So I am buying a western saddle online and I was wondering if it needs to be a certain size for my horse ? She is a thoroughbred.
That's what it's called in a western saddle - it means the width and shape, mostly of front of the saddle. A saddle has to fit the shape and width of the horse. Thoroughbreds tend to be a different shape than Quarter Horses. So you hear the term 'Quarter Horse bars', etc, for the shape and width of the saddle.
The wrong bar fit would be like puting on dress shoes that are way to narrow and having to walk in them all day. Or the oposite and having shoes on that are to big and tring to keep them on. I just had to buy my mare a new saddle because I had one with semi quarterhorse bars and it was pinching her making her uncomfortable. I sold it and bought one with full QH bars and it fits well. Now if I put this same saddle on my friends horse who is more narrow the saddle is to wide. I would nefver get on him with it because I can't tighten it properly and it is unsafe. Most TBs I know have done well in a semi qh bar. I would look and see if the place you are buying from has a return policy. That way if you get the wrong one you can trade it in.
Buying a saddle online or mail-order is a MAJOR turkey-shoot. Especially if you are trying to fit a western saddle to a typically-shaped TB. Good luck on it. It might possibly work out, anything can happen, but more than likely you will have to return it or have your horse get sore. Saddle-fit is really one of those things that you have to be able to try the individual item on the recipient to see if it fits. There are too many variables to just go by something like tree size, bar style, tree width, etc. Sorry, just tellin' it like it is, Pat
I would try and find a person that can do "saddle fits"....so you know what will fit your horse. It will be expensive to ship back and you will have to pay that. So spend a bit extra up front to make sure you get the proper fit to begin with. In my area there is someone that does that but not sure where you are located.
Ditto to all the above responses. Saddle fit is super important! A poor fitting saddle can turn a nice riding horse into a nightmare if it is hurting him/her. Many behavior problems in horses can be caused by a saddle that hurts! Would you want to go trailriding or any other horse activity if you were in pain every time you were saddled? If there is a good equine vet in your area ask them if they know of anyone that knows about saddle fit. Or if there is a good saddle shop in your area, trailer the horse there and try different ones on your horse. I ordered mine custom made from measurements and pictures I took. I can't remember the name of the website right this second...but it will come to me...I will return with that info. It was very reasonable and they have many styles to choose from.
Ok, the website where I ordered my saddle was www.sycamorecreeksaddles.com Look at the website and check out their prices. It tells how to measure. I would still try some saddles on my horse, to give you an idea of what style, gullet width, and bars will fit your horse best. Gullet width is the measurement between the 2 sides of the saddle underneath the horn, where it sits on the shoulders.
Quote:In all truth, western saddle makers do not have thoroughbreds in mind when making western saddles. A semi-quarter horse would be your best bet for a standard western saddle but still may not fit properly. Another idea would be to look into a place that makes western saddles for Saddlebreds since they have a lot of thoroughbred breeding and often have similar shaped backs. A professional saddle fitter would be your best bet. To make an analogy to cars, a western saddle on a TB would be like putting a chevy truck body on a chevy camaro frame. *sometimes* you can pad out a saddle that's too big with an extra saddle pad, but not always and sometimes it will just aggravate an existing problem. Another option if you want a western type seat and can live without a horn would be to look into an endurance saddle. A lot of thoroughbreds and Anglo-Arabs compete in endurance and you may have a better range there too.
