Adjustable Saddle Trees
What does it mean when you say that the tree is adjustable? Can I adjust the tree myself?
The front of the saddle tree is built with a unique material which can be shaped using a specially designed saddle press. The actual press and biuld of the tree are made to go together. Any more details are proprietary. We could tell you but then would need to swear you to secrecy. Thus the shaping of the tree must be done here in our shop. We do the adjustment by putting the saddle, the press and your wither tracing together. We are not vain enough to believe that we can be 100% acurate all of the time. However, we do get it right about 85 to 90% of the time.
NOTE: Know that the trees can only be made narrower, they cannot be made wider.
The "SUPERFIT" tree (developed exclusively by RideAbout) is unique in that when it is adjusted in the front it adjusts uniformly from front to back. This is important because horses are symetrical. Trees which can only be adjusted in the front do not adjust symetrically and thus the saddles do not fit nearly as well.
We recommend making a wither tracing for best fit
Why make a wither tracing?
First, if you are purchasing an adjustable saddle we can adjust your saddle tree to most comfortably fit your horse. Second, even if you don't want to have your saddle adjusted or aren't purchasing an adjustable saddle at this time, we can determine whether the saddle should fit your horse. Simply by sending us a wither tracing we can save you the frustration of getting a saddle that may or may not fit your horse.
After the basics, we can frequently use your horse’s wither tracings to help us size your saddle and give it a custom fit.
Wither tracings can be used in two ways: 1) to make sure that your saddle’s width is within acceptable limits and 2) to provide us with the angles we need to manually adjust your new saddle so that your horse and saddle get a custom fit. Kate’s offers a full line of adjustable tree saddles. All of our RideAbout™ and Kate's brand saddles have fully adjustable trees. Unlike other adjustable saddles, the entire tree on the RideAbout is adjusted from front to rear giving you’re horse a better fit. This unique adjustment system results in a more custom fit, and a safer ride for you and your horse.
How do I make a wither tracing?
To take a wither tracing, use a stiff wire (our suggestion...a straightened wire clothes hanger). Place it over the horse at the point of contact at the front of the saddle. This is typically 2 to 3 finger widths behind the scapula bone. Carefully shape the wire to the horse’s wither, then place the shaped wire on a standard sheet of paper and using a pen or pencil trace along the top of the arc (the crown). Don’t worry, even though the wire may exceed the dimensions of an 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper, we only need angle at the top of the bend.
Fax that page to us at (303) 805-4137. With the tracing, please include the following:
- Horse breed
- Horse height
- Horse weight (seeinstructions below)
- Rider's Sex
- Rider's height & weight
- Pant size (women) or waist size (men)
Provide accurate information when purchasing your saddle:
The most important information you can give us to aid in fitting a saddle includes: your horses' breed, height and weight and your height and weight. After fitting thousands of saddles, we've become very good at using the information you give us to size the saddle you select to you and your horse.
How do I determine how much my horse weighs?
Step 1 — Measure A, the circumference of the horses body, in inches (distance around the horse at the heart girth).
Step 2 — Measure the length of the body from the point of the shoulder to the point of the croup, in inches. (Point B to C)
Step 3 — Calculate your horses weight using the following formula:Girth (A) x Girth (A) X Length (B to C) / 300 = X + 50 pounds = Horses weight Example: 76” x 76” x 60” / 300 = 1,155 + 50 = 1,205 lbs of Horse. [back]