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Before fitting a saddle to the horse, the horse should be checked for back soreness and unevenness of movement.

This is only a check for back soreness, if soreness is found a vet should be consulted. Start by pressing your fingers down on one side of the backbone moving from withers to the tail. If the horse flinches or sinks down with moderate pressure ,note the location. There are usually three areas that can show pain. 1. Approximately 18" to 2 feet from the withers toward the tail, this is usually saddle or rider or induced. Somtimes called rein lame. 2. 6" to 8" in front of the hip point, this is usually caused by a front end lameness. Hoof bruise, tendon, soft tissue damage, founder, etc. 3. Soreness just behind the hip point, usually caused by hind end soreness. Next check the withers area by pressing your fingers on either side of the withers. If this area is shows pain, it is usually due to a bad saddle fit (Too Narrow a tree). Check the horse at a trot to see if it is moving evenly. Have someone trot the horse checking for unevenness of hip motion . Check to see if tail is being held evenly. An uneven movement will make the saddle fall to one side which will cause saddle damage over time.

Place the saddle on the horse back with no padding. Slide the saddle back to clear the shoulder. Most people tend to put the saddle to far forward believing that this is the horse's center of balance or it's just more comfortable for the rider. Looking from the side of the horse the lowest part should be the in the center of the saddle. The cantle should be even or higher than the pommel, never lower !! The stirrups should hang in the middle of saddle, not angling back or forward. the panels should be evenly in contact with the back , particularly in the middle of the saddle. When fitting a wide horse be sure to get a larger seat size to allow the rider to sit further back as it is most difficult to sit over the leg ( The leg will be foward (Pleasure seat) as most riders are not bow legged like the cowboys of old )

The saddle should have at least two fingers of clearance above withers and a smooth fit behind shoulder not pinching.

For both horse and rider comfort a correct fitting saddle is a must !! Not enough bearing surface can cause the horse to hollow his back and travel with a high head . the horse will also tend to pull on the reins. Placing the saddle to far forward on top of the shoulder blade (scapula) which can rotate three inches backward will restrict the shoulder movement. This can make it hard for the horse elevate ,or shift weight off of the front end. This could cause soreness in the horses back and shorten the horse stride. If the gullet is too narrow side to side the saddle will press into the sides of the horse's backbone causing the horse to avoid bending. Saddle low in front will put pressure on the withers which can cause a painful sore on the withers. The horse will have a tendency to buck and run after a fence.

Drawings Taken from "Fitting Selecting & Understanding English Saddles", Highwire Communications Denver Colo.