How to tell if a saddle is too wide or too narrow??

[islandspirit]

Recently had my 20hr check on my new dressage saddle but my horse will now not come out of walk! Just bucks when asked for trot or manages a couple of strides and goes back to walk. I passed a very critical eye over it this evening. I can hardly get my hand under the front panels and can move the back of the saddle laterally very easily and lift it off his back even though it is girthed. So question is, is the saddle too wide or too narrow?? I am going to call the saddlery tomorrow to get my normal saddler out (i had to have use a different one for the fitting, same saddlery but they have more than one saddle fitter) but was just trying to work things out in my head beforehand. I know the saddle isn't right, just not sure why

 

[Cortez]

Without some pictures or a video it is not possible to tell, which is why you should get a saddle person out to check it for you. You need to put the saddle on without a numnah, girth it up and look at it from all angles.

 

[Donkey66]

Hold the saddle a few inches above the horses back and compare the slope of the horses shoulder with the slope of the underside of the saddle panels. That should give you enough info to tell the saddler whether its too narrow or too wide when they come to fit it properly.

 

[islandspirit]

I hate this new mobile site!! Spent ages writing a reply and then it just disappeared so, I tried trotting up in hand this evening, fine without the saddle but wouldn't come out is walk when it was on. I have tried it without a numnah ( eek phone spell checked to bum bag!) and girthed. It looks level but I cannot get my hand to slide in at the front and can move the saddle side to side at the back. I will, of course be contacting the saddlery in the morning but wanted to sound more informed than I feel:/ the angle of the points make the me think it is too narrow but the balance front to back looks right, though the back of the saddle is easy to move laterally. Before the saddle check the front had dropped so the saddler just added extra flocking to raise it. The saddle is a carbon fibre tree which can easily be adjusted and my gut instinct is it should have been widen as well as extra flicking but I'm not a saddler and wanted other opinions before I called them

 

[ladyt25]

At a guess I would suggest it's too narrow and is causing discomfort in front, affecting his shoulder movement. I have just experienced having a saddle on my youngster that I now believe, although wider enough at the front (it's a Wintec wide), it would appear it was actually too narrow (even though still pretty wide) all the way down the gullet and was pinching his spine. I think I ignored the initial, subtle signs he was giving me and then it came to a head when he completely flipped out having the saddle put on. It was not nice to see, quite terrifying in fact.

As he's young I think that's the reason he exploded how he did (he knows know better). However, an older horse will 'tell' you in a more subtle way, like yours is and, unless the saddle is sitting really low across his wither then I would say it's too narrow.

 

[sbloom]

A too wide saddle will cause uneven pressure as much as a too narrow saddle, the pressure is just in different places. If girthed up do the tree angles look right? If a horse is in soft condition or has some muscle damage, even mild, then ungirthed the tree points may look too narrow, girth up firmly and they may look spot on. I would go back to the fitter first, posting photos of the saddle here, well girthed and well lit, would help with a more detailed opinion otherwise.