You’ve checked your horse’s hooves, his body, your own position in the saddle, and confirmed everything’s balanced. Once all of that’s squared away, it’s time to move into part two of saddle fitting: placement, girth groove, and pads—the details that determine whether your horse moves freely or feels restricted.

Did you read part one of Wendy Winn’s saddle fitting series? It highlights Winn’s non-negotiable starting point: balance. You can check it out here.

Saddle Placement

To place a Western saddle correctly, it helps to understand the saddle’s anatomy—particularly where the bars begin and end beneath the skirts. Because the leather skirting can extend beyond the bars, the edge of the skirt isn’t always an accurate guide for where the saddle’s weight-bearing structure actually sits.

Position the front of the saddle so the bars sit just behind the rear edge of your horse’s shoulder blade (scapula). But don’t think only about where the scapula sits when your horse is standing still. The shoulder needs room to move freely as your horse travels. A saddle positioned too far forward can interfere with that movement, placing pressure on the shoulder and potentially damaging cartilage or irritating nerves in the area.

3 Common Saddle Fit Terms and What They Mean

Girth groove & cinch type

The girth groove is a natural indentation or narrow channel on your horse’s body, located just behind the elbows, where a saddle girth naturally settles. Every horse’s girth groove is a little different.

If your horse has a wider groove, he can accommodate a wider cinch and benefit from the added stability. If his girth groove is narrow, a cinch that’s too wide can irritate him.

When you’re selecting cinch length, look for the cinch buckles to land 8 inches, or two hands, above your horse’s elbow, with both sides even. A cinch that’s too short or too low on your horse can impede the elbow’s movement, and, indirectly the shoulder’s movement. If you’re using a back cinch, the buckles need to closely mirror the front cinch placement.

Another important factor is keeping your pads and cinches clean and dry between rides. Think about it: How would you feel wearing wet socks or underwear? Your horse isn’t any more comfortable working in damp equipment. Sweat and moisture can contribute to rubbing and irritation, especially when tack is used day after day without fully drying. Depending on how often you ride, consider keeping multiple pads and cinches in rotation so each has time to dry completely before you use it again.

Saddle pad type and thickness

Wool saddle pads are the way to go for their natural moisture-wicking abilities, and it’s worth having a few pads on hand so you always have a dry option and a few thickness options available.

You can look at pads the way you look at pant sizes. You don’t wear the same pants all year round: winter comes and the winter pants come out, spring comes and the spring pants come out. You need to be able to adjust for the seasonal changes in your horse’s weight the same way.

Tip: Be familiar with your gear
Run your hand under your pad and under your cinch. How does it feel? What does the pressure feel like? Is your cinch different than usual?