What is a Western saddle blanket?
The saddle pad or blanket provides a bit of extra cushioning between the saddle and the horse and helps the saddle stay clean. Only very minor saddle fit issues can be compensated for with a pad. Western saddle pads and blankets come in a wide variety of fabrics, shapes, and colors. There are even pony sizes.
What is a pommel on a saddle?
A pommel is the rounded knob on a horse’s saddle that a rider grips with one hand. The raised front of the saddle itself can also be called a pommel. When pommel is used as a verb, it means “beat or strike repeatedly,” a variation on the word pummel.
What is the skirt of a saddle?
Skirt Length The skirt of the western saddle is the leather or other material attached around the seat of the saddle. The skirt gives the western saddle its signature rectangular look. This helps to distribute weight across the horse’s back as well as keep the saddle in place.
How do I know what size my saddle is?
Saddle Seat Size You would start by placing the tape measure (at mark 0) in the centre of the saddle badge/head nail and measure to the centre of the cantle. This measurement in inches is the saddle seat size which is measured in whole and ½ units e.g. 17”, 17.5” etc.
What is considered a wide tree saddle?
If there’s 1/2″ to 3/4″ of space on either side of your fist, the saddle is approximately a medium tree. If there’s 0″ to 1/2″ then the tree is narrow; and if there’s more than 1″ of space on either side of your fist, the tree is wide or extra wide.
Where do you measure the gullet on a saddle?
The saddle gullet should span the withers, resting on the withers about 2 inches below their highest point and leaving a gap between the top of the withers and the bottom of the saddle. Place your hand into the space between the saddle and your horse’s wither, using your fingers to measure the vertical space.
What is the best saddle for a high withered horse?
The Thorowgood T8 High Wither Compact GP Saddle is ideal for shorter backed or croup high horses. It is a very good option for the petite rider on a large pony or small horse. Tailored for high-withered horses, such as Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods, with tree and panels specially shaped to give maximum wither clearance.
How do you fit a high-withered horse?
In fitting a saddle to a high-withered horse, you will need to lift the saddle away from the withers or have a saddle with high gullet built-in. This can be accomplished by using a saddle whose panels or bars match the slope of the horse’s back muscles, then raising the saddle up off of the withers using pads.
What are high withers?
The term high withers means the bump formed where the shoulder blades meet between the neck and the back is taller than average.