Not all horses' backs are the same width and neither are all saddles. Placing a narrow saddle onto the back of a wide horse can pinch the horse's back and make it uncomfortable. A wide saddle on a narrow-backed horse allows the saddle to fall onto the horse's withers, creating unnecessary back pressure. When replacing your saddle, measure the tree on your original saddle to ensure a proper fit for your horse.
Step 1
Place the front of an English or Western saddle at the edge of a saddle rack with the front of the saddle facing you.
Step 2
Lift the skirt of an English saddle and locate the stirrup bars. While facing the front of the saddle, measure the distance between the two stirrup bars from the underside of the saddle. Convert the inch measurement to centimeters by multiplying your measurement by 2.54 to obtain the tree measurement.
Step 3
Facing a Western saddle, locate the swell of the saddle directly beneath the horn. Beneath the swell of the saddle and on the underside is the portion of the saddle known as the gullet. This is the U-shaped portion of the saddle that sits over the horse's withers. Measure the width of the gullet to obtain the tree measurement.
Things You'll Need
- Saddle rack
- Measuring tape
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