# Saddles



## lupinfarm (Dec 5, 2009)

I know for sure my mare was wearing a full QH bar western saddle, does anyone know the width of this size tree in CM?


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## Stauffer (Dec 6, 2009)

http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/howshoulifit.html  this might help 

I prefer to try the saddle on if possible to make sure not only width, but length and other things fit right. I also tend to buy wider than I need as I use more than one saddle pad, so that takes up some of my width. If you are buying at a local/near local tack store, many will let you take a saddle home with you to try if you place a deposit and will refund that deposit so long as you don't get the saddle dirty (I used an old bedsheet to place between the horse and the saddle when I did this) or will put that deposit towards the purchase of the saddle if you do decide to go with it. 

good luck and happy saddle shopping


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## lupinfarm (Dec 6, 2009)

I can't try it on my mare. I can't even touch her. She'd nervous and very spooky and hasn't had anyone do anything with her in over a year. I'm buying a saddle first because my trainer has like the magic touch lol she can get any horse to trust her in about 30 seconds. I usually can judge the size a fit by looking at them. We had a medium/wide saddle with a medium/wide gullet for my gelding who has the same build as my mare and it fit him great, through being thin to being overweight. I too like to size up, you can always fill out with pads.

Just a thought, my mare has low wide withers and a high-ish bum... should I consider a riser pad for the withers?


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## Stauffer (Dec 6, 2009)

well...at least they give inch measurements there and you can convert. Or go look at some saddles and eyeball them to see if you think they'd fit and then measure them. 

I personally use the thin saddle blankets between two pads to raise up areas that need it, but that is because that is what I have on hand..lol. I used to have a neat saddlepad that had shims you could put in and remove and stuff to make a saddle fit better, but I lost it in a flood. See what your trainer thinks on the riser pad.


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## lupinfarm (Dec 6, 2009)

Ohh I think Pleasant Ridge has the one with the shims out here. They're expensive but I'd consider it for my girl. I'm looking at getting a Wintec All purpose english saddle. I don't think she'd wear a Wintec Wide. She's a Fresian/Qh and my Haflinger/Belgian only wore a medium/wide saddle and he was definitely bigger than her.


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## LauraM (Dec 6, 2009)

Skito pads are excellent for working with odd shaped backs.  I've bought this one for my daughter's gelding who is getting a sway back:

Correction Pad 

It works GREAT and is the only thing I've found to prevent the bridging from the swayback.

There are also these:

Equalizer Interpad 

Equalizer with Inserts

This website has the best prices on Skitos that I've ever come across.


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