saddle question....?

Question

I will be getting a horse aug. but I am looking at some really good saddles for cheaper prices and I'm afraid that they wont be there in a few months, can I buy a saddle before hand and fit it to my horse some way? I ride english and i was also wondering if I have a regular square cut saddle pad should I put a cushion or something underneath or can I just leave it with the one saddle pad? thanx!

I actually dont know of a specific horse that i am going to purchase but if I buy a saddle that fits me then when i get the horse later on can I just buy a girth strap that fits to the horse?

Answer 1

the only problem with buying a saddle before hand is it might not fit the withers. however i have always had a wide tree saddle and had no problem with it fitting any of my horses. as far as the saddle pad goes, i always use my contured fleece saddle pad on top of my square one. i just feel like it makes the horse more comfortable. but i just bought a new square saddle pad that actually has alot of cushion at horseloverz.com that is my all time favorite website and its the green square all purpose pad for like 10 bucks. hopes this helps.

Answer 2

If you don't know the horse, then I am afraid it is not a good idea to buy a saddle. You want to make sure that the saddle will fit the horse that you will be riding, if it doesn't, it can really hurt the horse.

I find the best saddle pads are the ones that are cut to shape, made out of a thick fake sheepskin like material. I prefer the ones that are fuzzy on the side that goes against the saddle, and quilted on the side against the horse. Those are best for everyday riding. If you are showing, I think the square, quilted pads are nice. It usually isn't necessary for any additional padding, however if the horse has back problems, or is very hard to find a good fitting saddle, gel pads are a good choice. They help to relieve pressure and cushion your impact on his back. If you were to use any sort of cushion, you place that on top of the regular pad.

Make sure you regularly wash any saddle pad. If too much dirt and crud builds up on the pad, it will rub on the horse.

There are a few saddles out there that have adjustable tree/gullet systems. I hear they are difficult to change, but it is an option.

I think your best bet is to wait until you get your horse, then buy the saddle. There will still be good deals when you buy your horse!

Good luck getting your new horse! It is very exciting!

Answer 3

While it's important that the saddle fit you, it's more or at least equally important that it fit your horse. You cannot buy any old saddle and expect it to fit every horse as long as you have the right girth.

Saddles are built on stiff wooden trees, then fit with either foam or flocked panels. The saddle trees usually come in at least a regular and wide width. The latter is for either big warmbloods or broad quarter horses. You will never be able to change the tree of your saddle, so if you have a wide tree saddle, there is no way it will ever comfortably fit a narrow Thoroughbred with a high wither. Flocked panels in a saddle can be re-flocked by an experienced saddle doctor for an improved, custom fit. But the panels alone won't help you if the saddle's tree doesn't work with your horse's body type. Additionally, they now make some saddles (Bates, Wintec, and Collegiate) with an Easy-Change Gullet system so you can make the saddle wider or narrower. These saddles are usually a bit more expensive and you have to pay extra for each gullet plate you purchase. I have a Collegiate Convertible that I use to ride a variety of horses, so swapping out a gullet plate is more financially sound for me than having several saddles (though I do have a couple spares).

The best thing you can do is wait until you have a horse before you purchase a saddle. Most tack stores and even Dover Saddlerly allow customers to take saddles on trial while you ride in them and see if they fit your horse. Just make sure you wrap your stirrup leathers in plastic wrap to prevent causing any wear marks when you ride in trial saddles. When trying a saddle, I recommend having a trainer or saddle doctor present to help you evaluate the fit. When placed on the horse's back, the pommel should clear the withers high enough for a hand to fit in the gap. When you place the saddle on the horse's back without a pad and view it from behind, you should be able to see a small bit of daylight through the channel. This ensures proper clearance over the spine. Remember, the saddle will sink down with your weight in it.

You may want to sit in a few saddles at tack stores to find your size. Saddles fit people a lot easier than they fit horses. Most people are somewhere between a 15.5" and a 17" saddle. The fit will mostly be the same, but will vary according to the style of the saddle (close contact, all-purpose, dressage, etc.)

