Whats the deal with Saddles?

Question

My mother and i are thinking about leasing a 14.2 h, Appaloosa gelding. We were looking for a saddle of our own (mostly 4 me) but we didnt understand anything! What do all those terms mean, and whats the importance of a "good fitting" saddle.. please help!

Answer 1

Which terms do you not understand?

The importance of a good fitting saddle is that it will not make your horse lame, It will help both horse and rider to perform better and it will slip less. Its like a shoe.If you have a wide foot and a narrow shoe the shoe will rub your foot and you'll be sore and you won't wan't to do any thing.Its the same for the horse.if his back is sore he won't want you riding him and he might try to buck you off then you'd have to spend money for a vet to come out and treat your horse then buy a new saddle.

You should ask a horse trainer to come and help you look for a saddle. It would be alot easier for you and you'd learn somthing.

Answer 2

okay, first you need to decide what style of riding you want to do. english, western, whatever. second, english saddles tend to be less expensive than western saddles. you can get a pretty good english saddle for about $300 new. A better deal though is probably getting an inexpensive used saddle that used to be expensive. they are better quality than a cheap new saddle. if you have a riding trainer talk to them about saddle fit or you can also talk to the person at the tack shop for fitting advice. when u buy the saddle, most places let you take it home to try it on your horse and if it doesn't fit, you can return it after a couple of days. dont ride in the saddle to see if it fits. just try it on the horse and have the owner of the horse or someone more experienced tell you if the saddle fits. i ride english so i'm really only positive about english saddles. for the terms: english saddles are measured in inches by measuring from the center of the very back of the saddle (cantle) to the round nail thing on one of the sides of the pommel (front) of the saddle (near the d-rings). there are a lot of different types of english saddles... jumping, dressage, close contact, all-purpose... the list goes on. I would recommend an all purpose saddle. You can pretty much use them for anything and they are comfortable. No matter what make sure you have enough padding between the horse and the saddle. Have fun!

Answer 3

The importance of a well fitting saddle...
If the saddle doesn't fit the horse, at best you will have a horse that doesn't move as well as it could and the back muscles will start to atrophy.
At worst you could end up in the hospital.

Saddles often compared to shoes. So lets pretend I tell you to put on a pair of shoes that pinch your feet, or are to big and give you blisters. You can't move comfortably, and you certainly can't go run a marathon or play soccer. You can say "these shoes don't fit. They hurt."

But a horse can't say "This saddle hurts, take it off." every horse reacts to pain differently, some bear it quietly until it becomes to much to bear. Some let you know it doesn't fit right away. A horse can react by refusing to pick up a certain gait or perfom a certain task. The horse may become difficult to saddle or become "girthy." The horse may begin to buck or rear. The horse may "grin and bear it" until the damage done is irreversable. Proper fit is paramount.

Saddle fit for you:
If the saddle doesn't fit you, it will hurt. If the saddle is too small, you will probably end up sitting to far back, on the cantle, and that will hurt your horse.

I sugest getting a book or two and read about saddle fit. Ask your instructor, or whoever is teaching you to ride. If you don't have some such person, get one, because you don't sound experianced enough to be doing this on your own. I recomend Superior Saddle-Fitting: A Step by Step Guide by Jessica Jahiel.

Answer 4

if the saddle doesn't fit properly it will hurt the horse, just imagine you would have to wear shoes which don't fit properly.
If the horse gets hurt neither you nor the horse will enjoy your time together The owner of the horse won't like that either.
Saddles are expensive so why can't you get the horse together with its already fitting saddle?
If you do decide to buy one, either look up on the web or get a book in the library about horses and associated gear and learn about it.
Looking after a large animal like a horse is a lot of work and responsibility and unless you keep the horse at a riding stable or somewhere where somebody will help you and teach you I wouldn't consider it. If the horse is kept at a riding stable they should be able and willing to help you with acquiring a saddle.
Actually bareback riding can be a lot of fun, though some horses have a much more comfortable shape for that than others...

