Saddle fitting with a saddle tree

No more guessing! Get the RIGHT fit for your horse or mule

When you first start to shop for a saddle...we know it can be confusing.  There are so many saddles for sale online and through local tack and feed shops...how do you know how to get the RIGHT FIT for YOUR horse?  Very few online stores or local shops offer help in getting the correct saddle fit for your horse.

Just because a saddle is called a "gaited saddle", "draft saddle", "Arabian saddle" , "mule saddle", etc. etc...doesn't mean that it fits every equine of that description.  Nor are all of these saddle the same standard size.  That's why we offer our tree fitting program, so you can be sure you get the best possible, most comfortable fit for YOUR horse. 

Recent customer testimonial:

"Thank you so much for all of your help.  The tree fitting evaluation is really helpful and educational.  It helped me see a few things I was overlooking.  It should be a part of every saddlemaker's process."

Why is Saddle Fit Important?

Because you care about your horses comfort and peace of mind you want a saddle that fits properly:

Does your horse switch his/her tail, lay back ears, or sidle away when you approach with the saddle or cinch up? Do you get undesirable feedback when you mount up? If you enjoy your horse's company when you're just hanging out together in the corral (sans saddle), but he or she develops behavior problem when you're saddling or riding, a poorly fitting saddle may very well be to blame*.  Stumbling, having trouble getting into a smooth gait, troubling changing leads or slow responses to rein and leg cues can also be related to saddle fit problems. 

Some horses don't express their pain...you may not know you have a saddle fitting issue until white spots or white hairs show up in their coat under the pressure points of the saddle.

A well-made saddle that fits your horse properly can work wonders in improving your relationship with your horse! 

*Important note:  Don't rule out pain as a factor in undesirable behavior.  No matter how well your new saddle fits, if your equine is already experiencing pain cause by an old saddle, the new saddle is not going to fix the behavior problem until the pain is relieved.  Assess your horse yourself (ONLY if you're comfortable) by massaging and applying pressure all over your horse to see if there is any soreness, flinching or pain spasms.  Be safe--have someone else assist you.  Be aware that the best horse in the world may bite or kick just as an automatic reflex to pain (kind of like when the doctor hits you on the knee with that little hammer!).  You can also have a qualified vet, equine massage therapist or equine chiropractic expert do an assessment for you. 

You can choose to have the actual saddle tree sent to you!  You then put the saddle tree on your horse, take pictures (instructions will be sent to you), e'mail the pictures and expert saddle fitters will evaluate the fit for you.  From the pictures, the saddle fitter and maker can tell what adjustments need to be made to ensure that your horse has the most comfortable fit.   To order a tree, click here 

Why tree-fitting instead of other methods?

Coat hanger and wither tracing measurements can be very inaccurate and unreliable.  Coat hanger measurements just measure 1/4" of your equine's back.  You cannot see gullet width fit, bar fit from front to back, or if the saddle will sit on the horse's spine.  Coat hanger measurements are a guess at best.  You can have confidence that the saddle you order fits your equine correctly when you use our tree-fitting program.  We can see what modifications, if any, need to be made to the tree and suggest the best type of saddle pad to use in conjuction with the saddle to get the best comfort and fit for your horse. 

Several saddle trees are available for fitting purposes:
 

6 ½" flex tree (semi QH).  This saddletree flexes to about 6 ¾" when pressure is applied (rider in saddle).

7" flex tree (full QH).  This saddletree flexes to about 7 ¼" when pressure is applied (rider in saddle).

 6 ½" gaited wood tree*

7" gaited wood tree*

ONE SIZE ONLY--Gaited FLEX tree in a 7" gullet (Seat sizes are called 16" and 17", but actually fit like a 15.5" and 16.5")

*Gaited trees are specifically built for the gaited horse breeds, but fit most horses that have a lot of angle to their topline.  Bars on these trees are flared outward at the shoulder and the gullet is taller so they do not pinch the shoulder and they aid the gaited horse in comfortably moving into their natural gaits. 