When riding, I highly recommend at least two pads, a half-pad an either a square all-purpose pad or a square baby pad (baby pads are thinner, so they're best used in conjunction with a thicker sheepskin half-pad). The type of half pad you use will depend on your horse's conformation. You may need a gel pad for shock absorption or a wither-relief pad if you have a horse with high withers. A great all-around half pad is the Mattes sheepskin half pad with a channel along the spine to alleviate any pressure points. This works great on most horses, though my high-withered Thoroughbred always required a wither-relief pad instead of the Mattes pad.

So, concluding, I recommend you wait until you have the horse before you buy the saddle. Or at least see if you can try the saddle on the horse. The last thing you want is to drop a thousand or more dollars on a saddle that won't fit.

Answer 4

Well buying a saddle usually is based on the size of the rider, however it also depends on the horse you are getting, for example if you get a horse that has higher withers, you are going to need a saddle that will fit that, or else you will need to buy a bounce pad to go in between the saddle and the saddle pad. I think you should wait until you get your horse, to see his body type-- or maybe you could get a cheap saddle with an adjustable tree width. OR you could buy a cheap saddle and try it out, if it doesn't work you can always sell it if it's in good condition (if you have the money)-- chances are, if the sale is over you can easily sell it for more than you bought it for.

As for the saddle pad part, it depends on if your horse has sensitive skin, my horse needs a bounce pad. But a lot of people and horses do just fine with the plain square-- if the material is really thin and your horse has a sensitive back, just double them up. But they should be fine, especially if you get a quilted kind.

GOOD LUCK and if you need any more help or have any questions you can contact my equine help hotline by adding Equine Help 101 to your buddy list for prompt answers and advice!

Answer 5

you can't really get a saddle till you get the horse unless you have access to the horse for trying on etc.
English saddles are measured by length and width and even if you get 2 the same size one may suit the horse and the other won't.
you only need one saddle cloth or numnah if the saddle fits.the padding underneath is part of the saddle itself. I don't know if you could use a western style saddle cloth with an english saddle though
sorry i can't be more helpful - i just buy used saddles till i found ones that fit my boys.

Answer 6

Do you know the horse your going to get? Or are you planning on getting one in August? And I couldn't help you about the square cute saddle pad. I ride Western. If you know the horse your going to get then, you should be able to tell what saddle to buy. And plus the straps are what makes it fit, therefore you can always get better straps. Hope I helped.

Answer 7

It's pointless buying a saddle beforehand as it may not even fit...You would just be wasting money that way...

EDIT No there is a lot more to fitting a saddle to a horse than just the girth...It may be too long or too short,it may pinch at the withers...An ill fitting saddle can lead to all kinds of problems with your horse especially whilst riding and also make the horse very uncomfortable...

Answer 8

Hang on in there and wait until you can actually fit and try the saddle on your horse before you buy. With English saddles, you should NEVER buy a saddle without having an experience saddle-fitter check it out for you. You could finish up with a horse with a really bad back.

If you would like to have an Equestrian/Horse category on here, please go to the Forum and suggest it. Thanks.

Answer 9

1st wait until you have got your horse until u get a saddle so you can try some on before buying and u will always b able 2 get some good cheap saddles. n i think one pad will be fine.

Answer 10

i'm no longer so short (5'7 long leg) so i'm uncertain what precisely to tell you! yet possibly i will inform you what has worked for me and you're able to circumvent them? I enjoyed using in my Courbette Pandur Spezial (until eventually my horse grew a shoulder and it thoroughly bridged over her), and now I certainly have an old JRD bounce saddle which i'm no longer able to even locate, incredibly i'm no longer able to even detect a JRD leaping saddle in any respect online! besides the actuality that i'm uncertain approximately that saddle nevertheless. on a similar time because it has the cost of intense high quality it sounds like it would not have the help for leaping. you do no longer prefer a thoroughly flat seat devoid of knee roll in a velocity journey, while you're making a mistake including your place you will possibly no longer get it back!