How to Measure Yourself for an English Saddle

Measuring yourself for an English saddle is vitally important when selecting the proper saddle both for yourself and your horse. A saddle that is too large will cause you to shift around in your seat as the horse moves. This puts your horse off-balance increasing the risk of muscle strain or injury. A saddle that is too small causes you to assume a poor posture while in the saddle. This is not only uncomfortable for you, but it puts unnecessary pressure on the horse’s back. Learning how to fit a saddle properly to yourself keeps both you and your horse comfortable and safe during your ride.

The Difference Between Tree Size and Seat Size

In order to assess which size saddle you’ll need, you need to understand what is meant by certain terms. When purchasing an English saddle, you’ll often see two measurements: Tree size and seat size. Typically found in narrow, medium and wide, the tree size is for the horse. Seat size is typically measured in inches commonly ranging from approximately fourteen to twenty inches. Since most seat sizes come in all three tree sizes, it is important to determine your own size first.

Instructions for Measuring Yourself

Measuring yourself for an English saddle is not all that difficult, and it requires very little equipment. You’ll need the saddle of your choice (possibly several saddles) and either a horse or a saddle rack that is designed to bear your weight. Standard saddle racks probably cannot hold the full weight of both saddle and rider. You may also want a tape measure, although it isn’t necessary.

Put on all gear you will wear while riding, including your riding boots. Sit in the center of the saddle, finding the most comfortable position without having your feet in the stirrups. Without moving your body, glance behind you. There should be two to four inches of saddle seat exposed. If you cannot tell how much space is left behind you, use a measuring tape to be sure. You might want to have a friend help you with this. You should have the same amount of saddle seat in front of you. Measure the distance from the saddle nail to the center of the cantle to find your saddle size.

Place your feet in the stirrups and check your knee placement. Your knees should be behind the knee roll but on the padding, assuming the flap is padded. If you have longer legs, you might find that your knees extend over the edge of the flap. In this case, you will probably need a saddle with more forward flaps. You might also have to consider a saddle with longer flaps, if you find they are not quite long enough for you. Most saddles can be special ordered to accommodate different flap sizes.

Make sure the saddle is truly comfortable for you. Move around a little, making sure your gear does not catch on any part of the saddle. If you find your gear and saddle are not compatible, you’ll either need a different saddle or new gear. Even if the saddle size is right for you, that particular saddle may not be just right in all other respects.

It is important to realize that English saddles and Western saddles are different. If you typically use a fourteen-inch Western saddle, you may need a sixteen-inch English saddle or perhaps even larger. In addition, English saddles are not ‘one size fits all’ saddles. You must measure yourself for your English saddle and consider comfort above all else.