Saddles how do i get them fitted?

Question

i am looking at buying a new saddle for my new horse i am very confused about having it fiited. do i get the saddle fitter to measure my horse first and then buy a saddle or do i buy a saddle thats roughly the right fit and get them to fit it?

Answer 1

there are different solutions to your problem.  there are some saddles with changeable gullet systems that are very handy if you ride multiple horses.  you can also get a saddle fitter and have them get one for you.  i normally buy a saddle and put it on trial, and test it on my horse, and if i do not like it, i will simply take it back and try another one.

Answer 2

get a saddler that can find a saddle that will fit the horse.

Answer 3

Get a qualified saddle fitter to come out.  On the phone when booking they will normally ask you basic details about your horse such as size, build, breed and your price range and preference for leather or synthetic, dressage, GP, close contact, etc.  They will then come out with a wide range of saddles to try on and fit it to your actual horse.  

There are now ranges of saddles with changeable gullets and these can be useful but unless you know what you are doing I always believe it is better to have it fitted professionally as if it doesn't fit it could cause irrepairable damage to your horses back.

Answer 4

Give the saddler/saddle fitter a call, ask what saddles they stock and check that they match your criteria. Some saddlers will also sell second hand saddles and bring those to the fitting. The saddler will ask you some questions; What disciplines you ride in, your horses general make-up and your price band. They will then bring a selection of saddles to the fitting for both, your horse and you.

Do not be tempted to buy a saddle, before it has been correctly fitted to your horse. A badly fitting saddle can cause no end of problems.

It is quite possible that if you are buying a second hand saddle, the saddler will let you try it out for a week or so. Some saddlers also allow this for new.

Answer 5

Buy a saddle that is close to the fit of your horse.  There are all sorts of sites that tell how a saddle should fit, i suggest you google "saddle fit".  http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/howshouli... has templates to download to find what size your horse needs, you can then take the one that fits your horse to a saddle shop and get a saddle approximately the same width.  We use them for our horses, its easy and you don't have to fiddle around guessing size.  Good luck!

Answer 6

i get my saddles from a person who sells and fits your saddle for you. look for saddle fitters maybe they will come with you to buy a saddle to help fit it?

Answer 7

A saddle fitter should come out to you with a selection of appropriate saddles and find one that fits you and your horse. They can get a rough idea of what would suit by asking what kind of riding you do, your height and body shape and your horses height and breed...

Use this link for more info and to find a qualified saddle fitter:

http://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk/

Answer 8

You need to get a qualified saddle fitter to come and see your horse, they will bring a variety of saddles. They will see the saddle on the back with no girth, then with a girth, then with you riding. They will assess it to see if it fits the horse. In short, saddle fitter, saddle, horse and you all have to be in the same place at the same time! Where do you live? I could recommend a couple in my area, or you could try www.yell.com

Answer 9

You phone a reputable saddler and you ask them to come and and fit the saddle.  They will ask you questions about whether your horse is wide or narrow, they will ask what height he is and how he is built, they will ask what you do: hack/jump/dressage/event.  They then ask your height and size.  They will then come with a selection of saddles to see what is the best make of saddle to suit your horse - some horses for instance suit Albions, some Passiers, some Ideal (Jessica's).  This gives them an idea of how the saddle sits on your horse.  They then have a template which they use to measure and chart the new saddle.  (Oh, they need to see you sat on the saddle on the horse to assess that too).

A new saddle takes about 2 months from start to finish.

It should be reflocked about every three years or when the flocking underneath begins to feel a bit flat and hard.  Once the saddle is made the saddler will come back and fit it to your horse and see you ride in it and make any necessary adjustments.

Hope that helps.

Answer 10

I can tell PooBear hasn't had a saddle made by Broken Horn!  :::Laughing:::  I've had a couple of their western saddles made and it was closer to six months than it was two although they tell you it will be about 3 months.

You haven't said what discipline you ride.  Western, English (Hunt Seat, Saddle Seat, Dressage).  

You also didn't mention what type (Breed) of horse you ride.  This makes a BIG difference.  

You can use a wire coat hanger and bend it to the shape of your horse's withers to get the actual size and shape, you can measure your seat size by taking a measuring tape and starting from your knee to your hip will give you the ENGLISH seat size, then deduct two inches typically for Western.

Best of Luck.