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Tack fitting: saddle and bridle

Well-fitted tack lets a horse move and breathe freely; a poorly fitted saddle or bridle causes pain, resistance and long-term damage.

Saddle fit

A saddle must clear the withers and spine, sit level, and spread the rider's weight evenly over the muscle either side of the backbone without pinching. A horse changes shape with fitness, age and season, so fit is checked regularly.

Signs of a poor fit include rubbed or white hairs, a sore back, and a horse that hollows, bucks or refuses to go forward. Many owners have a qualified saddle fitter assess the horse in work.

Bridle and bit fit

A bridle should sit clear of the eyes and the projecting cheekbone, with the noseband loose enough to admit two fingers and the bit resting without pinching the corners of the mouth.

The bit's width must match the mouth: too narrow pinches, too wide slides and bruises. Comfort in the mouth has a direct effect on how willingly a horse accepts the rider's contact.

Why fit is a welfare issue

Tack is the interface between horse and rider, and ill-fitting tack is a common hidden cause of behavioural problems that look like training issues. Ruling out pain from the saddle, bridle or, lower down, the hooves is a first step when a horse resists.

The same principle of measuring to fit rather than guessing applies right down to hoof boots, which are sized to the individual hoof.

Checking fit as the horse changes

A horse is not a fixed shape. It gains and loses muscle with fitness and season, changes with age, and alters through pregnancy, so tack that fitted last year may pinch or bridge this year. Fit is checked regularly, not fitted once and forgotten.

Many owners keep a qualified saddle fitter and their farrier on a routine, so that both the tack above and the hooves below are reassessed as the horse changes shape.

Related

Sources: British Horse Society · The Blue Cross horse advice