"As we all know saddle fit is a very controversial subject. I for one don’t believe in the terminology ‘saddle fit’. The only thing I see is the ramifications of a poorly fitting saddle. I think the issue is tree fit (not saddle fit), for the tree is the foundation of the saddle and it is from here that fitting many problems stem.
Saddle makers, saddletree makers and their customers can benefit greatly from standardising the way that saddletrees are measured. Communication between all those involved will improve if everyone involved is using the same terminology and system of measurements.
An example of clear communication and its benefits is shown with horseshoes. Commercially available horseshoes (in Australia) range in size from 00 to 6 or 7 off the shelf. If for example you purchase six sets of size 3 shoes, made by various companies, you would find that despite a small variation, they would all fit a size 3 hoof. With saddletrees this is not the case. Saddletree sizes vary according to the maker, style and discipline. It is this issue that I am attempting to redress. Just as horse’s hooves are categorised into different sizes, so too can horse’s backs. Once the general size/category is found it does not take much fine tunning to have a tree fit an individual horse, just like the shoes.
During the past ten years I have put a lot of thought into the problem. The first thing I needed to know was the range and shape of horse’s backs. Hans Van Hees shared his method of measuring horses with me and I have used it ever since. I have not invented anything new all I have done is to collect measurements of horse’s backs. It was creating a simple and easy to use system for collecting this information that is the revolution. The following system is an attempt to simplify this mystical procedure.
While collecting the information and developing the system I have found that I have been able to constantly check and update my saddletrees and improve the accuracy of their fit for customers. It is my wish to share this information and technique with fellow saddle and tree makers in the hope that we can improve the quality of service that we provide to our customers.
This system of measuring horse’s backs, I feel is the first step towards developing a more standardised system of categorising the “fit” for all saddle trees.
The cards that can be supplied are designed to classify the horse’s backs, identifying the differences between the width and rock. Identifying these differences should assist us in choosing the appropriate size tree to fit our customer’s horses. It also could lead us to designing better fitting trees.
I have adopted the letters D & S to designate the broader categories of the shape of the horses back. This originates from Xenophon, a famous Greek horseman who was considering this problem in approximately 360 BC. Xenophon described horse’s backs in two ways, double back (D) or single back (S). With the double back, the flesh rises on either side of the spine, so that the spine lies in a slight depression. Single backs, have the spine rising above the flesh forming a ridge.
I have added a number to designate the size within these categories. Thus I have a code: S4, S5, S6, S7, for the single backed horses and D4, D5, D6, D7, D8 for the double backed horses. There are 3 rock/bow patterns R6, R9, R12. I have made trees in every category, but have found that some are more common than others.
The next step in the process is to classify the trees to the horses. I am asking individual tree makers to take the range of trees that they produce (as far as fit is concerned and not style), put the trees on horses and assess which horse they are designed to fit. We are not interested in the horse’s breed, line of breed, height, etc so any horse that that they recommend the tree for is fine. Then using the cards find which category their horse fits into. If this information could be added to the website it would be appreciated. By adding this number to their method of classification will give other tree makers and saddle makers a reference point when discussing or ordering trees.
This is not meant to interfere with any method that the tree maker currently has in place, only to complement it. I am supplying this system to saddle makers and tree makers in Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada in the hope that it will be adopted by the industry as the standard method of tree fit classification. Regardless of manufacturing methods, material used or the quality of the trees. At this point in time I am happy with the system but as more tradesmen analyse it and use it around the world, I am sure it will continue to evolve. It is not perfect (no system is) but I think it is a good place to start. Anyone can use this system. Measuring their horses to send the size to the saddle maker, who can order a tree from any tree maker using this system and have it fit with a high rate of success. As all are talking in the same “language” there is less chance off misunderstanding.
If a horse appears that fall outside the general range a tree maker can use the cards to ascertain (if he needs or wants to), where and by how much he needs to change the trees to fit that horse. It also means that a saddle maker who is a long distance from the tree maker can communicate their needs for a tailored tree with more ease. I think the system is a useful tool to gain accurate information from our customers. The system also demonstrates to customers that one size does not fit all.
The cards can also be used to show where and how much padding to use when making a manipulative pad to match the shape of the horse to the setting of the tree. Just like the horseshoe once you get close to the size it is relatively easy to manipulate the shoe to fit the individual hoof. For example a size 3 shoe won’t fit a horse with a size 4 hoof or a size 2 hoof but it will fit a size 3 hoof and the variations that we see within that size. When making these pads if we use quality material we can also reduce the concussion aspect of tree fir. So by getting the tree to fit a given shape and using a manipulative pad to fine tune the tree using quality not quantity, it will allow us to build a narrower fitting tree, which in turn is more closely suited to the human pelvis."
At the moment we are working on producing these cards on a commercial basis. Hopefully they will be available shortly. In the package I supply an instruction sheet on how to use the cards. It is the same one that I supply to my customers, and a results sheet to record the settings. I advise them to keep a copy of the results so that they can compare the changes from season to season and year to year, horse to horse. I feel that if a customer acquires a new horse then they can use the system to check how their old saddle will fit by comparing the new horses measurements with those that the saddle was designed for. I add all the results to the database to help with further research.
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