Saddle advice - how to tell if channel is too narrow

[Jellymoon]

Have just receiver a saddle to try from saddler, but I have a concern about it. It seems like the channel is quite narrow (not the gullet, the gullet appears ok) and fits quite snuggly either side of his whither/spine. He has quite a thick, wide spine.
How can you check if the channel is the right width?

 

[sbloom]

Thank you for using the right word! Gullet is just confusing....

You need to feel your horse's spine - put thumb to one side, fingers to the other, press fairly firmly and bring them in towards each other until the feel under them changes and becomes much firmer, at which point you've met the spinal process. Set your fingers and thumbs into an arch at that width, then slide the fingers of your other hand under them, and voila.

You then should also think about how high the panels are set at the front, and if they place too much pressure either side of the wither. They can have the flock softened a little in many cases to relieve that pressure, as not every saddle will have the 100% perfect attachment height for your horse.

Needing super wide channels is a fallacy for most types of saddle fitting and I would not take fitting principles, such as a 10cm channel, from one saddle fitting methodology, and apply it to a completely different type of saddle. Not that you are, but people listen to certain marketing messages out there...

 

[Jellymoon]

Oh wow, thank you, exactly what I was after!
So, just to check I have understood correctly, the channel of the saddle should be wider than the fingers of the other hand?

 

[sbloom]

You need to be able to insert those fingers into the channel, all the way back.