I have a few questions about saddle tree size. (This is for english saddles
What is considered an narrow tree, medium tree, and wide tree in inches?
Where on the saddle do I measure the tree size?
How do I figure out my horse's tree size without putting a saddle on him. He's never been saddled yet, and I can't just start putting saddles on him to figure out the size I need for him. I heard you can do something with a coat hanger. Does anyone know how to do that?
Also do mutton withered horses tend to need narrower or wider tree size? The horses's shoulders aren't too wide though.
Measuring a tree size in inches is incorrect. Here's why (read the whole post):
http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/2010/04 ... The gullet is the area in front of the saddle that sits over the horse's withers and rests along the side of his body just behind the points of the shoulders.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
To find out your horse's tree size (and what saddle will most likely fit him), you need to do a wither tracing and send it to a saddle fitter. At the blog I listed for you later on, they can make recommendations based on the wither tracing (
http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/2010/07 ... and
http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/search? ... and appropriate photos (Scenario 4:
http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/2010/07 ... Horses with mutton withers sometimes need a different type of tree than those with prominent withers: a hoop tree.
By all means, you should put saddles on him! It's not like you need to ride him to figure out if it fits or not. And if you don't currently have one that fits, at least he'll get used to having something on his back. Look here for an idea of what to look out for:
http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/2010/08 ... pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Places you need to check out:
http://www.trumbullmtn.com/ (click through the tab at the top labeled "Saddle Fitting" )
http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/
There is actually a lot of variation between brands, so it's hard to give a firm rule. The most detailed tree sizes are seen with Stubben, which measures tree sizes in centimeters, and a few of the other real upper end brands. Other than that, the adjustable tree saddles sold by Bates/Wintec/Collegiate (all the same company) have specs for their different gullet sizes.
The other problem is that tree size measures the gullet width and not the exterior measurement between the panels. Thus, flocking and such makes it tough to actually get the measurement.
When in doubt, go with a wider tree unless you have a very high-withered horse. You can always add padding under a wide saddle to prevent rubbing, but extra padding is no help on a too-narrow saddle and may make a bad thing worse.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com You can get a horse used to a saddle on the longe line even if the saddle fits rather poorly as long as you don't girth it up super tight to create pressure points and don't ride in it.
For fitting, you can actually buy or rent (from a saddler) a type of flexible sheet that you heat up (slightly) and lay on the horse's back like a saddle blanket, forming it to the shape of the horse, and allowing it to stay there until cool. If the horse is used to blankets they probably will tolerate this.
If that's too expensive or complicated, you can also take a coat hanger or artist's curve, lay it at various points on the horse's back (behind the withers, especially), shape it to fit, and then trace the outline on a sheet of newsprint paper to send to a saddler for analysis. You have to put the wire at the right spots, though
Shoulder width is not the big factor, it's the shape of the back itself, wither height, rib cage, etc. Yes, mutton-withered horses often do need a wider saddle.
