What Kind of Western Saddle Is Good for a Short Backed Horse?

Good saddle fit is crucial in order to have a good riding experience with a sound and comfortable horse. Short-backed horses are especially vulnerable to poor saddle fit because the bars of the saddle tend to be too long for their backs, leading to the rider's weight being distributed where it should not be and stress being placed on parts of the back that do not support it well.

  1. What to Look For

    • When you are looking for a saddle for a short-backed horse, you want to keep the length of the saddle and the length of its skirts in mind. Some saddles are simply longer than others. This can cause weight to be distributed in places it does not need to be on a short-backed horse, such as across the horse's hips. Measure your horse's back from wither to hip before going saddle shopping, so you can measure the length of all saddles you consider purchasing and make sure they are shorter than your horse's back. Also, make sure you are shopping for the correct seat size you need, as some riders have a tendency to buy saddles too large for them. On a long-backed horse, extra room is not an issue, but if you can ride in a 15-inch saddle and buy a 17-inch saddle, those are two extra inches of length your short-backed horse should not have to compensate for.

    Barrel Saddles

    • Barrel racing saddles are designed to promote the horse's movement, as barrel racing is a speed event. Barrel saddles are almost always a good choice for a short-backed horse because they are compactly built and tend to have rounded or short skirts.

    Round Skirts

    • Saddles with round skirts tend to be shorter than those with square or rounded skirts. The rounded skirts are less likely to interfere with the horse's movements and stay out of the way of the hip. A number of types of saddles come with rounded skirts, though you may have to do a little extra searching, as they are not as common as the larger, more square skirts. A number of synthetic fabric saddles will have rounded skirts, as do some roping saddles and quite a few barrel saddles.

    Custom Fit

    • In some cases, the best thing you can do for a short-backed horse is have a saddle custom-made, especially if you are looking for a show saddle that needs to meet specific criteria. Dakota Saddlery, a saddle maker out of Alabama, makes every saddle as it is ordered and can make custom adjustments to any saddle in their lineup. Other saddleries may be able to make adjustments if you contact them directly.