03/10/2026
It Depends….
I’m asked various general questions all the time. What size saddle does my horse need? What girth should I use? What seat size do I need? My answer is always the same. It depends. There are no real industry standards in the saddle world. Every horse is different, every rider is different and every horse and rider team is different. Every saddle manufacturer has different specs that they use to classify their saddle sizes. This applies to Western, English or Endurance. In saddle fit you have angle and width both of which can be too wide or too narrow but they are different planes of measurement. Both need to be taken into account. Manufacturers might have the same angle but a different width on the same size saddle. Or the same width and a slightly different angle. So every saddle in consideration should be tried on the horse and assessed both statically and dynamically. Saddles are like jeans even within the same brand and the same model a saddle can fit slightly differently. That visual can also apply to seat size. I often tell clients not to get hung up on seat size. It depends on what is comfortable for you. Again a 17.5” seat in one brand may feel very different in another brand. So I recommend sitting in several different saddles so you can get a feel for what you like and what you dislike.
Now onto the girths. Different horses like different girths there is no magic formula. I have tried at least five different girths on my own horse to learn what she likes best. I know you don’t want to spend tons of money on girths, but if you can borrow some from a friend or buy one or more second hand. I had to go through the same process, but it’s worth it to see what works best for your horse. I am happy to help my clients navigate all this and more.
