Instruction manual
So, you got your new gauge and now you're ready to use it? You've come to the right place!
Bring a helper. For best results, we recommend having someone help you use the SaddleGauge. The Helper's job is to keep your horse on flat level ground, four feet on the floor, and its head facing straight forward, not turned — no cocked rear legs, and no eating hay off the ground. Keep the head as close to travel position as possible.
Unbox and open the gauge. Take the SaddleGauge out of the box. If the gauge is folded flat, you'll need to open up the paddles. Take note that the front of the gauge is where the logo is — the logo should be readable and upright.
Get a feel for the hinges. Before it ever touches a horse, spend a few minutes seeing how the SaddleGauge bends. The spine has a joint at each middle, and each paddle moves too — get comfortable with how they all articulate first.
Learn the spines and paddles. The spines have notches with numbers and a pointer, and you'll record the position of that pointer on your paperwork. The paddles are similar and also numbered — for the spines specifically, the pointer to read is the corner of the black square. Record positions for both the spines and the paddles (also called the wings).
Do not disassemble or loosen the gauge's hardware. It's meant to be tight, so you can lift the SaddleGauge on and off the horse many times without it sagging or changing.
Get the bottom narrow edge of each paddle to touch along the edge of the animal's back.
The spine of the gauge won't exactly follow the topline of the animal — to get the paddles to lay flat, you'll sometimes need to change the spine's shape to compensate.
Read this number off the front spine of the gauge, positions 1 through 7.
Read this number off the front spine of the gauge, positions 1 through 3.
The same worksheet that ships in the box — and this copy is fillable. Type the horse's name, date and every pointer reading straight into it on your phone or laptop, then save it or send it to your fitter. Print it if you'd rather write by hand.
Set the horse square on flat, level ground with its head facing straight forward, and place the SaddleGauge just behind the withers with the logo upright and facing forward.
Press each paddle down until its bottom narrow edge touches the horse's back, then watch where the spine's pointer settles in the notches.
Read the pointer position on the gullet spine — a number from 1 to 7 — and note it as the gullet width.
Read the pointer position on the wither spine — a number from 1 to 3 — and note it as the wither profile.
Write both numbers down on your worksheet, or sign in and save them straight to the horse's profile in your account.
Already own a saddle you're not sure about, or shopping for a new one? The SaddleGauge works on the horse and on the saddle itself, so you can compare the two directly.
Place the gauge on the horse. If you're testing a treed saddle, place the gauge on the horse's back exactly as described in Part 1. For an English saddle, place the gauge three fingers to the rear of the scapula.
Record your numbers first, in case the gauge gets bumped and changed before you're done comparing it to the saddle.
Bring the gauge to the saddle shop and place it on the underside of the saddle, turned upside down.
Gently place the front paddle where the front concho is on a treed saddle; on an English saddle, the front edge of the saddle lines up with the first paddle.
Check that the gauge is centred.
What you're looking for: the paddles lying flat against the inside of the saddle tree. If there are voids where the paddles aren't touching, or they only touch in places, or the saddle is so narrow it wants to push the paddles out of position — it's too narrow for your horse.
You can also work the other way around: set the gauge inside the upside-down saddle, then place that on the horse. The paddles should lay down against the horse's body.
Fit can be fine bare and then suddenly turn too narrow up front the moment you add the pad. If that happens, try a thinner pad.
Ultimately, consult a professional saddle fitter to confirm your findings, and do not rely on sweat or dry marks as a read for fit. Beyond the gauge, you still need to sit the saddle on the horse with a pad and check clearance over the wither under the gullet, whether it's too long, rubbing at the back, sitting too high in front (too narrow), or too low in front (too wide) — both bare and ridden.
A horse may be asymmetrical and fit on one side but not the other. Many of these issues can be corrected. Consult a professional fitter who understands the whole subject of saddle fit.
This part is for riders having a saddle custom built on a specific tree.
A roll of 1" masking tape.
Find the scapula. If your horse is heavily muscled, have your helper lift the front hoof to expose the round backside of the scapula. With the hoof back on the ground, place a short piece of tape on the round edge of the scapula — it's straight up from the "armpit", and you can feel it with a flat hand. Do the same on the other side.
Western or endurance treed saddle
Mark two fingers toward the front, over the scapula, then remove the first piece of tape. Marking a few fingers over the scapula shows whether the tree needs to be flared to let the shoulder slide under it when moving. That first piece of tape is where the front paddle goes every single time you place the gauge.
English or flocked-underside saddle
Mark with tape three fingers behind the scapula — that's where this type of saddle sits.
Start at the front, pressing the right and left paddles against the body. It helps to have your helper check that the paddles are on the animal, not standing off. You may need to change the spine to achieve this. Do both sides, checking that the gauge is centred and on the first piece of tape.
Move to paddle #2, then #3, and so on — taking the gauge off and back on each time you change something, always replacing it on the front-most tape and centred over the spine.
Write down the spine numbers in pencil, and the right and left paddle numbers too. Then do it again to make sure you did it correctly.
Add the saddle pad you plan to use and place the gauge on the pad in exactly the same location. If the paddles lay very differently with the pad, readjust the gauge so it follows the shape of the pad.
Write down the new set of numbers, circled on the form, so you have both sets. Some pads really change the fit through their thickness, and a contoured topline can lift the gauge off the body.
Most custom tree makers also want photos and videos — consult your saddle maker.
Create a free SaddleGauge account and keep every horse's gullet and wither reading on file, so you can pull it back up right there in the saddle shop instead of hunting for a scrap of paper.
Big thanks to Shelby Friml of Double Diamond Equine for making this guide. Check out her saddles.
Take your horse’s exact back shape with you — and buy the saddle that actually fits.
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