What size gullet do I need for a Quarter Horse?

Tree Widths:

Is a 7 inch gullet full quarter horse bars?

Gullet Measurement

A saddle with full quarter horse bars will typically measure 7 inches across the gullet. A saddle with semi-quarter horse bars normally has a gullet measurement of 6 3/4 inches.

What size gullet do I need?

The gullet width should be about the same width of the wither's, approximately 2" below the top of the withers. Just remember, the main thing you need to know is, is your horse narrow, wide or in-between!

How big is a 7 inch gullet?

Gullet Size

A standard gullet measures 7 inches and is the most common measurement found in saddles described as having "full quarter horse bars". Any gullet that measures larger than 7 inches is considered to be wide.

How do I know if my saddle has full Quarter horse bars?

Gullet Measurement

The pommel is the front of the saddle and has the horn sitting on top of it. A saddle with full quarter horse bars will typically measure 7 inches across the gullet. A saddle with semi-quarter horse bars normally has a gullet measurement of 6 3/4 inches.

How do you measure a Western gullet?

Peek between the skirts in the front and find the connection between the top of the saddle bars where they connect to the pommel. Place your tape ever so slightly below that joint on the inside of the gullet on the fleece and measure across to the other side in the same place.

Are English and Western gullet sizes the same?

The gullet size on Western saddles can be confusing, basically measurements go 2" larger than normal english saddles. (So a 16" western is up to an 18" English equivalent).

How wide should a saddle gullet be?

The ideal width for a saddle gullet is between 2.5″ and 4″ depending on your horse.

What size gullet fits most horses?

Tree Widths:

Semi-Quarter horse bars usually have a 6 1/4" gullet, and Quarter Horse Bars usually have a 6 1/2" to 6 3/4" gullet. Designed to fit the average horse, one of these two widths will fit approximately 80% of horses comfortably. Full-Quarter horse bars usually have a 7" gullet.

How do you figure out what size western saddle you need?

Western Seat Sizes for the Rider

If you know your seat size in an English saddle, a good rule of thumb is to choose a Western saddle with a seat size two inches smaller than your typical English saddle size. Sit in the Western saddle. There should be about four inches between your body and the swell of the saddle.

How do you measure yourself for a western saddle?

It's easy to measure a western saddle's seat size. Use a retractable tape measure. Start the tape measure behind the swell and stretch it across the seat to the front of the cantle. That measurement is the seat size.

How do you measure a horse for a saddle gullet?

You measure your Western saddle's gullet by stretching a tape measure from concho to concho across the front of the saddle directly below the pommel. The pommel is the structure the horn sits on top of. The gullet is the gap underneath the pommel between the sides of the saddle.

What size is a black wintec gullet?

All new saddles are fitted with a medium gullet (black) at point of manufacture. If your gullet has been changed after purchase the colours are sized as follows: Yellow – Narrow, Green – Medium Narrow, Black – Medium, Blue – Medium wide, Red – Wide, and White is Extra wide.

What happens if a saddle is too wide?

When a saddle is too wide in the front, it can sink down over the withers. This takes the saddle out of balance by making the pommel lower than the cantle, which in turn carries more pressure over the front of the tree (at the withers/shoulders) than a saddle with a properly sized tree.

Where should an English saddle sit on a horse?

Place your saddle on your horse's back, making sure that it is correctly situated behind his shoulder. The billets should hang perpendicular to the ground, and also should hang in the girth area. If the billets hang too far back, gravity will pull the billets forward into the girth area.

What size is a medium tree saddle?

A woman's hand will generally measure about four inches across. If there's 1/2″ to 3/4″ of space on either side of your fist, the saddle is approximately a medium tree. If there's 0″ to 1/2″ then the tree is narrow; and if there's more than 1″ of space on either side of your fist, the tree is wide or extra wide.

What is a medium gullet in inches?

Medium (22.8cm or 8.6 inches) - Black. Medium/Narrow (21.8 cm or 8.6 inches) - Green. Narrow (21 cm or 8.3 inches) - Yellow.

What is the difference between semi-Quarter horse bars and full Quarter horse bars?

Bar Angle and Gullet Widths. Semi-quarter horse bars fit most of today's western horses. Gullet width of 6 1/2". Full Quarter Horse Bars-have even wider angles to accommodate wider-bodied horses and horses with flatter or "Mutton" withers.

What are full QH bars?

Full-Quarter horse bars usually have a 7" gullet. They are designed for mutton-withered horses with broader backs. Arab saddles, usually with 6 1/2" to 6 3/4" gullets, are for Arabians. They have a shorter gullet. Gaited horse saddles feature a higher gullet, usually 8 1/2", to accommodate higher withers.

What are Quarter Horse bars on a western saddle?

But then the Quarter Horse influence started growing, and there were a lot more muscular, wider horses around. So they came up with what they called their "Quarter Horse bars" fit. In these trees, the bars were spread farther apart from each other, and they were set at a flatter angle compared to each other.

How should a Western saddle fit the rider?

When you sit in a Western saddle, you should be able to fit two to three fingers between the front of your thigh and the fork of the saddle. You should be able to fit approximately four fingers between the back of your seat and the top of the cantle. Saddles seats also have different widths.

What size saddle does my kid need?

You want to choose a saddle size that is about 10% longer than your child's upper leg. For example, if your child's upper leg is 9 inches long, you should get them a 10 inch youth saddle. If your child's upper leg is 11 inches long, you will want to get them a 12 inch saddle.

How do you know if a saddle fits?

Signs of a Bad Saddle Fit for your Horse

You should be able to stick two of your fingers between the saddle gullet and your horse's withers. The saddle should have even contact along both sides of the bars. After girthing up, your saddle should look even on the horse's back, not tipping up or drooping down.