Semi-quarter horse bars measure 6 inches apart on your measuring tool. This size saddle fits a horse who is healthy without excess fat or muscles on his upper shoulders Full quarter horse bars are 6 1/4 to 6 1/2 inches apart.
How do I know if my horse needs full or semi-quarter horse bars?
A saddle with full quarter horse bars is designed to fit a horse with a wide, fairly flat back. A saddle with semi-quarter horse bars is designed to fit a horse with a medium-sized back.
What size is semi-quarter horse bars?
Semi-Quarter horse bars usually have a 6 1/4″ gullet , and Quarter Horse Bars usually have a 6 1/2″ to 6 3/4″ gullet. Designed to fit the average horse, one of these two widths will fit approximately 80% of horses comfortably. Full-Quarter horse bars usually have a 7″ gullet.
What angle are Quarter Horse bars?
After many years of careful observation we feel that the 45 degree angle fits the widest possible number of horses. Full Quarter Horse Bars: This means that the distance between the bars at the base of the swell or pommel is 7”.
What size saddle do I need for a 16 hand horse?
Under 16.5 inches, You probably need a 15-inch
seat size
in an English saddle. Between 16.5 and 18.5 inches , Look for a 16-inch saddle. Between 20 and 21.5 inches, Try a 17-inch saddle. Over 21.5 inches, Try an 18- or 19-inch seat size.
Can I use a gaited saddle on a quarter horse?
Typically the gaited horse will require a 12-inch spread in the
shoulder area
of the bar while the Quarter Horse will require 13. If you put a saddle made for the Quarter Horse on the gaited horse it will fit at the top (or in this case gullet) but there will be no support at the shoulder.
What size gullet is SQHB?
It usually has a 7″ gullet, and is often used for the “Bulldog” Quarter Horse or horses with broad backs and sometimes mutton-withered (
low wither
) Quarter Horses. The FQHB will usually have a flatter pitch than the Semi QH bar (shaped more like an upside down U.).
What size gullet is a wide tree?
Gullet Size Any gullet that measures larger than 7 inches is considered to be wide. An extra-wide gullet is going to measure 8 inches or more and is commonly found only in saddles designed to fit draft horses or draft horse crosses.
What is a 6 inch gullet?
Semi-quarter horse bars fit most of today’s western horses. Gullet width of 6″-6 1/2″. Full Quarter Horse Bars- have even wider angles to accommodate wider-bodied horses and horses with flatter or “Mutton” withers. Gullet width of 6 3/4″- 7″.
How wide should the gullet be on a saddle?
The ideal width for a saddle gullet is between 2.5″ and 4″ depending on your horse.
What size tree does my horse need?
The tree must not only be wide enough for the withers, but it has to accommodate the horse’s shoulders They should be able to rotate freely, and for that to occur, the tree angle must match the shoulder angle. The scapula motions upward and backward as the horse moves.
What is saddle gullet?
The gullet is the tunnel underneath the fork and rides over the horse’s withers The design of the fork and the angle of the bars of the saddle tree determine the width and height of the gullet.
What is saddle swell?
Swell: The swell is the part of the saddle that holds the bars together and supports the horn 1. A-Fork – A-forks were very popular on ranch saddles back in the day. They are still a very widely used style on today’s working ranch saddles.
What are gaited bars on a saddle?
Unlike a full Quarter Horse Bar saddle it is designed to sit correctly on the withers and not drop down and throw off the way the bars sit on the horses back The bars are called by many people as wide, however they are not. The bars themselves are not wide (only measuring 13 inches), but the angle is wide.
What causes a saddle to roll?
Too much padding negates the good fit between the shape of the horse and the tree by diminishing the curves. It causes the saddle to roll around more so the cinch needs to be tighter to hold it in place, causing possible cinch soreness problems.
Where should a saddle sit on a horse?
Your saddle fits just right if it sits level on your horse’s back and the bars of the tree do not pinch. The front of your saddle should be positioned behind your horse’s shoulder blade , allowing him freedom of movement. Your saddle is too narrow if the front of the saddle sits high.
What is an Arabian saddle?
Arabian horses have distinctive body shapes and we have found a good selection of western trail saddles to fit your Arabian. They have shorter skirts with wider gullets and a bit more curve , just as your horse was designed. View our selection of Arabian saddles.
Where do you measure a gullet?
