|  |
|
|
Untitled Document
| |
What's the right seat size for an Aussie saddle for me? |
| Seat Length |
14"
(Children) |
15" |
16" |
17" |
18" |
19" |
20" |
| Ladies |
4 to 6 st appx.
56 - 84 lbs appx. |
6 - 8 st
84 - 112 lbs |
8 - 9.5 st
112 - 133 lbs |
9.5 - 11 st
133 - 154 lbs |
11 - 13 st
154 - 182 lbs |
13 - 15 st
182 - 210 lbs |
over 15 st
over 210 lbs |
| Gents |
4 to 8 st appx.
56 - 112 lbs appx. |
8 - 10 st
112 - 140 lbs
|
10 - 12.5 st
140 - 175 lbs |
12.5 - 15 st
175 - 210 lbs |
15 - 17 st
210 - 238 lbs |
17 - 19 st
238 - 266 lbs |
over 19 st
over 266 lbs |
| |
These are rough guides to choosing the right seat length for you. The correct sizing is based on height and leg-length as well as weight, so if you're near the upper end of the weight range, and tall or long-legged for your weight, you'd probably be more comfortable in the next size up; if you're at the lower end of the weight range, and short or short-legged for your weight, you might well be better suited with the next size down. (Ladies and gents need different length seats for the same body-weight simply because the mature female pelvis is larger than the mature male pelvis.) |
... and what about fitting for my horse? |
Horses, like their riders, come in a variety of different shapes. The first thing to look at is your horse's wither angle. The majority of horses will be well suited to the Aussie medium tree, but those with a very narrow wither, or a particularly broad one, will need either to have the tree adjusted (if the saddle is built on an adjustable tree), or possibly to have a saddle built onto a wide tree. The horse's wither angle is assessed from a wither tracing - and details of how to take a wither tracing are shown further down the page.
The wither tracing doesn't tell quite the whole story, so it's also useful to assess the general shape of your horse's back. A few examples of which type of saddle is best suited to which type of back are given below. |
The Barcoo Poley
This saddle, with fleece-covered close-contact panels, is ideally suited to the horse with a low wither, and a broad, smooth, flat back.
It's not suited for a horse with a very prominent wither or spine, or one which 'drops off' behind the shoulder, with either a pronounced dip in the back, or with distinct hollows behind the points of the shoulder (prominent shoulder bones).
Examples of the type of horse this would suit well are draught horses, Highlands, Haflingers, Icelandics, and some Arabs. It's a good one to choose where saddle slip or roll is a problem with your horse. (The saddle shown here in the far right picture was built for a particularly broad-withered draught horse.)
The total contact length of these saddles is about 4 inches longer than the seat size. |
|
|
The RideAbout Aussie Endurance Saddle
This lightweight saddle, with its ultra-close contact panels (only 19mm thick), is ideally suited to the horse with a smoothly-shaped back and shoulder.
It's not suited for a horse with a very prominent wither or spine, or one which 'drops off' behind the shoulder, with either a pronounced dip in the back, or with distinct hollows behind the points of the shoulder (prominent shoulder bones).
It's a good one to choose where saddle slip or roll is a problem with your horse, and is particularly good for many Arabs and part-bred Arabs. (The saddle shown here in the far right picture was built for a broad-withered cob.)
The total contact length of these saddles is approximately the same as the seat size. |
|
|
The 'Traditional' Aussie Stock Saddle
The traditional Aussie stock saddle, with its well-stuffed flock panels, is suitable for almost any horse.
It's the only practicable option for horses with a high wither, a prominent spine, a pronounced dip behind the withers, or significant hollows behind the shoulders.
For a horse with a lump on its back, your own saddler should even be able to re-awl the stuffing to create a corresponding hollow in the panel of the saddle. (The saddle shown here in the far right picture is on a standard medium tree.)
The total contact length of these saddles is about 4 inches more than the seat size. |
 |
|
How do I take a wither tracing ?
|
You need to bend either a flexible curve or a piece of coathanger wire over his withers, at the point of contact at the front of the saddle, as shown in the picture (right).
Carefully shape the wire to the horse’s wither, then place the shaped wire on a standard A4 sheet of paper and using a broad dark pen (marker pen is ideal) trace along the top of the curve. Then scan the A4 page, save it as a .jpg file, and email it to us.
A back-profile photo, taken from the horse's nearside, with the camera pretty much level with the saddle area of his back, just behind the wither, will also help us to assess fit as it shows the wither definition. |
 |
A final measurement to consider is the total contact length of your saddle - that's taken from the very front of the saddle to the rear of the panels. Measure your horse along the total contact length (green) line shown to the right, crossing the natural girthline (red), to check whether the saddle will fit the length of his weight-bearing back okay.
Most Aussie saddles have a total contact length of around 4 - 5 inches longer than the seat size; the endurance saddles like the one shown above have a much shorter comparative contact length, at approximately the same as the seat size. If you have a short-backed horse with a smooth outline (no lumpy shoulders!) then the endurance saddle is likely to be the one for you! |
 |
|
|
) 
