Arab Saddle Fitting

Question
I have a seven year old arab, and I am trying to find a close contact/ Hunter jumper English saddle that would fit my Arab. She is the typical Arab shape ( low withers, wide sprung ribs), but I am having difficulty finding a saddle that would fit. Would you have any suggestions on brands of saddles or what to look for in a saddle when trying to fit my horse?

Answer
Katie,

First off I appologize for taking so long to respond to your question.  I won't go in to details but the last few weeks have been kind of nuts with a lot of events (I managed a 2-day 50/1 day 30 mi. ride,we have 2 50 mi. endurance rides this weekend, a wedding) and I wanted to talk to some people I know who ride Arabs and have had saddle issues.  

These are people who mainly ride endurance but also do other disciplines with their horses.  No one had any specific make of saddle that they would recommend.  You don't run into the problems with the tree being too long and the bars digging into the horse's kidney area on the English saddles so you have to look around and find a saddle with a tree that fits your horse.  Your mare isn't full grown yet, she will change shape a little until sometime after she turns 8.  If I was you I'd first look for a decent used saddle that fits her.  I don't know about where  you are but we have tack shops here that handle used as well as new tack.  Take a couple of pieces of malleable wire, like old wire hangers, and mold them across your girl's back.  One piece should correspond to where the front of the bars of the tree will sit, right behind her shoulder blades.  The other should be about midway between the top of her withers and where her sacral joint is.  Right around the L15 or L16 vertebrae. Measure the distance between the wires pieces then take them with you when you go to look at prospective saddles.  Fit them into the appropriate areas under the saddle, in proper distance and placement, and you'll be able to see if there is a fit or not.  You don't want them to be tight.  The should just be placed lightly against the bottom of the saddle.  You can fine-tune the fit of an English saddle by re-flocking the panels.  One big advantage over the Western-style tree.  There are even some synthetic saddles being made with at least some adjustment possible with the panels.

If I was you I'd hunt around for a used saddle to use for the next year or so until you are sure she's finally achieved her adult shape.  By then you'll have a better feel for what you are looking for in a saddle.  Go on Craigslist, eBay, tack sales, ads in horse publications - I was amazed what was available when I was looking for something!  

If it's used you may even be able to get it on a trial basis to see if you and your mare like it and it fits.  I check fit by putting a clean, white or light colored pad, like what I am planning on using with the saddle, and riding the horse enought to get sweat worked up under the saddle.  Then get off and take the saddle off.  Look first at the horse's back.  Is it wet evenly all over?  No dry spots?  Look for ruffled hair, anything other than smooth and wet.  Look at the pad.  There should be a perfect imprint of the saddle on the pad.  Is it evenly wet all over with no areas that are darker or lighter than the rest?  Anything darker indicates more weight is winding up in that area.  Lighter or dry spots indicate extreme pressure that is generating enough heat to actually dry the sweat.  If it passes all these test the saddle fits.  In a young, growing horse it pays to check the fit at least every 3 mos. with this same test. Unless you are anal and insist on keeping your pad really clean.  Then just check the horse's back when you take the tack off.  I run my fingers down each side of the spine slowly, pressing hard enough to dimple the flesh but not so hard as to dig in and watch for reaction from the horse.  If they ignore me, which is what I want, then that's good.  If not, there's an area of sensitivity that wasn't there when I started the ride so I have to figure out what's going on.  I check my horse's back every time I ride.  I've had so many saddle fit issues in the past that I've learned how important it is to keep on top of things.  In my case, many times it's because of my riding.  I get sloppy, or I'm experienceing a problem with my back, it show up in the horse.  Then I have to get myself to the chiropractor!  

Good luck.  Saddles are like shoes.  They just have to fit to wear them to work in.  Especially carrying extra weight!  Don't get hung up on saddle make, just look for one that fits your horse.  And fits you.  That's equally important.  If you're not comfortable then you'll change your way of riding.  

Lyn