 Draft wood tree**

**Draft horse wood trees are specifically built for your draft or larger horse.  The bars are flatter to fit a broader back.  We can build this gullet in a 7", 7.5" or 8" width (wood tree)...we should be able to tell from your saddle fitting pictures which gullet size is needed. 

 6 1/2" mule polymer tree

7" mule polymer tree

 6 ½"(semi QH) or polymer tree

7" (full QH) or polymer tree

Have a saddle tree shipped to you today

Shipping a saddletree requires a $125.00 deposit plus shipping.  The $125.00 deposit is applied to the purchase price of your saddle.  We request that you do not order a saddle tree unless you are serious about having a custom saddle built.   

 To order a tree click here

We will ship you instructions with the trees as well, but here is the overview of our saddle tree fit instructions:

TREE FIT:

With the ideal tree fit the tree will sit flat on your horse’s/mule’s back. The sides should be flush against the horse’s/mule’s ribs – not bend inward poking the horse/mule.  The gullet area should have about 2” of clearance (2 fingers is a good way to measure) between top of horse’s/mule’s withers and the underside of the gullet.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Tree should be tried on the horse/mule with no pad, no blanket, no towels, etc.  Please sit the tree about 1 1/2'” to 2” back from where you would normally put the front of the saddle.  We can help you determine a good fit if you have a digital camera. We would need to have just three photos

1) profile of side showing how the bars fit over the horse’s/mule’s back and

2) shot from the front showing clearance between horse’s/mule’s withers and underside of gullet and

3) shot from the rear so we may see how far the tree comes down over the horse’s/mule’s spine.

We don’t really need to see the whole horse—just where the saddle tree sits--close-ups work best.    

Testimonials

"Just wanted to touch base. The saddle is great. Fits very well (I don't quite know how you guys did it.... I couldn't get much of a feel from looking at the trees, but you guys nailed it!) Thanks," Mike

" The saddle is wonderful and it fits like a dream! Thanks so very much for all of your wonderful help! I've been singing your praises to everyone who sees the saddle and comments how nice it is" Bev

"My saddle is just as comfortable as it is beautiful!!! Nugget gaites so beautiful in it, we gaited for about 1 hr straight at the clinic. That is the longest time ever. I had problems just keeping him in his gait before purchasing your saddle. I can now mount without a block, I guess that's because Nugget has the correct size saddle! Thanks again!" Cheryl

" I managed to get a couple of pictures of Hezzie in his new saddle. Two people at the farm actually commented that he's moving easier. He's certainly enthusiastic.  I plan to write to some of the gaited horse sites so that other people with problem-to-fit horses like Hezzie will know that you exist. It took me 4 years to get a saddle that's perfect for him, and I can't be the only person on the planet with that problem. What's most amazing is that I've returned $1800.00 saddles that were guaranteed to fit and didn't, and you managed to make me one that actually DOES fit for under $700. That just doesn't make sense - but I'm not complaining! I think your tree fitting method is a lot more effective than the wire bending one (which certainly didn't work in my case). Anyway - thank you again for all your help." Cindy 

"I have a new horse and require your assistance in purchasing a saddle.  I have purchased a saddle from you in the past and it worked out great. ... I have every confidence in your recommendations and feel very confident in purchasing another saddle from you.  I will never buy another saddle that is not from you as they don't fit right and I never want my horses in distress due to poor saddle fitting.  Look forward to working with you again."  Margaret

"Shelley's saddle arrived Friday. I'm very happy with it. It fits her, looks nice on her, matches her other equipment, and is comfortable for me. I've only had a chance to ride once in the arena. It was worth the wait. I will send you a picture of her in it soon. Thanks for all the good service! I really enjoyed working with you."  Danielle

Good Examples of Excellent Saddle tree Fit (and what angles we want to see in fitting pictures):

If your tree fit doesn't look exactly like this...that's okay :)  This is to show you what angles we would like to see in the pictures.

The picture below shows excellent fit along the bars of the saddle tree. Bars fit the back evenly without poking in. They lie flush with the horse's back so the bars can evenly distribute the rider's weight comfortably for the horse. (Don't be discouraged if your tree fitting is not exactly like this...the best possible, most comfortable fit can be found for your horse)

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