Can use ride in a saddle that is a little big for a horse?

Question

Ok so i am hopefully getting this saddle and it is a reg./med. tree and i thought oh great! cause i am not for sure what horse i am getting yet. A possible lean appendix or a wider quarter horse. the owner of the saddle said it fit her high withered horse and her wider 17 hand horse. Perfect right? But what if the saddle is too big for the appendix? Can i still use it? What can i do to help it fit? HELP ME!

Answer 1

You need to have the saddle proffessionaly fitted to the horse you buy. Buy the horse first, then the saddle!!

Answer 2

Your lucky your getting a horse. I love horses. I think the saddle is perfect.

Answer 3

the saddle will need to fit well or it will be uncomfortable

Answer 4

The saddle needs to fit well, or else it will slip and cause rub marks on your horse. The medium tree should be okay on the appendix. My medium tree fits perfectly on my lanky TB mare.

Answer 5

i don't think you should no matter if u use a thick saddle pad. you need to get a saddle when you measure the horse so then you have it right and it fits the horse right. i have an old retierd dressage horse and when my western saddle was to big on him he wouldnt respond right and would ride wierd, and also if the saddle is to small it will rub aginst the horse and you cant ride in a saddle till it gets better.

       good luck with the horse!!

                  ~katie~

Answer 6

Thicker saddle pads will help a little bit.

Also since you don't have the horse yet, just try to get a big one heehee :] good luck!

Answer 7

You really can't compromise on saddle fit since it is so vital to the quality of the horse's work. You can use thick pads in a pinch, but its really only a stopgap solution. I suggest you call a professional saddler to evaluate the fit. She may be able to add some flocking if the fit is close. Or, she can tell you once and for all if the saddle will not work for your horse. If there is no hope for it to fit, you can sell it on E-bay and usually get a fair price. (I have sold two saddles on E-bay.) Then you can get a saddle that really fits.

Answer 8

Always use thick saddle pads on the appendix because if the saddle moves a little then it won't get a saddle sore.

Also you can get a gel pad or a foam pad to straighten out the saddle and keep it in place.

Answer 9

It is VITAL that you have a saddle and pad that fit your horse. You can cause soreness, create bad habbits, and even cause permenant injury by using a saddle that doesn't fit properly.

Remember that many tall horses are narrow guage. If you're ridding an appendix they'll have some TB and tend to be scopy-er. The really wide QH will need QH bars.

Make sure that you use appropriate pads on your saddle. You can easily injure your horses back by using a saddle that isn't fitting properly. I advise trying the saddle on your horse paying special attention to how it fits down.

The #1 way to find out if a saddle  /  pad combo is to saddle up the horse and work them (either ride or long line) until they are wet under the pad. If the horse is good and sweaty - any dry spots under the pad are spots which can cause permanent injury and potentially white marks on the withers.

Answer 10

you can use a thick wool saddle pad, like the kinds they use in showjumping. i use them to keep the saddle clean, but they'll do to help fit the saddle better as well.

you really should get a properly fitting saddle though.

Answer 11

The saddle needs to fit very tight.  If it is too lose it will be very uncomfortable and you will probably fall off within the first 5 rides.

Answer 12

NO NO and NO you can not compromise in that sort of fashion a saddle should fit PERFECTLY if not it WILL cause problems...many prblems