Ten Steps of Saddle

Ten Steps of Saddle-Fitting

The mission of the Master Saddlers Association™ (MSA) is to educate horse owners and riders about proper saddle-fit, to protect the well being of the horse, and to set professional standards for saddle-fitters. The MSA certification program consists of 2 - one week intensive classroom training sessions, as well as, hands-on instruction. There is a mandatory six month fieldwork program, followed by intensive final exams. The MSA only awards certification to those candidates who conclude the entire program and successfully complete the final exam.

All of the following steps need to be performed with your horse standing squarely on level ground with his head and neck straight ahead and with the saddle in direct contact with the horses back.

The Ten Steps of Saddle-fitting:

Step 1: Position of the Saddle
Place the saddle forward on the horse's withers. Press down on the pommel and slide the saddle until
it stops at the resting place dictated by the horse's conformation.

Step 2: Angle of the Points
The tree points should lie within
10 degrees of parallel to the
withers.

Step 3: Wither Clearance
There should be adequate clearance between the pommel and the top of the horse's withers, approximately two to three fingers.

Step 4: Pommel to Cantle Relationship
Visualize a straight line parallel
to the ground from the pommel
to the cantle. In almost any
saddle, if the cantle is even or
lower than the pommel, the
saddle is improperly fitted.

Step 5: Seat Level
Visualize the same straight line parallel to the ground and look
this time at the deepest part of
the seat. This area should be level.

Step 6: Seat Length
The saddle should never go behind the 18th thoracic vertebra, which is the vertebra corresponding with the last rib.

Step 7: Channel Clearance/Gullet Width
There should be adequate clearance over the spine and connective tissue throughout the channel of the saddle.

Step 8: Saddle Stability
The saddle should remain stable and not shift excessively from side to side or front and back

Step 9: Panel Pressure and Contact
Place one hand in the center of the saddle and press down to secure the saddle in place; run your other hand between the panels and your horse's musculature, feeling for uneven pressure.

Step 10: Horse Response
Throughout the whole saddle fitting process, monitor your horse's response. The horse is the most honest indicator we have when fitting a saddle.

Wool stuffed panes are almost universally considered superior to foam for the following reasons: assuming correctly
designed panels, wool conforms to the many shapes of the horse's back and can be adjusted if necessary to correct for
a multitude of fitting problems. You cannot however, correct for a poorly designed or incorrectly fitted tree.

For more information contact Teri
at 908.234.9070 or 908.500.7639