How to Measure the Bars on a Western Saddle

Measure the bars of a western saddle as a means of getting a saddle well-fitted to both you and your horse. Take the essential measurements of your horse in inches; and then apply those measurements to ensure the size of the western saddles you evaluate come as close as possible to a match. Particularly ensure that the measurements of the finished saddle do not fall short of the measurements of your horse that pertain to saddle bar sizing.

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure or other tool for measuring in inches.
  • Flexible wire
  • Marking tool such as a pen or permanent marker; or flexicurve measuring tool
  • Paper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Learn to understand the nature of bars on a western saddle. The bars are one element of the base, or foundation known as the saddle tree, on which a saddlemaker builds a saddle by upholstering over the saddle tree with leather or a similar covering.

    • 2

      Recognize that because no standardization exists among different saddle makers, and because you cannot directly access any part of the saddle tree on a fully assembled saddle, you cannot yourself derive an exact measurement of any part of the saddle tree of a completed saddle, including the bars. For exact measurements of any part of the saddle tree, you can only make that determination through documentation or saddle markings provided by the saddlemaker.

    • 3

      Assess the most critical measurement concerning the bars on a western saddle first. Take this measurement where the bars angle outward from the narrow top edge of the saddle to slope over the horse's back and taper over the horse's sides: a portion of the saddle bars called the flare. Take measurement of the flare about two fingers' width behind the withers.

    • 4

      Determine about the width of your horse's back which of the three fundamental categories of western saddle width corresponds to that measurement. While variations between saddlemakers occur, overall narrow flare western saddles correspond to quarter horse bars, in-between to semi-quarter horse bars and wider flare to full quarter horse bars.

    • 5

      Use a fundamental visual inspection, at a minimum, to determine flare sizing for each individual horse. To get a better calculation of a good flare width for your horse, make a template of the horse's withers. Do this by measuring over the back of your horse with a flexible piece of wire placed about two fingers' width behind the withers and held tautly against the horse's back. Mark the wire where the horse's back starts sloping off on each side then transfer those markings to paper to allow your saddle shop to match that dimension against the flare of saddles in stock. Alternately, take this measurement using an instrument called a flexicurve.

    • 6
      To determine the length of a western saddle note how far back towards the hindquarters the saddle reaches.

      Measure the bars of a western saddle also in terms of the length of the saddle. Use a device such as a carpenter's measure to gauge length from the saddle nail at the front of the saddle to the center of the cantle at the rear of the saddle. This dimension provides the size of the saddle itself, such as 15, 16, or 17.