Saddle Tree Fitting Information:
We know your horse or mule's comfort is important to you - and it is important to us also. We strongly recommend our tree fitting program to insure you get the best possible, most comfortable fit for your equine. We can ship you a saddle tree (or trees) for fitting to insure a good fit for your horse or mule. We also recommend that you read this entire page thoroughly.
We DO NOT use coat hanger measurements, as they are inaccurate and unreliable. Coat hanger measurement just measure ¼” of your equine's entire back. You cannot see gullet width fit, bar fit from front to back or if the saddle will sit on his spine. Coat hanger measurements are a GUESS at best.
Tree Fitting Program: To insure a good fitting saddle BEFORE the saddle is built, we offer to send out a saddle tree or trees for fitting. If you are unsure which tree to choose -e'mail us at holly@wyomingsaddlery.com with a description of your horse/mule and if possible a side view profile picture (no tack, horse in "riding position" - head forward, not down grazing). That will give us an idea of where to start in picking a tree or trees to ship to you.
For the tree fitting, we require a $125 deposit per tree (to cover our cost of replacing the tree should it be lost or not returned) plus shipping to your address. When the tree is returned to us, we credit your account with the $125 deposit towards your saddle purchase. If you do not purchase a saddle from Timber Ridge Saddlery, a $50 fitting fee is deducted and the rest of the deposit is credited back to you (the fitting fee is only $50 even if you try multiple trees). We send saddle fitting instructions with the tree. Once you have the tree, you take pictures based on our instructions and e'mail them back to our saddle fitter at holly@wyomingsaddlery.com
The saddle fitter will evaluate the fit and make recommendations based on your pictures. We also recommend saddle pads and saddle styles if we feel it would be beneficial to your horse/mule.
We cannot allow returns on custom-made saddles, so it is important to find the correct tree fit. With your help and the photos, we can determine if the tree is a good fit.
Testimonial:
"I've been meaning to drop you a line to tell you how pleased I am with my saddle, but I've been too busy riding my horse! First of all, I was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of my saddle - it is much nicer than I expected. My vet came out to re-check my horse's back (which was almost ruined by his last ill-fitting saddle) and to do a saddle-fit test a few weeks ago. He said the saddle fit nearly perfect and was amazed when I told him that the entire order was done over the internet using photos. I am so ecstatic that after TWO long years, I can FINALLY ride my horse comfortably and without worry. He is such a changed "man" now. No more bucking and no more attitude when I'm tacking up. I can't thank you and your staff enough for the wonderful gift you've given me and will certainly recommend you to every horse owner I know. Thanks so much!!!" Bridgette S
When you first start to shop for a saddle...we know it can be confusing. There are so many saddles for sale online and through local tack and feed shops...how do you know how to get the RIGHT FIT for YOUR horse or mule?
Very few online stores or local shops offer help in getting the correct saddle fit for your equine. Just because a saddle is called a "gaited saddle", "draft saddle", "Arabian saddle" , "mule saddle", etc. etc...doesn't mean that it fits every equine of that description. Nor are all of these saddle the same standard size and dimensions. That's why we offer our tree fitting program, so you can be sure you get the best possible, most comfortable fit for YOUR horse or mule. A well-made saddle that fits your animal properly can work wonders in improving your relationship!
Several saddle trees are available for fitting purposes:
6 ½" polymer or flex tree (semi QH)
7" polymer or flex tree (full QH)
6 ½" gaited wood tree*
7" gaited wood tree*
ONE SIZE ONLY--Gaited FLEX tree in a 7" gullet (Seat sizes are called 16" and 17", but actually fit like a 15.5" and 16.5")
*Gaited trees are specifically built for the gaited horse breeds, but fit most horses that have a lot of angle to their topline. Bars on these trees are angled outward at the shoulder and the gullet is taller so they do not pinch the shoulder and they aid the gaited horse in comfortably moving into their natural gaits. Gaited trees may also work well on QH's, Arabs, Thoroughbreds or Morgans when you've tried QH saddles in the past without success!! The 6.5" gaited tree is great for higher withers (like Thoroughbreds) and we find it to fit the smaller Arabians usually better than a QH tree. The 7" gaited tree a lot of times fits bigger shouldered horses (like stocky Quarter horses) better than a QH tree!
Draft wood tree**
**Draft horse wood trees are specifically built for your draft or larger horse. The bars are flatter to fit a broader back. We can build this gullet in a 7" or 7.5" (wood tree)...we should be able to tell from your saddle fitting pictures which gullet size is needed. It is a MYTH that a draft saddle needs to have a 8" gullet or wider - tree building requires use of geometry and physics and it is simply not possible to build a tree with a gullet wider than 8". If a saddle company claims to have a wider gullet width than 8" - they are NOT measuring the gullet. The DESIGN of the tree and bars has more to do with fit than the gullet anyway...and we successfully fit all sizes of draft and large horses (even ones with flat, "table" backs) with our draft or Friesian trees.
6 1/2" and 7" mule polymer tree
Friesian wood trees****
****We find this Friesian tree an awesome option for the big horse with a lot of angle to the topline. Have fit large QH's, Morgans, mustangs, Tennessee Walkers, high withered Percherons and other draft breeds - as well as Friesian horses in our Friesian saddles!! Tried "every" saddle on your big horse with no success? This Friesian tree may be your answer.
