Saddle Fitting... the glories of owning a young horse

So... growing horsie = $$$$ saddle fitting... saddle buying... sleepness nights saddle hunting.

SO now I'm doing intense research, and planning on taking a course in saddle fitting this coming winter.

anyway, it was suggested to me that i look for a saddle with the following qualifications...
• a tree with either a shorter point or a flexible point
• wither guessets
• dropped panels

and here in begins my scouring of the internet for precise visuals & descriptions of such things. (by scour the internet i mean hijack the majority of my information from www.trumbullmtn.com)

Wither Gussets

a wither gusset
(the lumpy thing next to the thigh block)

Wither gussets are also referred to as half or front gussets and because that wasn't confusing enough, there are also full front gussets!

Wither gussets are often used for many purposes...

• some horses have hollows by their withers, which sometimes need more support to keep the saddle in correct balance, as to prevent it from collapsing on the wither but allow the saddle to remain it's correct width.

• even a rounder horse, may still need the support that the wither gusset provides.

• sometimes used to anchor the saddle behind the shoulder if the horse happens to have very large shoulders. (important that the tree point remains behind the scapula)
Full front gussets work well for horses that are narrower in front and wider towards the back or whose conformation isn't suitable for the wither gusset to work but needs the benefit of added lift.

Dropped/Trapezius Panel

a horse that would probably
benefit from having a
dropped panel.

Dropped or Trapezius Panels are deeper in the area below and to the rear of the wither. It is a fitting option used (often in conjunction with wither gussets) for a horse with dips behind and to the rear of the wither.






interesting candidates... probably will update this list when i'm not at work...
• Fryso Profile Dressage Saddle
• Fairfax Gareth Monoflap
• Albion SL Dressage Saddle