How to Fit a Rider to an English Saddle

Determine the type of English saddle required. This will depend on the discipline the horse and rider prefer; a saddle designed for jumping fences will be different than a saddle made for dressage. A riding instructor can help determine the best type of English saddle for the rider.

Test out several different saddles. Go to a tack store, or ask the riding instructor if he has any saddles available to try. Decide which saddles are most comfortable and feel the most secure. There should be approximately 3 to 4 inches of room both in front and behind the rider; it is important that the saddle seat not be too large or too small. If it is too small, it can be difficult to move easily, and if it is too large, the rider may slip around or shift more than she should.

Once you find a saddle that feels like a good fit, measure it. Take a long ruler or measuring tape and measure from the screw or nail on the front side of the saddle (on the pommel) to the center of the back of the saddle (called the cantle). Find the measurement to the closest half-inch; this is the correct saddle size, and should be used if purchasing or ordering a saddle.

If it is impossible to test out a variety of saddles, use the rider's height to determine an approximate seat size. Small children should use a size 14-inch saddle. Children or adults under 5 feet should use a 15- to 16-inch saddle. Someone just over 5 feet should use a 16 1/2-inch saddle, while those 5 feet, 4 inches to 5 feet, 9 inches should choose a 17- to 17 1/2-inch seat. This is the most common English saddle size for average adult riders. Anyone close to 6 feet and over should use an 18- to 19-inch saddle.