You want to change your saddle and you know that your horse’s current saddle is a 17" MW so all you need to do is look for any saddle that is also in a 17" MW and it will fit right?
Unfortunately life is rarely that simple and neither is saddle fitting. The difference that the panels and tree can make to how the saddle fits is huge.
All of these saddles are a 17" M fitting
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This saddle has full front gussets and thick panels which will hold more flocking and offer more support and clearance to horses with a high wither or those lacking topline. Thick panels on a horse that is well covered may cause instability or imbalance.
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This saddle has slim panels, combined with the lack of gussets, it makes this saddle more suitable for horses with good soft tissue coverage and an average wither profile.
This saddle might lack the support to sit correctly on a horse with a high wither or lack of topline muscle.
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This saddle has a curved tree which gives the seat a deeper profile. The depth of the seat would be good for those riders looking for security in the saddle but may not be suitable for those looking to go Cross Country.
The curve in the tree would be unlikely to suit horses with a flat back as it may encourage bounce.
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This saddle has a flatter tree which gives it a flat and open seat profile. This seat profile would suit those riders not wanting to feel too “locked in” This tree shape makes this saddle more suitable for a horse with a flatter back and would be more likely to “bridge” on those horses with some shape to their back.
In summary, width for the horse and seat size for the rider is not standard across brands or models and it is always best to enlist the help of a qualified fitter, for the sake of both you and your horse!