Answer 5

Saddles come in two styles, English and Western. The best saddle to use when first learning to ride is the Western saddle, whether you intend on using it long term or not. There are a few reasons for this - Western saddles have a horn, a fairly square seat, and an upright back. They are rather heavy (up to forty-five pounds) which is a disadvantage when a young person is trying to tack up (put the saddle, bridle, and sometimes halter on the horse), but convenient for fast and furious western events.
English saddles have advantages, too. They seat you more naturally, give you closer contact with the horse, and are generally more comfortable. Another advantage is that most have the built-in safety feature of detachable stirrups (if your foot should happen to slip too far into the stirrup, and you fell off, the stirrup would come off the saddle instead of you being dragged underneath the horse).
Both do have their disadvantages. Western saddles have horns which would be nuisances if you should happen to use direct or English reining instead of indirect or Western reining. English saddles are smoother, which increases the chances of sliding off.
Bridles don't vary much, but have differences that only matter for showing purposes. The differences are that English bridles have a noseband and their headstall is usually more decorative. Bridles are used to direct and control the horse by applying pressure to a metal or, in some cases, rubber bit in the horse's mouth, and are essential for all riders, experienced or not.
The pommel and horn are close to the same thing, except a pommel is comparatively flat. They are, when on the horse, slightly behind the withers. This is raised to provide some room for the withers to move around. It also provides something for riders to pull themselves up on when they mount. On western saddles, the horn in also used as a place to attach a rope, for ponying or capturing cattle.
The girth is what keeps the saddle on, but is not actually part of the saddle. It is made out of rope, nylon, leather, and/or wool. It is attached to a cinch, which is usually made of leather.
The cantle is the back of the seat, and prevents riders from falling off backwards. The seat is, of course, where the riders sits, and is made of the same material as rest of the saddle.
Next is the bridle. The most important peice of the bridle is the bit, the metal rod that is put in the horse's mouth. This is used to tell the horse which way to turn, when to stop, and when to backup.
The headstall varies in several ways, but they all serve the same purpose, which is to keep the bridle from falling off. There are one ear bridles (a hole one ear slips into), two ears bridles (two holes, one ear slips into each), and ones where both ears slip into the same place. On english bridles, the part of the headstall that runs across the forehead is usually more decorative than western bridles.
The importance of a good fittin saddle will make a difference on how well the horse performs under you. If the saddle is not fitted correctly it will pinch and possiably cause abrasions to the horse's skin. It would also cause the horse's gaits to not be as smooth.

Answer 6

most tack staores will let u try out a saddle before u buying it. ask the ppl ur leasing the horse from to help u deside if the saddle fits u and the horse. u proably want a western saddle if ur just starting. they messure the saddles in inches and a 15- 17 inch saddle is about average. the ppl at the tack shop will help u c if it fits u. synthetic saddles ussally dont fit horses very well and r not that comfortible. leather is better. a used saddle is alot more comfortible then a brand new one because u dont have to break it in. do a google search and look up saddle info. that will tell u all the parts of a saddle and how it should fit u and ur horse.

Answer 7

i have been riding western since the age of 4 and know from experience that a proper fitting saddle can mean the difference between a safe and comfortable ride for both you and the horse or a nasty spill. for the saddle to fit you well you actually have to go to a tack store and "try them on" if you are riding western there should be approximately 2 to 3 fingers width between your inner thigh and the tree/saddle horn/front of the saddle seat. the seat is measured in inches, that will give you your size and from there you can find a saddle that fits you and is comfortable. for the saddle to fit the horse, your best bet is to find a place that will let you try it on the horse. it should fit snuggly and evenly over the horses shoulders (withers) and you should be able to put your hand in between the tip of the horses shoulders and the bottom of the saddle tree. the girth strap should start and end right at the horses "arm pits" and the cinch strap should be long enough to go from saddle to girth and back at least once with enough left over for your hitch/knot. to check that the saddle fits properly on the horse you need to run your finger under the saddle all the way around and make sure it's appling the same pressure all over. then take your horse for a quick work out with or without weight (you) in the saddle. i recommend without at first to give the horse time to adjust to the saddle and incase it pinches you won't get bucked off. bring your horse to a light sweat and remove the saddle to check for rub marks and/or signs of pinching and make sure the sweat marks are even on both sides of the horse as well as not to close to the horses spine. you want your weigh evenly distributed and not directly on the spine as that will make your horse uncomfortable to say the least and cause injury/lameness at the worst.

Answer 8

You need to find a tack store and talk with someone who fits saddles.
They will ask you about what type of riding you are going to be doing like eventing, or jumping or roping or what ever. Then they will have you sit in some saddles to see how you like the feel and what size will fit you.
Then you need to make sure it fits your horse well. If it is to narrow in the gullet it will pinch on the horses back. If it is to wide it ca nrub and anything like pinching bridgeing or rubbing will hurt the horse.
You need a saddle to sit properly on the horse and fit well so it staying in place and does not slip or move.
It really helps to be able to take the horse to where the saddles are and try a few on him if you can.

Answer 9

The measurement in inches is the size of the seat of the saddle - for you. So that you're not slopping around all over the place.

The rest is for the horse.

The main areas of bad fitting saddles are the girth and the area at the withers. You are supposed to be able to see daylight through your horses saddle when in place.

Some saddles can be adjusted to suit the horse. I'm pretty sure Horseland here in Australia does free saddle fittings and allows trials before you buy.

There are a couple of brands such as Wintec that make lightweight, hose-down-to-clean saddles.

Answer 10

a saddle not only protects a horse while you are riding it, but protects you as well. a good fitting saddle means the saddle will not fall off, therefore you won;t be thrown from the animal if the saddle does fall off.
14.2 hands is the height of the horse.