Checking the fit of a treeless saddle

I wouldn't bother with a saddler. If there are any solid parts eg pommel or cantle maybe then make sure they don't dig in the horse when a rider is in the saddle. The withers should be clear so they don't get rubbed. Don't girth up so tight the horse gets excess pressure behind the front legs, the saddles slip so use a grip pad and/or don't mount from the ground. If the saddle has a gullet check the horses spine isn't being pinched. If no gullet use a pad designed to create one. I don't, but then I have a saddle designed to spread the riders weight and I only use it twice a week at most for about half hour. I'd have no problem riding bareback under those circumstances so I don't bother with a special treeless saddle pad. Some horses get back problems if ridden long term in treeless saddles without a proper pad.
 
A friend has just gone through this after trying lots of different saddles over months and months. After an awful lot of research the main things that we figured we needed to check for were as follows -

Spine clearance when on the saddle, this can be checked by threading some baling twine through the 'gullet' prior to girthing up - the twine should have a knot in it - we knotted it several times to make a bigger knot so we were sure, the string should then be able to be pulled from the back - all the way through from the wither and out of the back of the saddle - ideally it will pass right through, some resistance is still ok but if you have to tug and tug then there is an issue.

The other main issue is wither clearance - as normal you should till have clearance when in the saddle.

Does it put your weight past the last rib?

That's all I know. The saddle she has now passed all of these tests and the horse is happy in it.
 
I think the main reasons horses get back problems are from being girthed up too tight, putting constant and severe pressure on the bottom of the belly behind the front legs, as people attempt to stop saddle slipping. Or from riders putting a lot of weight into the stirrup, causing pressure points where the stirrups attach to saddle. Some cheap saddles don't spread the riders weight well at all and without a really good pad then its like riding bareback forever, which I believe shortens the horses working life a bit, due to all the pressure always being on one relatively small part of the back and being directly on the spine too. The saddles often look an awful fit until someone sits in them.

Billie, I like the string idea too!
 
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