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Does It Fit?

2K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  unclearthur 
#1 ·
HDR advantage c/c wide 18 in. Thanks!!
 

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#2 ·
I think you have it sitting a bit too far forward. Where it is now, it doesn't look level from front to back and gives the impression that it isn't wide enough, but I think you have it sitting up on her withers/shoulder and it may fit moved further back.
 
#3 ·
Unless you're really tall/long legged you don't need an 18 inch saddle on a 15 hand horse - too big.
I'm approx. 5ft 3 and every saddler I've ever dealt with puts me in a 16 1/2 inch saddle - designed in width to fit the size of whichever horses I have
 
#4 ·
Um....the seat size is dependent on her anatomy, the style she rides, and the brand of the saddle. It's the forwardness of the flaps that accommodate longer legs not the seat size. I ride in anywhere from 17-18in seat sizes. 17 for jumping and 18 for deeper seated dressage saddles. It varies across the brand as well. 18in seats on a 15 horse doesn't always mean too big. As long as it doesn't go past the 18 thoracic vertebra it should be fine. I've seen size 19 on a 14.2hh that didn't hit the 18th. Also had a 17.5in that did go past on a 16.2hh and the same seat size different brand not go past on the same horse. Again, it varies on the brand of the saddle and conformation of the horse.

As for the saddle fit, the saddle is too far forward and needs to be set further back. It also seems to be too narrow for that horse as well.
 
#5 ·
I ride in UK hunter showing, jumping and dressage seat so have owned all relevant styles and in many different makes over the years and always use a qualified saddler and have never been fitted for anything bigger than a 161/2
We have 18 and 19 inch saddles here that are used by my son and my husband and are too big for me to feel comfortable on
I suppose someone with a larger backside would need a larger saddle though
 
#8 ·
I ride in UK hunter showing, jumping and dressage seat so have owned all relevant styles and in many different makes over the years and always use a qualified saddler and have never been fitted for anything bigger than a 161/2
That's irrelevant as you're not the OP and don't know her height, weight, and proportions. I know its not your intention to offend anyone but please do bear in mind that there are women riders who do need larger seat sizes and stating that "well i ride in a smaller size" or "that's too big" (w/o having seen a pic of the rider in the saddle) may come across as insensitive.
 
#6 ·
I tend to disagree on the not needing an 18" thing. I ride in a 16.5" a lot because of my short legs, and even sometimes down to a 16". However, I have a 17.5" with an extra short flap now and I am in LOVE with it. So nice to have room for my big butt and thighs. If your leg is big enough for the proportions on a standard 18" and the saddle does not go to far back on the horse, I don't see the issue.
 
#7 ·
I agree with those who said 'too far forward' but it's worth making an observation about seat length and horse size.

I suspect in this case the saddle will be at the horse's size limit, or even slightly over, when correctly placed. 18" is fairly unusual on a 15hh animal, though certainly not exceptional.

But with this saddle, if you look at the panel itself, it's very short when compared to the tree (notice the cantle overhang). Many saddles have panels which line up vertically with the cantle or even extend rearwards past it. Short-panel saddles can allow larger riders to fit short-backed horses, often well up to the rider's weight but appearing to need a smaller seat size than the rider would find comfortable.

There's a trade-off, of course - a smaller panel means greater PSI, but as with everything saddle related, fit is always a compromise.
 
#9 ·
People come in all dfferent shapes and sizes. That's why saddles come in all different shapes and sizes. I'm 5'9" with a 34" inseam. I haven't sat right in a 16.5" saddle since I was twelve years old. Must have 17.5". Depending on the horse, I have saddles of various widths and, and Unclearthur pointed out, various panel designs to accommodate different backs. A dear friend of mine is 6' tall with 36" inseam. Yup, she has to have that 18" saddle.

That aside, the OP's saddle is definitely too far forward. I'll reserve judgement until I see it placed correctly. Pics taken from the front, towards the gullet and showing the shoulder-angle vs tree angle, would also be helpful..
 
#10 ·
For a starter you cannot fit a saddle unless you have a girth on it. Often when a girth is fitted it can raise the back of the saddle up.

I do not like the shape of that saddle, look at the top picture and see where the lowest part of the seat is which is where the rider will be placed, way to far back.
 
#18 ·
I completely understood what jaydee said and don't see why other people are having an issue. She was asking does the OP really need a saddle that size as it's pushing it from the horses point of view. The answer is yes. Not a big deal..

Going off the new pics it still looks a tad forward imo.

I think (this may change if moved back an inch or so) it's "ok". If it's a new saddle personally if I was spending the money I'd want it pretty darn perfect and would pass on this one. If it's a freebie I'd take it. If that makes sense.

I'd be interested in seeing a pic of his back without the saddle then one with in the same position (skip the pad).

I suspect is may be a little close to his back in the middle (don't remember the proper term for this). But from the pictures given I will stick with "ok".

Is it the proper width in back?

It does look a little long but if you need it I think it's workable.
 
#19 ·
Horse tack Horse Saddle Horse harness Mane


Based on my impression of this horse bare, and with average conformation, I think the saddle ought to fit between the blue (point position) and yellow arrows. The green line is a guess at the last rib (T18 vertebra) so the saddle ought to just squeak in lengthwise.

There are two reasons it might be positioned too far forward.
(i) I've known a saddle positioned from looking at the girth - when the girth hangs vertically in the groove position, that's where it's placed. Unfortunately this is the wrong way around - the saddle needs to sit with the points three finger-widths (approx. 2") back from the back edge of the shoulderblade. If the girth then hangs behind the groove position, it should be swung forward so it sits in the correct place. This probably means it'll angle slightly backwards to the billets but that's pretty normal for a big-shouldered horse.
(ii) The saddle sits level in its current position, but the front drops when it's slid further back. This means the saddle's either too wide, or more likely it needs extra flock at the front of the panel to support the correct tree width.

Hope that helps. Merry Christmas :)
 
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