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To choose a saddle tree for a particular horse or particular breed of horse, a template of the horse's wither is a great help. Take a piece of soft fencing wire and run it up the shoulder and over the wither. Trace the shape out on some paper.

 

Photos of your horse side on and from the rear looking down along the back from a raised position will assist us in choosing the best tree option.

 

For more information about saddle trees view Our Saddle Materials.

 

 

 

Placing heavy pads under the saddle changes the shape of the horse so we need to consider if they are necessary for each individual horse.

 

We recommend using a light saddle cloth to gauge the fit of the saddle. If the saddle fits well, leave it at that.

 

Comfort and fit for the horse is about saddle shape, not about softness.

Use a pad if necessary to fill the horse out. If there is not enough clearance for the wither use a pad with a cutaway chamber. (See the Koda felt saddle pad with leather chambers, Code SB05, on our Saddle Blankets page.)

 

Neoprene pads (See Neoprene saddle range, on our Saddle Blankets page.) are also great for this purpose as they have less padding along the gullet and chambers.

 

Once you've decided on the tree, consider your riding style. We have two options for hanging the fenders which give a very different feel:

 

Fenders hung over the tree bars for the rider who likes to ride more straight up and down, western or dressage style.
Fenders hung from spring bars for the rider who likes plenty of forward movement with the fenders. An advantage of this option is that the fenders should come off if you get hung up.

 

Your choice of fender mounts will be determined by the styles of saddle you are used to, and your riding style; whatever suits you.

 

For more information about fender options go to Fender Styles.

 

We have used Greenhalgh's bark tanned leather in our saddles and gear for many years and have found it to be supple and long wearing.

 

We recommend rough out leather for heavy work conditions as it doesn't show scratches and gives better grip for the rider. Another option is rough out seat and knee pads with the skirt and fenders smooth. Smooth out all over is also available but is not recommended for work conditions.

 

Most of our saddles are made either rough out (i.e. flesh side out) or a combination of rough and smooth because:

For more informatio about leather view Our Saddle Materials, and also learn how to care for you saddle.

 

We believe that choosing the correct size for a personal saddle is paramount so we wan as much information as possible. Its also very important to consider weight fluctuations. Ben, Daniel and Lyle have had a vast experience in choosing the saddle size best suited to the rider. To choose the correct size saddle for you, we need your:

We measure the saddle size by measuring the bare tree from the back of the pommel to the inside top of the cantle. Saddle sizes are in increments of 1/2 inches.