If you’ve ever worked with us to find a saddle, you’ll know that one thing we always request is a template of your horse’s back. These measurements, sometimes called a “wither tracing”, are the most comprehensive method of long-distance saddle fitting. If you can’t bring your horse to the shop for a hands-on fitting, an accurate template can tell us which saddles are worth sending to you for trial.
Each part of the template gives us specific input regarding one facet of your horse’s saddle needs. Here’s a breakdown of what tracings tells us, and why each measurement is important.
TRACING #1
This tracing is taken 3 fingers’ width (roughly 2”, or 5 cm.) behind the rear edge of your horse’s scapula, and tells us what tree width your horse will need. It can also tell us if your horse will need a standard or hoop tree, and if the front of the panels might need modification (wither or full front gusset, K or trapezius/dropped panel). This is often referred to as a “wither tracing”, and is sometimes the only measurement the customer sends. While it gives us a place to start, it also leaves a lot of questions unanswered. We can certainly send you saddles based on this single measurement, but since we’ll have to guess about your horse’s other fitting requirements, it may mean spending a rather substantial chunk of your saddle budget shipping “maybe” saddles back and forth.
TRACING #2
This tracing is taken at the lowest point on your horse’s back, and tells us whether your horse will need a flatter bearing surface on the rear part of the panel or a more angled, inverted “V”-shaped surface. It can also tell us if a wool-flocked or foam-flocked panel might work best, and gives us an idea of how channel width needed to clear the spine.
TRACING #3
This is your horse’s topline, and tells us what tree shape as well as panel depth would be most suitable for your horse. It can tell us if you’ll need a scoopy tree with an extra-deep rear gusset, a flat tree with an upswept panel and thinner rear gusset, or something in-between.
HELPFUL ADDITIONS
T18
If you can locate T18 – the last thoracic vertebrae, which is also the last rib and end of the weight-bearing portion of your horse’s back – and mark it on your topline tracing, it will give us an idea of just how much back we have to work with. It’s particularly useful if you’re riding a very short-backed horse, or if you ride a small horse and need a larger seat size.
CONFORMATION PHOTO
This gives us an idea of the overall balance of your horse, and the way s/he’s put together. Does your horse have a big, laid-back shoulder? Is your horse croup-high or build very uphill? Would a trapezius panel suit him/her best, or would a K panel be a better choice? If the back tracing leaves us questioning anything, the photo will almost always fill in the blanks.
THE ACID TEST
Of course, the only way to really be sure if a saddle will work for you and your horse is to ride in it. A template and photo are representations of your horse at one still moment in time … and as we all know, things can be very different when you mount up and your horse starts moving. So please don’t base your evaluation of fit on how the saddle looks sitting ungirthed on your horse (unless there’s some very blatant fitting issue, like the underside of the pommel arch resting on your horse’s wither). Put a thin quilt pad under it and girth it up for the initial assessment. However, keep in mind that even then, a saddle that looks textbook perfect while your horse is standing still may be totally unsuitable once the horse is going. Conversely, I’ve seen saddles that looked iffy upon first evaluation turn out to be golden once the rider was up and the horse started moving. Saddle fitting theory is all well and good, but you and your horse have the final say – that’s the reason behind our trial policy. So put your fittings on it, girth it up, and ride it as though you own it: take a lesson, jump a course, hack out, whatever it is that you do – to be sure this is the right saddle for you and your horse.
2 Responses to “Back Templates vs Wither Tracings”
Buffie LaVoie
Tracing #1 – (3 fingers behind scapula w/horse standing square) … is this where the saddle’s TREE POINTS will lay ?
… would this measurement be more accurate if the foreleg is lifted and marked how far back the scapula ends ???
Gullet Channel Width – should I also include a measurement for the spine w/processes span ??
Jay McGarry
It’s generally two to three fingers which should equal 2 inches. That is where the tree point should be and allows the scapula to rotate back. Most tend to put the saddle too far forward. I often will lay my fingers on the width of the spine to assess how many fingers. You can include that. Some gullets channels on old saddles can be quite narrow. Additionally, many saddles narrow at the cantle area and that can be bothersome.