Measure your gaited horse or mule before buying a saddle.  Then buy a saddle that fits!

Properly fitting saddles is Crest Ridge Saddlery’s first objective

Crest Ridge Saddlery offers saddles a bit differently than other companies. We are not here just to sell you a saddle. We want you to have a saddle that is correct for your horse and comfortable for you. We want you to tell your friends “this one fits!”

We can accomplish this by having correct measurements and good photos of your horse. These allow us to determine the saddle tree within our saddle lines that best accommodates the horse’s shape and size. We can get these measurements by your visiting us with your horse or mule in Lowry City, Missouri, at one of the shows we attend, or by your taking the required measurements and sending them to us.

Saddle fitting is easy with our system

We have developed a simple process which will provide us the information we need to recommend the proper tree to best fit your horse or mule.

Step 1:  Build the saddle fitting measuring tool.

Cut a sixteen inch piece of stiff wire that can be easily molded to fit your horse’s shape and retain that shape when removed from the horse. Coated wires such as ROMEX or soldering wire work well.  Mark the middle of the wire at the 8 inch point with a marker.

Step 2:  Mold the saddle fitting measuring tool to your horse or mule.

Stand your horse square on a level surface.  With gentle pressure locate the back edge of the shoulder blade (scapula)  with one or 2 fingers and keep them there.  With your other hand place your measuring tool over the withers. Place the marked center point directly above the withers, with eight inches of wire to each side, and directly over where your fingers are marking the back edge of the scapula.  Mold and press the wire down so that it makes a perfect outline of your horse's wither. It must make contact with the horse’s skin on both sides immediately behind the shoulder blade. 

Free movement of the scapula is essential for a properly fitting gaited horse saddle.

Step 3: Measure your horse or mule

Carefully remove the measuring tool from your horse or mule so that the shape of the animal is maintained by the tool. Lay the diagram on a sheet of paper and trace the wire as shown to the right.  We use the measurements indicated by the two dashed lines. From the center of the wire measure straight down 3 inches and then side to side. This gives you the gullet measurement. Then measure from wire end to wire end straight across and this gives you the bar width through the shoulder. Record these 2 measurements, as we will need them to determine the required flare, bar angle, bar width and swell height needed for a proper fitting tree for your horse or mule.

The Importance of Accurate Photos and Templates.

Your saddle will be made from the measurements that you provide us. Please make sure the information on the scapula template is accurate and the measurements are drawn on the template before it is sent.  Feel free to call us if you have any questions or need help with this process.

Photos that you send help us evaluate what bar shape, as well as the angle needed to build the properly fitted tree. It is vital that you send photos from the correct angles requested.  The horse must be standing square on all 4 feet and his head straight and not lowered or in the grazing position. 

Please look at the illustration below and review the 3 required photos needed for your fitting. Please do your best to replicate these photos.

Please do not send us photos that contain more than 1000kb (1mb) each as during your fitting E-mails larger than 4 MB will not be delivered to me.  Please send your photographs as .jpg files. I need to be able to flip from one to the other to accurately work with your information. Please do not send more photos than what we ask for. While we appreciate the albums of photos that we often receive, it is very difficult and time consuming to flip through duplicate images and odd angles.  If we require additional photos, we will request them.

Step 4:  Photograph your horse or mule. 

With your animal standing square on level ground, take three photographs as shown below.  It is not necessary for your measuring tool to be on your animal for these pictures—it is challenging enough to get your horse to stand square and still without having to worry about a piece of wire staying in place.  These pictures help us determine the appropriate rocker for your animal and to spot potential fitting issues, such as a prominent spine.

Photographs help us determine which saddles will fit the curve (rock) of your horse's back.

Thank you to Dayna & Daniel Schroder for allowing us to use the photos from their measurements!

Step 5: Send us your information. 

Send us the photographs and the tracing of the wire along with the measurements from Step 3.  You can send it in by fax, e-mail or regular mail. We’ll have enough information to help recommend an appropriate tree for your horse or mule.

Customer Comments

Good day!  I bought a Mule saddle from you last year for my 4 year old who hadn't quite filled in yet.  Like you said - she has filled into the saddle nicely this year so that I can ride without her britchin now!  Though I like the way it (the breeching) looks on her, and still use it.....  Real impressed with your knowledge on saddle fitting from pictures alone and discussion.  I have a 3 year old MFT that when she's done with training will fit her up with you for a saddle - talk to ya then.  Happy trails!  Sharon Williams  Hartwick,  NY, May 2010