How does this saddle fit?

[Sugar_And_Spice_Horses]

Okay, I have a mutton withered, but narrow shouldered pony. It is very hard for me to tell if the saddle is fitting her right because there are no withers to look at. So, I need some opinions.

Saddle fitting has been a nightmare and I finally found a round skirted, 15 inch saddle in my price range. It is an endurance saddle, so I’m assuming it will fit a little differently. It is a semi qh. I’m wondering if it is too narrow though… I’ve attached some photos. (Don’t mind the towel, it’s needed for returns).
Are there any methods I can use to make sure there aren’t pressure points? Thanks!
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[imaginique]

Run your hand under the bars on each side and check for areas of pressure or lack of pressure. Pressure should be evenly distributed along the bars. And I would pull the front of that pad up into the gullet.

[Sugar_And_Spice_Horses]

Should I be able to run my hand under the saddle? When I try to run it under the bars, it is very hard if not impossible to fit my hand.

[Huntin_Pony]

Yes, when the saddle is not cinched.

[goodhors]

Get someone to sit in the saddle while running your hand underneath. Weight in the saddle is what will affect the fit on pony. Pinching is evident when your hand won’t slide past a point, girthed or not. Towel blanket is good, not changing the true fit with extra padding during fitting. I try saddles on over towel layer to evaluate the actual fit.

[Sugar_And_Spice_Horses]

Okay, so you’re saying even when someone is sitting in the saddle, my hand should easily slide all the way under?

[goodhors]

Yeah. Not as easily with weight above, but smoothly. Those really hard-to-slide-past spots are pinch points. Horse body can’t move well under them. Bones don’t slide past, for better reach, easier turning. Movement will be restricted by the pinch point.

Pads or thick blankets don’t fix the fit, might make pinch worse.

[beau159]

Ditch the pad, and just set the saddle on the horse’s back. If you absolutely must, you can lay your towel under to keep it clean but a lint roller afterward will do the trick too. (You aren’t going to cinch it or sit in it.)

It really hard to tell how the saddle is fitting as that is best to asses without a pad. Also need more pictures from you. Seems like it looks LONG?

[Sugar_And_Spice_Horses]

What do you mean by long? The skirt?

[Huntin_Pony]

To me, it appears that the rear of the saddle is on the pony’s loins. It may be because the photo cuts off where it does, but how big is the pony?

Can you take another photo showing the “whole” pony?

I have large ponies and I have a 14-1/2 inch round-skirted western saddle that sits nicely on them and ends far in front of their hip bones.

[Sugar_And_Spice_Horses]

Hi! So I ditched the pad and use a saddle blanket. The saddle was also cinched when I did this… I tried to run my hand under the front of the saddle where the bars are and where it lays close to her shoulder. I could sorta run my hand under the saddle, but I really had to push and I could feel pressure on my hand and could feel my heart beat in my hand. And I have very small/skinny hands. But, I certainly could put my hand under the saddle if I really tried. I also tried pressing on the seat of the saddle with my arm (for weight) and tried to put my hand under the saddle. It was much harder. @goodhors you could help me too by reading this.

[beau159]

@Sugar_And_Spice_Horses

What do you mean by long? The skirt?

Too long for your pony. And referring to the TREE (not really the skirt). If the saddle tree is too long, it is going to put pressure on the horse’s loins and there is not supposed to be pressure there.

This is an excellent video for you to watch. Now, I understand they are talking about English saddles, but the concept is the same. You need to fit the tree to the horse’s back. But they really talk about length of tree here, which would be good for you.