Measuring saddle size?

[chaps89]

Some-one asked me what size my saddle was yesterday and realised I had no idea, other than one that fitted my horse!
Dug the receipt out for it and it just says 17" VSD saddle, it was purchased 9 years ago so no hope of the saddler remembering, is there a way I can measure the width, I suspect it will either be a medium or medium wide, are the widths universal in sizing or is it like clothes - in one shop you can be a size 8 & in another a size 12?!

 

[Love]

I just measure D ring to D ring in inches. Is the stirrup bar stamped? Also if it is a changeable gullet turn the saddle upside down and there will be a flap that you can lift up and see what colour gullet is in therefore the width (changes per make)

 

[chaps89]

If I measure between D rings, what measurement equals which width - ie 5" = medium, 6" = wide, etc? (Sure those measurements are vastly out, just using them as an example)
It's not a changeable gullet so no can do there, will double check the stirrup bars later thankyou, hadn't thought of that.
There's no pressing need to know but it's one of those irritating things that having had some-one ask me it's made me wonder and I hate not knowing the answer, lol

 

[Love]

I don't think measuring D to D corresponds to a certain width but after having just bought a second hand saddle off the Internet and looking through so many, most sellers don't state the width and just seat size and D to D measurement. Sorry that's not much help! But yes definitely check the stirrup bar

 

[Love]

* although do stand to be corrected on that!

 

[sbloom]

Measuring dee to dee isn't really that much help but because it's all most people have it's what they rely on. Saddle fitters work from templates - like the shape inside a coat hanger with the angle of the arms reflecting the angle of the tree ie the width. There is a lot more to tree width than the dee to dee I'm afraid, for instance long points will not fit wider horses, the "head" ie the tree shape at the pommel varies a lot (affecting the dee to dee measurement) and different horses need different shapes.

If you ever need to sell then simply take a photo of the front of the saddle with a tape measure held up at dee level, so that people can see the shape of the pommel, the depth of the flocking in the panels etc and can't blame you for taking the measurement wrongly

Not many stirrup bars have the size on, and bear in mind that any wooden tree can be adjusted a little, so any stamp on the flap or bar can be misleading if you're buying a saddle with unknown history.

 

[chaps89]

sbloom - much appreciated thankyou. This is a saddle I've had since it was purchased so it's been well looked after and I know it's never been damaged, I'm hopeful it will fit the next horse if I get one but 1) wanted to know so if I do sell it what I can describe it as (like the idea of the photo and measuring tape tho ) and 2) if I buy a horse and it's in a MW saddle (for example) I can know if there's a chance mine might fit (would get it properly checked & altered by saddler tho, not just go off my own untrained eye!)

There is a lot more to tree width than the dee to dee I'm afraid, for instance long points will not fit wider horses, the "head" ie the tree shape at the pommel varies a lot (affecting the dee to dee measurement) and different horses need different shapes.

So out of interest, do width measurement then vary between saddlers/brands - ie a MW albion will be a different width to a MW stubben and therefore a horse might require a MW in one brand but a M in another? Or is that irrelevant because they are different styles of saddle and fit differently (like jeans from Next might fit/flatter me but jeans from Debenhams may not?) Apologies if I'm being thick, it's something I've always found interesting & now I'm just being nosey!