Measuring For Saddles

[DaCodaBuchan]

I know this sounds odd coming from someone with no horse, and little leather. I am interested in what measurments are taken when fitting saddle to horse.

I ask because I write and draw fantasy and I need to design a saddle for something that is not a horse. I assume there are some measurements taken, are saddles made by many specifications, or are there just numbers like shoe sizes.

Any help or likes you guys can provide would be wonderful.

[ClayB]

There are different methods to measure horses backs. I recently got Dennis Lane's card system and it really helped me to understand a lot of the things I had read that went way over my head. If you check out the instruction page on his website, it might give you some idea of what you are looking for.

[cowgirlrae]

I can't imagine how a saddle and any measurements would translate into some sort of measurements to fit another creature.

For example there are saddles for camels and saddles for horses, obviously a camel back is radically differnt than a horse. A camel can't be ridden bareback.

There is also the consideration of the rider, a human needs a saddle to fit their seat and legs that is appropriate and proportionate to the way the saddle fits the animal.

For a saddle to fit an animal it must have a tree (the interior wooden frame) that accommodates the unique anatomy and physical limits of the animal. Think a barrel shaped creature vs an A frame shape, a creature that walks on its hind legs like a T-Rex or a ostrich, gravity would be a serious factor.

"Saddle" is a broad field, english saddle, western saddle, army saddle, side saddle, jockey saddle with many many subcategories for each kind, roping, cutting, racing, jumping, dressage. etc etc Ad infinitum.

You may need to google some of those terms.

Overall saddles conform to humans with a 14'' to 17" inch seat. Stirrup length corresponds to inseam.

Hope that helps

[Denise]

Sound like a fun project! If you google images or look on You tube you can find people riding camels, ostriches, elephants and I am sure other creatures. I am attaching a picture of a group of camel riders from the middle east. The camel third from the back you can see their version of a saddle the best. At least it helps in understanding why they aren't sliding off the back end!

The basics of fitting any animal are 1.) Where can you physically put a rider that will let them sit? Riding a winged horse may be interesting. Do you sit in front of the wings or behind them? Riding ostriches has the same question and people answer it different ways, from the pictures at least. 2.) Where can you physically put a rider that the animal can support? There are pictures and carvings from throughout history of people riding horses all the way from sitting on the rump to sitting on the withers. I have seen elephants ridden with a "saddle" in the middle of their back but when ridden bareback, the rider is right behind the head often. 3.) Whatever you design as a "saddle" doesn't have to look like what we think of as saddles. Even horse saddles have a huge variation over the years and in different cultures. The only "rule" you have to worry about is that you can't interfere with the movement of the animal. So strapping something around legs isn't a good idea. 4.) If your plot involves people (or whatever) riding for long periods of time, you probably want to make the saddle have more surface area on the animal and not be tiny. Too small ends up with higher pressure and that will harm the animal if it is there for a long time. Have fun!

To answer your specific question, saddles are made by many specifications, some applying to the horse and some to the rider. But they are also sold in generic "sizes". Nothing is standard. To get some specifics on what saddle and tree makers talk about, check out the "Getting the Right Saddle for the Horse" section. Here's one thread that talks about a lot of it. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12763&st=0#entry4452