What size Western saddle for a QH?

Question

I have a 16hh Quarter Horse. I just need the average saddle size. Please don't tell me to get the saddle fitted - we barely use saddles so I don't want to spend the money on a saddle we'll only use once a month maybe less. He does have high withers - in my oppinion.

Im going to be buying an Abetta round skirt saddle.

sizes are 14"- 17" regular.

and 15"-17" wide.

Which size?

Answer 1

i agree with the first answer...also alot of the saddles are sold to fit the rider..yeah the saddles come in different sizes for your horse but most horses have an average back size..

Answer 2

I've owned BOTH kinds and the leather ones are still with me.

I also ended up with an Abetta western saddle for a bit and ended up GIVING it to my best friend, who also basically ended up GIVING it to somebody else.  There's no give to them and they are basically uncomfortable and DON'T hold their value.

Our reasoning behind this is that a synthetic, no matter how they make 'em has no "GIVE", that's one of the reasons for the interchangable gullets in the saddles of the Wintecs.  I can honestly say in the decades of owning my Siegfried (Stubben), I've NEVER had it on a horse it didn't fit and I've owned a LOT of different sized/breeds of horses.  From WIDE Quarter Horses to Narrow TBs and even a couple of Arabs.

I can also say the same about my Western saddles.  My favorite saddles are a 40 year old Circle Y and perspectively my now 22 year old Broken Horn Show saddle and 12 year old Broken Horn working saddle (Both BH saddles were made for me on semi QH trees which will fit the majority of horses I have and will own.).  I don't like the fact that the synthetics don't have any "give" to them and you stand a better chance of soring up a horse because they don't shift with a horse's body (They have little or no "give" in the trees, let alone the comfort that a leather saddle does for it's rider if you get a good, quality saddle.).

If you're limited on funds, then try e-bay and find a good used leather saddle.

As for tree size, try a semi quarter horse tree.  As for your seat size, measure from you knee to your hip, then subtract 2" from that for your seat size in a Western Saddle.

Answer 3

You don't need to spend a lot of money fitting a saddle, but please spend a little time. Take a wire hanger or something similar that can flex and hold a shape and mold it to your horses withers. Trace the shape of the inside (where it went against the horse) on a piece of cardboard. Add 1/2 inch all around the top of the line so you have an outline, then cut. This will give you a template you can take to the tack store and stick under any saddle's gullet to see if it fits.You wouldn't be real happy if someone just ran out and bought you a pair of shoes that didn't fit and then made you wear them, would you? When you do get the saddle, make sure you have a few inches  clearance from the gullet to the withers so it doesn't cause injury or discomfort.

Answer 4

Saddle sizes in western saddles are measured by seat size. Size 15 would a 15" seat measured from the horn to the cantle. The seat size would depend on you. I am 5'11" and weigh 195lbs and use a 16" saddle. If you are real small a 14 would work which is kids size. Most women fit in 15" saddles and men in 16" saddles. Larger than average people would use a 17 or 18. The saddle probably has full quarter horse bars or semi quarter horse bars. If your horse has a wide back get full quarter horse bars. If the back is narrower or it is a young horse get semi quarter horse bars.

Answer 5

Take your horse with you when you go to pick out a saddle. Otherwise you are going to spend thousands in vet and chiro care because you wanted to take the cheap way rather than take the time to find a well fitting saddle that won't cause your mount discomfort.

Most saddle shops I know will allow you to take the saddle out of the store and place on your horses back. A good rule of thumb is if you are able to push down the stirrup WITHOUT the saddle being cinched and the saddle not slide to the side, then the saddle is a good fit. If the saddle slides off it's either to big or to small.

Then will come your turn to sit the saddle and find what seat fits you. If you take short cuts then you ARE going to get cheap results. Wouldn't you rather fit the saddle and have your horse comfortable or spend more money on back and leg work that could have been avoided?

Answer 6

Holy c**p you better get some knowledge!

Those are seat sizes for your butt, not the horses!

And the difference between regular and wide has to do with the withers.  You cannot expect these people to give you a correct answer without seeing the horse.  You don't need to get the horse fitted, but I would suggest one thing that might help.

Go to a dealer who sells Weatherbeeta saddles - like Bates, Collegiate or Wintec - ask them to rent a gullet guage.  We rent 'em at our store for $30 then you get your money back when you bring it back.  Put the guage on the horse per the instructions on it.  If it measures a Medium narrow to medium, a regular (semi quarter horse bars) will fit, if Medium wide you've got  50/50 chance of gettin it right - if wide, then buy a wide.

Chances are these folks will also rep Abetta saddles so will tell ya what size you need.

Sure, you might only ride in it once a month, but don't ya want it to fit your horse?

As far as your seat size - got to the tack store and sit in some saddles - the measurement is from the back side of the pommel (the back of the horn) to the front edge of the seat where your butt meets it.  If you're sitting in the saddle, you need 2-3 finger widths between your thigh and the saddle pommel - if you fit in a 16" for example in a Circle Y, Textan, Big Horn, about any - that's the size Abetta you'll buy.

Additionally, saddle fit doesn't COST money, it SAVES you money.  If you put $500 into a saddle that doesn't fit, then you can't sell it for what you've got into it, what good is it?

At our store, we will fit a saddle to your horse free of charge providing you bring the horse to the store, it's calm enough to stand for saddling and you make an appt.  Many, many people say it's worth it if they are not knowledgeable about saddle fit.  If someone wants to charge you to fit a saddle - it's either because they're not a saddle sales person or they're just plain silly.  You can usually get the same deals purchasing saddles from the local tack store that you can get in a mail order catalog.  If not, isn't it worth an extra $50 to ensure you get the right one?

If you're purchasing a used one, you should be able to try it out for fit before you buy it.