How to Measure Yourself for an English Saddle?

A Large number of English horse saddles are currently being sold in the market. It doesn’t matter if you are purchasing it online or from a saddle store; only a perfectly fitted saddle will be appropriate for the rider and the horse.

While choosing the best horse saddle, it’s a key point to note that the fitting sits perfectly well. In general, terms, if your saddle does not fit properly, it can make you uncomfortable during the ride. Moreover, such a situation can cause pain and sores to both the horse and the rider. Thus, it’s essential to buy an English saddle that’s just right for both parties.

English Saddle and its Availability

Though there are maximum choices to make while purchasing an English saddle, it all depends on your riding discipline. While doing a search for an English saddle, know that it’s quite different from the Western saddle. Furthermore, it’s also essential that you take the correct measurements of an English saddle and purchase it online.

Read Also : All Purpose English Saddle

Parts of an English Saddle

Basically, there are two parts of an English saddle that you need to measure. They include –

• Seat: It is the topmost part of the saddle where the rider sits comfortably. Likewise, the better the comfort and support, the easiest the ride will be for the horse and the rider.
• Gullet: A gullet is a part that remains beneath the saddle’s seat. It is usually structured to give the horse the right amount of comfort so that it’s easy for them to perform different activities.

While many people take the measurement for the saddle, they forget to measure the gullet; that’s essential. Furthermore, it’s equally important to measure the seat and the gullet in order to know the perfect size of English saddle for your horse.

Why it’s important to fit the saddle seat?

It’s not just about the rider’s safety and comfort in finding the saddle with the right seat fitting. But there can be other reasons, too, for which it’s essential to make sure that your saddle’s seat is proper. In order to say the least, if your saddle and its seat are not of the perfect size, it may affect your movement and riding discipline. Furthermore, you can perform better if the saddle is in the correct position for you as well as the horse.

See More: How to Choose the Right Saddle for Your Horse?

Saddle Seat Fitting and Size: For the Rider

Once you know which saddle you need to buy as per your riding discipline, you can easily determine the saddle size and fit accordingly. More so, here is how you can conclude the fit for your horse’s saddle. It includes –

• Measure from hip to knee length: You first must determine where your knee is adjusting on the saddle. While trying out the saddle, checking where this part starts and ends is essential. Necessarily, your knee should hit the top of the flap and not too far from the top.
• Size of the saddle seat: If you know it correctly, measuring the size of your seat is extremely important for comfort level and ability to move. If you cannot figure out the correct seat size for your saddle, you can go with your instincts. Moreover, you can select the saddle that gives you more comfort and helps you to stay stable in its seat.
• Flap length: A flap length may not play an important role in saddle seat size, but it aligns where your leg angle will be. If you can understand, a flap can fall somewhere between the 2/3rd of your leg. The aim is to let it act as a barrier between the rider’s leg and the horse’s skin.
• Your preferable riding style: It can be the first thing you have to be assured about but also, it doesn’t have much importance in selecting the saddle seat. Some riders may prefer a saddle that may not be of their riding discipline but should be spacious enough. On the other hand, if the rider is not that heavy, they may also fit into a sleek-looking saddle.

Conclusion:

As long as we can conclude with any type of English horse saddle, the saddle’s size, fit, and comfort are really important. More so, the effectiveness of the saddle also plays an important role in choosing the best one. Likewise, the rider can have a complete measurement as per the English riding saddle before purchase.

Read Article: 
https://horsesaddleshop.org/treeless-english-saddle/
https://horsesaddleshop.org/are-saddles-not-good-for-horses/
https://horsesaddleshop.org/bridle-an-important-component-of-horseback-riding/