Instructions
Decide on a range of saddle sizes based on your general age and size. A saddle is measured from the screw on the side of the pommel (front) to the middle of the cantel (pack edge). This measurement does not equate to any measurement of your body, but rather gives a size to the saddle. Sizes of less than 17 inches are for juniors, sizes 17 through 17 1/2 are standard size and sizes 18 and up are for large riders.
Go to a tack shop that has a large selection of saddles to try them. The best way to try saddles it to sit in a wide variety of different sizes. Test them for comfort and the position of your legs. When you're sitting in the saddle, use a homemade measuring system; you should be able to fit four fingers between your seat the back edge of the saddle, with your fingers running parallel to the back edge of the saddle.
Fit for width as well as length. Trees, the basic structure of saddles, come in small, medium and large widths. These accommodate both the rider and the horse. If a saddle is not letting your legs hang in a comfortable way, it may be that the saddle is either too wide or too narrow.
How to Measure a Seat for an English Saddle
When you ride horses, your tack is one of the most important supplies you have. A saddle needs to fit not only the horse's back but also the rider's seat. Saddles come in standard measurements, and are usually displayed in large numbers by tack stores for fittings.