I want some input on where you put your western saddle. Do you try to have it sitting behind the shoulder groove so that it is not in the way of any shoulder movement? Do you place it so that the horn is in the middle of the withers? Or other?
I have seen saddles placed differently and I am looking for opinions. I try to put mine far enough back so that it does not interfere with the shoulder but not so far back that it is too far back. It can be difficult to get it placed just right.
Look here:
http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/tree-and-saddle-fitting/proper-position-of-a-western-saddle/
Here are a couple videos that explain how the tree works and how it relates to the horse.
http://www.circley.com/experience-the-flex2/
http://www.circley.com/julie-goodnight-explains-circle-ys-flex2-tree/
Saddle OP has does not sound like it fits horse well. My saddles tend to “fall in place” when I put them on. You can try setting them forward or back, but they will shift into that natural fit as you ride. We do take a lot of time fitting saddles onto the horses, horse is comfortable, does not get sore in use. We have trees that seem to flare a bit for more shoulder freedom, yet not be so wide other parts put pressure on their backs. Horses are of similar size, breeding, with very short backs and good upstanding withers, muscular shoulders. Nice because it let’s us use the same saddles on most of them. Saddles are set back, no pressure on withers to allow horse to use his front end freely. Can’t do that with rider weight too far forward in saddle.
Have you worked with a saddle fitter at a good Weastern tack store or a saddle maker? They can see the horse and fit, you on that saddle, help with positioning for best results. You probably don’t need a custom saddle, but understanding how fit works is really helpful.
Depends. Every saddle maker is different on where their tree is supposed to sit. While most brands should sit so the tree is behind the shoulder, there are a few saddle makers that design their tree to sit more forward on the horse.
If your saddle does not fit your horse properly, it will not sit in the proper position … even if it was designed to sit in a certain position.
If the saddle does fit well, it will sit where it wants to sit. You can’t force it more forward or more backward.
But for any saddle, yes, the horn should be centered. You don’t want the saddle sitting lopsided.
The saddle fits the horse. I take a lot of time placing he saddle on the horse and making sure there are no pinches, mane caught, etc. This is what I mean by being difficult to place just right.
I was asked a while back why I put my saddle so far back. It was not far back it was where it sits naturally out of the way of the shoulder. I notices some other riders have their saddles further forward up on the withers/shoulder. I was just looking for curious about what others thought.
IMO, many people put their saddles too far forward.
I was taught, decades ago, in Europe, to saddle a hair forward, cinch snug but not tight, because the saddle would, as soon as the horse moves, settle back into place and so the hairs would be slick and straight.
Then you checked your cinch again and tighten it a little more, didn’t want it to slip back any past that good spot.
That made sense with most horses, that most of the hair where the saddle goes slicks up toward’s the back.
If you settle the saddle in one place and tighten it there enough so it doesn’t move, at times the saddle may want to move up as the horse starts out and may disturb some hairs in places.
That also could be a problem if set too far back and the saddle moves up.
I think that we should go with what we see, how the saddles fit the horse in front of us and how they ride and later what their backs look once you take the saddle off.
I expect rules of thumb how to do things around horses should always come with the warning to be alert, be smart and consider that any horse or situation may need an adjustment to the standard way of doing things.
^^ Bluey, just wanted to say, I LOVE your avatar!! :yes:
Carry on.
Oh, thank you very much! :tickled_pink:
We just had a flock of those come by yesterday, they think spring is close now.
I was thinking the same thing about Bluey’s avatar. Perfect! My favorite birds, too. Just today I bailed out of the truck to chastise a mockingbird beating up on one of my bluebirds!
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