you what measurements to require to take or, by taking a look at the horse, whether you require to take any. Getting some professional assistance can save you lots of grief downstream.

Rule 6 (Golden Rule): You won't know for definite if the saddle fits until you put it on the horse and go for a ride.

This rule has all sorts of implications. "Measuring" the horse for saddle fit can range from visual inspection to withers tracings to molds and high tech measuring devices. The more you measure the better the fit you are apt to accomplish but at some point it can be overkill because you never accomplish a "perfect fit". The only way to validate lovely fit is to put the saddle on the horse and go for a ride.