The saddle gullet should span the withers, resting on the withers about 2 inches below their
highest point
and leaving a gap between the top of the withers and the bottom of the saddle Place your hand into the space between the saddle and your horse’s wither, using your fingers to measure the vertical space.
Are English and Western gullet sizes the same?
The gullet size on Western saddles can be confusing, basically measurements go 2″ larger than normal english saddles (So a 16″ western is up to an 18″ English equivalent).
What is a flex tree saddle?
A flex tree saddle has bars that are flexible, allowing the saddle to flex with the horse The flexibility ‘enhances’ an already proper fit, it doesn’t attempt to create it.
What is bar spread?
Bar spread is the width between the bars It can also be called bar width, though that can be confused with bar depth. We measure this at the back of the fork, and the hand hole width defines the bar spread on out trees.
What is a DL saddle tree?
DL is a Donn Leson tree that is most commonly used in reining and cowhorse saddles The thicker, rounded or mutton withered horses usually work better with the DL tree.
How do I know my saddle size?
It’s easy to measure a western saddle’s seat size. Use a retractable tape measure. Start the tape measure behind the swell and stretch it across the seat to the front of the cantle That measurement is the seat size.
How do I know what size saddle fits me?
- Youth: 12 to 13 inches.
-
small adult
: 14 inches. - Average adult: 15 inches.
- Large adult: 16 inches.
- Extra-large adult: 17 inches.
What size is a blue gullet?
If your gullet has been changed after purchase the colours are sized as follows: Yellow – Narrow, Green – Medium Narrow, Black – Medium, Blue – Medium wide , Red – Wide, and White is Extra wide.
What happens if a saddle is too wide?
When a saddle is too wide in the front, it can sink down over the withers This takes the saddle out of balance by making the pommel lower than the cantle, which in turn carries more pressure over the front of the tree (at the withers/shoulders) than a saddle with a properly sized tree.
Is my saddle too narrow?
Look at the angle of the point of the saddle, and look at the angle of the horses shoulder. You should be able to see if the point is following the shape of the horse, or if it is sticking inwards (too narrow), or if it is sticking outwards (too wide). You should be looking at the angle of the POINT, not the panel.
What is the smoothest riding horse?
The Paso Fino is known as “the smoothest riding horse in the world.” 2. Paso Finos’ unique gait is natural and super-smooth.
Do Tennessee walkers trot?
Some members of the breed perform other variations of lateral ambling gaits, including the rack, stepping pace, fox trot and single-foot, which are allowable for pleasure riding but penalized in the show ring. A few Tennessee Walking Horses can trot , and have a long, reaching stride.
How can you tell if a horse is gaited?
A gaited horse will traditionally have a four-beat gait When walking, each foot will fall individually, following a precise pattern. Most gaited horses follow a pattern of right hind, right front, left hind, left front or right front, left hind, left front, right hind.
What is mutton withered horse?
Low Withers Also known as mutton-withered horses, this kind of horse has a gradual slope towards its rear and lacks shoulder definition It may also have a rounder and/or flatter back. Sometimes, a horse may have no withers at all. Low withers are common among American Quarter horses, ponies, and Arabians.
Is the tree and gullet the same thing?
The tree is the underlying framework of the saddle. The gullet is the channel that runs from the pommel to the cantle on the underside of the saddle. Although the size of the tree influences the front of the gullet, the tree size and the gullet size are not the same.
What does wide tree saddle mean?
A saddle that has full quarter horse bars , also known as a wide tree, generally has a measurement of 90 degrees, plus or minus 3. A very wide tree will have an angle of 94 degrees plus or minus 3. Very wide trees are often used on large horses such as drafts.
How do you test a saddle tree?
Here are three ways to test your saddle tree. Support the front of the saddle against one thigh, press one hand on the seat, and, with the other hand, grasp the cantle and pull it towards you An intact tree does not give to the pressure; a broken tree does. Clicking noises are another possible sign of a breakdown.
How many inches is a medium tree?
Small trees have a DBH of up to 14 inches; medium trees 15-19 inches , and large trees 20 inches or more. In the nursery trade, we describe trees in terms of their caliper, which is the measure of diameter; and depends upon plant size made at a point 6-12 inches above the ground.
Sources
https://www.lazyoakequine.com/semi-quarter-horse-bars/
All Saddles
https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/what-do-quarter-horse-semi-quarter-horse-and-full-quarter-horse-/