(if you want an Afork, Wade, roper or reiner saddle...we can do the fittings with the polymer trees, then build your wood tree with the same dimensions. However, if your horse fits best in a gaited or Friesian tree, then an Afork, Wade, roper or reiner saddle is not likely to fit them as well as a gaited or Friesian saddle. You CAN rope off of any of our wood trees, including the gaited and Friesian trees- as the metal horn is bolted down into the wood tree. We recommend a strong breast collar like our pulling breast collar and adding a secure tree hung rear rigging to the saddle style if it doesn't already come with it)
Have a saddle tree shipped to you today - just e'mail holly@wyomingsaddlery.com
Shipping a saddletree requires a $125.00 deposit plus shipping.The $125.00 deposit is applied to the purchase price of your saddle. We request that you do not order a saddle tree unless you are serious about having a custom saddle built.
We will ship you instructions with the trees as well, but here is the overview of our saddle tree fit instructions:
TREE FIT: With the ideal tree fit the tree will sit flat on your horse’s/mule’s back. The sides should be flush against the horse’s/mule’s ribs – not bend inward poking the horse/mule. The gullet area should have about 2” of clearance (2 fingers is a good way to measure) between top of horse’s/mule’s withers and the underside of the gullet.
INSTRUCTIONS: Tree should be tried on the horse/mule with no pad, no blanket, no towels, etc. Please sit the tree about 1 1/2'” to 2” back from where you would normally put the front of the saddle. We can help you determine a good fit if you have a digital camera.
We prefer to have 6 photos.
1) profile of each side showing how the bars fit over the horse’s/mule’s back
2) shot from each side of the front of the tree showing clearance between horse’s/mule’s withers and underside of gullet. We want the full front of the tree so we can see the front bar fit.
3) shot from the rear so we may see how far the tree comes down over the horse’s/mule’s spine. Get close enough that we can see if there is space between the tree and the spine. May require getting up in the back of a pickup on a big horse/mule or backing them up to a corral fence if you are uncomfortable leaning on their rump to take the shot!
4) a profile shot of the horse or mule - full side view, no tack, head forward in riding position (not down grazing or turning)
For the first 5 shots, we don’t need to see the whole horse/mule—just where the saddle tree sits--close-ups work best.
Testimonials
"Just wanted to touch base. The saddle is great. Fits very well (I don't quite know how you guys did it.... I couldn't get much of a feel from looking at the trees, but you guys nailed it!) Thanks," Mike
" The saddle is wonderful and it fits like a dream! Thanks so very much for all of your wonderful help! I've been singing your praises to everyone who sees the saddle and comments how nice it is" Bev
"My saddle is just as comfortable as it is beautiful!!! Nugget gaites so beautiful in it, we gaited for about 1 hr straight at the clinic. That is the longest time ever. I had problems just keeping him in his gait before purchasing your saddle. I can now mount without a block, I guess that's because Nugget has the correct size saddle! Thanks again!" Cheryl
" I managed to get a couple of pictures of Hezzie in his new saddle. Two people at the farm actually commented that he's moving easier. He's certainly enthusiastic. I plan to write to some of the gaited horse sites so that other people with problem-to-fit horses like Hezzie will know that you exist. It took me 4 years to get a saddle that's perfect for him, and I can't be the only person on the planet with that problem. What's most amazing is that I've returned $1800.00 saddles that were guaranteed to fit and didn't, and you managed to make me one that actually DOES fit for under $700. That just doesn't make sense - but I'm not complaining! I think your tree fitting method is a lot more effective than the wire bending one (which certainly didn't work in my case). Anyway - thank you again for all your help." Cindy
"I have a new horse and require your assistance in purchasing a saddle. I have purchased a saddle from you in the past and it worked out great. ... I have every confidence in your recommendations and feel very confident in purchasing another saddle from you. I will never buy another saddle that is not from you as they don't fit right and I never want my horses in distress due to poor saddle fitting. Look forward to working with you again." Margaret
"Shelley's saddle arrived Friday. I'm very happy with it. It fits her, looks nice on her, matches her other equipment, and is comfortable for me. I've only had a chance to ride once in the arena. It was worth the wait. I will send you a picture of her in it soon. Thanks for all the good service! I really enjoyed working with you." Danielle
This year our Saddlemakers have a total of 36 years of experience.
This is just a small sample of our wide assortment of trees that are available. We have many tree types, sizes and models to fit your horse or mule. We can build up to a 22" seat!
Polymer Tree - 5 year guarantee
Wood Tree wrapped in Fiberglass - 5 year guarantee
Wood Tree - Bullhide covered - 5 year guarantee
ProTech - 5 year guarantee
Flex Tree - 10 year guarantee.
Our Flex Tree conforms to your horse's back. This flex tree is manufactured using an engineering grade material that was chosen after extensive trial and testing of a variety of materials. This tree is a molded one-piece design. This tree has no springs, wood, screws or panels to break, stretch, or crack. If the flex tree fits your horse or mule, it provides the correct fit while the flexibility allows movement away from pressure points giving a comfortable saddle to both horse and rider. This tree is the absolute best shock absorber available and is guaranteed for 10 years. This exceeds all current tree warranties for any tree on the market today! The flex tree is not affected by cold, heat or moisture.
Most of our Western Pleasure, Barrel, Cordura (QH OR MULE) and Endurance saddles can be built on this Flex Tree in seat sizes 15” – 17” .
If you have further questions that are not answered on the website - or if you are ready to order a tree for fitting or a new custom saddle - please e'mail us at holly@wyomingsaddlery.com !