A saddle is only as good as its fit. If your saddle does not fit your horse properly this can lead to discomfort to your horse while riding, difficulty in its performance and physical health problems to the horse. Use Ligers N Tigons Saddle Fitting Guide to insure that you and your horse are safe and comfortable while riding.

Positioning the saddle
In order for your horse to have free range of movement you need to insure that your saddle is placed properly. The saddle has to be placed behind the horse’s shoulder blade not above it. Once you have felt where the horse’s shoulder blade is, using your finger make a mark in his hair to recognize it. Then lift the horse’s leg that corresponds to the shoulder and mark where the shoulder blade is once the horse’s leg is lifted. Your saddle needs to sit behind the horse’s shoulder when his leg is in full extension, which is a couple of inches further back from the shoulder blade when the horse is standing. If you put your saddle behind the horses shoulder blade while he is still, his shoulder will have no where to go when he lifts his leg. The saddle cannot be placed too far back either or else it will cause spinal problems for your horse. Using palpations feel for the 18th vertebrae or last rib and follow it up to the horse’s spine. You will also know where this is because the direction of the hair will change. No portion of your saddle can extend beyond this rib, as there is no skeletal structure to support the saddle.

Gullet Width
The Pommel should clear the wither by a minimum of 2-3 fingers. Make sure there is clearance in the gullet opening while the horse is mounted and unmounted. Try to keep the gullet opening from pinching down on the horse’s spine as it can cause discomfort to your hose. If you have a narrow horse try to stick with a saddle with a narrow tree and vice versa if you have a wide horse. Placing a narrow saddle on a wide horse will pinch your horse and placing a wide saddle on a narrow horse will result in pressure and sores for your horse.

Balance
Keeping your saddle level is very important in order to maintain balance. With the saddle on the horse you should be able to visualize a level line (or use a measuring tape) from the top of the pommel to about 1 inch below the cantle (i.e. the cantle should be higher than the pommel). If you have a deep seated saddle then approximately 1-2 inches below the cantle. If the saddle sits lower than the level line in the front it will cause pinching on the withers and put the horse in strain.

Videos:
Horse Anatomy Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40WzB00NhF8
Fitting a Western Saddle Video : http://bayequest.com/2minvideo/c-5-v-15.htm