Last Christmas, my favorite present was my new saddle. I ordered it from Frontier Saddlery. When looking at saddles to buy, there were a few things I looked for.
How it fit my horse was my number one priority. Some of the trophy saddles that I have won were narrow in the front, causing them to squeeze the horse behind the shoulder and beneath the withers. When I would ride in these saddles, my horses would get sore in their backs, which is obviously a bad thing. When trying saddles, we would feel underneath to make sure there were no points where there was a lot of pressure, which would cause soreness.
Unfortunately, there’s not a saddle that will fit every horse, but it’s best to set the saddle on every horse you have and see how it fits.
The next thing we looked for was how it positioned me in the seat. I rode in several saddles before making a selection. Some saddles positioned my legs differently, and some positioned me in different ways in the seat. My mission was to choose the one that was most natural for me and my riding style.
There are many great saddles and saddle companies in the equine industry. Try as many saddles as you can when looking to buy, and remember, it’s all about how it fits you and your horse.
