Things You'll Need
- Brush
- Dressage saddle
Instructions
Determine Where the Saddle Will Naturally Sit
Brush the horse's back thoroughly, removing any dirt or debris that could stain the saddle.
Ask the horse to stand squarely on level ground with its legs all beneath it. If the horse is stretching a back leg, tap that leg until it stands normally.
Place the saddle just over the horse's withers without a saddle pad beneath it.
Put both hands on the pommel of the saddle.
Press down gently on the pommel and allow the saddle to slide back toward the horse's rear end. Don't press down so hard as to elevate the cantle more than a few inches.
Allow the saddle to stop where it seems to "fit" the horse or where it stops by itself. You might feel slight resistance if you try to push it back farther due to the shape of the horse's back. The saddle should be sitting behind the horse's shoulder at this point, past its withers, and it should be about where you would place a saddle when tacking up.
Repeat this process at least five times or more until the saddle seems to want to stay in the same place each time. The last time that you allow the saddle to find its natural place on the horse, leave it there. This is where the saddle will naturally sit on the horse, and this is where you should leave it for the rest of the fitting.
Check Where the Saddle Sits
Observe where the saddle has naturally come to fit the horse. If it is up on the horse's withers, the saddle is too narrow and will pinch the horse when ridden.
Find the point of your horse's shoulder. The saddle needs to sit just behind that line to allow your horse freedom of movement. If the front of the panels surpass that line, the horse will not be able to move correctly while wearing it.
Walk behind the horse and check to see if the saddle naturally sits in the middle of the horse. If it tilts to one side or another, check to see that your horse is standing squarely. If it is, and the saddle tilts, it does not fit correctly.
Check How the Saddle Sits
Observe the saddle from the side while your horse stands squarely on flat ground.
Visualize a line drawn over the seat of the saddle from the pommel to the cantle. This line should be almost parallel with the horse's back.
Visualize that same line from the pommel to the cantle. Because dressage saddles have deep seats, the pommel should be about 1.5 inches to 2.5 inches lower than the cantle.
Check the Contact of the Front of the Saddle
Stand in front of the horse and observe how the front of the saddle fits the horse. You should not be able to see gaps where the front of the saddle's flaps rise away from the horse.
Stand to one side of the horse and run one hand from the withers down beneath the saddle flaps, following the flaps until you reach the bottom. Your hand should not be pinched at all, and the pressure of the flaps should be light and constant.
Repeat the previous step to the other saddle flap while standing on the other side of the horse.
Check the Clearance of the Pommel
Tuck your thumb and pinky of one hand together so that your pointer, middle and ring fingers are extended straight out.
Place a knuckle of your ring finger on the horse's withers directly beneath the pommel of the saddle.
Determine if you need to add or subtract fingers until your hand meets both the horse's withers and the underside of the pommel. There should be two to three fingers' worth of space between the horse's withers and the underside of the pommel. If there is more space, the saddle is too narrow and is raising above the horse's back. If there is less space, the saddle is too wide, and is folding down over the horse's back.
Check the Overall Clearance of the Saddle
Stand directly behind your horse, making sure that it is aware of where you are.
Look directly down the horse's spine in the direction of its head, through the center of the back of the saddle.
Determine if the saddle's center, at any point, puts pressure directly on the horse's spine. The saddle is designed to touch on either side of the horse's spine, but you should be able to see clearance all along the center of the horse's back.
Check for Gaps
Inspect the back panels of the saddle on both sides of the horse. These panels should lie flat along the horse, and there should be no gaps where they rise off of the horse's back.
Push down steadily in the center of the saddle's seat with one hand.
Lift up the sweat flaps while you continue to push down with the other hand, and examine the panels to make sure that they lie evenly along the horse's back. As with the back portion of the panels, there should be no gaps.