Saddle fit question - tippping backwards

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CobsGalore

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If a saddle is tipping backwards, is the reason always that the gullet/tree is too narrow, or would there be other reasons for this?

Saddle looks balanced when placed on horse, but when ridden in it tips backwards. Could it be that the seat size is too small for the rider maybe?

Any other ideas?
 
The saddle could have been placed too far forward on the horses back. The point of tree wants to be about 2" behind the shoulder blade.

If the flocking in the rear of the saddle has flattened out this will cause it to tip backwards.

The rider could be sitting too far towards the cantle but if everything else is fine the saddle shouldn't be able to tip back, though there would be more pressure on the horse at the cantle area possibly causing problems.

The tree could be the wrong shape for the horse causing the saddle to sit wrong on their back.

Or it could be as you say and the gullet is too narrow. This may not be due to gullet width in the tree. It could be due to extra flocking being put in the front at some point to make the saddle fit and now its not needed, if the extra flocking was removed that tree width may be fine.

Most saddles I see with the problem of tipping back, its more they sit up at the front too much rather than being too low at the back and the problem is simply that the tree width is too narrow for the horse. In this case there will be a little gap between the top of the flocking and the withers when not girthed up, the first area of contact with the back being under the point of tree. When girthed up and you run a hand down the flocking at the front the pressure won't feel even, it will get tighter under the point of tree because its digging in where its too narrow.

I'm not a saddler though, just do a fair job of fitting them to my own horses.
 
A rider that is too tall or too heavy will often sit on the cantle. A too curvy tree will lift at the front more than a tree that is correct though. If you can post good clear photos from side and front (side to include the whole horse, girth the saddle firmly with no pad) then I might be able to help further :)
 
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