A horse ridden in a saddle that is too long will often tighten his lower back muscles; in some cases, you can actually see the horse hollow and drop his back in an attempt to get away from the pressure of the saddle. He may even buck in extreme cases, in an effort to get the weight off his lumbar area.

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What it means: When you see edema on your horse’s withers after riding, chances are your saddle doesn’t fit him properly. A tree that’s too wide will sit too low in front, causing pressure on his withers. One that’s too narrow, or with a too-narrow gullet, will pinch and put pressure along the sides of his spine.

The saddle needs to be in the right position on the horse’s back in order to judge its fit, and to allow the horse correct movement. The saddle needs to sit 2-3 fingers behind the shoulderblade and its muscles (see picture below).

Flap length: Flaps should be long enough so that you don’t catch the bottom of the flap with your boot top and short enough to allow plenty of lower leg contact. This is usually about 3” below the crease behind your knee. 1. Profile photos of you mounted on the demo saddle are helpful.

Unfortunately with a too-narrow saddle, there is no fix. Think of putting on a too-tight shoe… there’s nothing that will make it better. You could put any type of sock on you wanted to, but it won’t help, you’ll still walk around like a duck because the shoe hurts.

For the rider, the saddle should allow approximately 4” between the swell of the saddle and the front of your body, and your seat should fit to the base of the cantle but not push against the back.

Dressage saddles have a very straight-cut flap, much longer than a jumping saddle, which accommodates the longer leg position of a dressage rider, who works only on the flat and does not need to jump fences. It often has a wider bearing surface than a jumping saddle.

If the saddle is too narrow, the pommel will be too high at the front throwing the rider’s weight to the rear and putting weight and pressure through the loin area of the horse. ‘ By bridging we mean that there is not full contact by the panels all along the length of the saddle onto the horse’s back. …

Your saddle is too narrow if the front of the saddle sits high. When the saddle is sitting directly upon the horse’s withers, pinching can often occur. Your saddle is too wide if the front of the saddle is low. This also results in pinching but at the top of the saddle’s bars.

The bike saddle is vital to how comfortable the rider will feel. If a person’s saddle is too narrow, then his or her sit bones will stick out over the sides, and the soft tissues will uncomfortably carry your weight. If the saddle is too wide, it can create chafing on a person’s inner thigh.

The most common reason for excessive movement and bounce at the back of the saddle is panel related. If, as above, the panel is badly flocked, uneven in fit and consistency or over or under flocked the saddle will not conform to the shape of the horse’s back and movement may occur.

A saddle that looses contact in the middle of its panel could be too narrow causing the saddle to bridge and creating 4 point pressure. A saddle lifting off significantly at the back could be too wide and increase tightness around the horse’s shoulder and may lift and catch the rider behind.