What is gullet size on a saddle?

Asked by: Deb Reyes

The gullet of the saddle is the gap between the two bars of the saddle tree. It is measured at the front of the saddle. 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.

What size saddle gullet do I need?

Selecting an English saddle with a properly-fitted gullet size is important for your horse’s comfort. You can generally determine the size required by looking down on your horse’s back from a position above.



Gullet Size Chart.

What is a saddle gullet?

The gullet is the tunnel underneath the fork and rides over the horse’s withers. The design of the fork and the angle of the bars of the saddle tree determine the width and height of the gullet.

How do you measure a saddle 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.

What is a normal gullet size?

Gullet width of 6 3/4″- 7″. 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!

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.

What size gullet is full QH bars?

7 inches

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 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 gullet height?

A good gullet height is between two and four finger’s width between your horse’s withers and the saddle fork. You should be able to see the tunnel in between the two. A common misconception is that the saddle industry has standardized measurements for different gullet widths and bar angles.

How do you know what size saddle to buy for your horse?

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.

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 do you know if a saddle fits your horse?

Take a look at the saddle on the 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.

How do I know what size gullet My horse needs?

And you measure from each point. And this is a seven and a half inch gullet. So your bars is part of your gullet. And your bars are just the angle of your gullet.

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.

How do I know if my saddle is too big?

You Slide Forward or Backward



A saddle that is too large for you can leave you feeling insecure, and makes it difficult to maintain a steady position. If you find yourself with lots of room to move forward and backward in the saddle, it’s probably too big for you.

What happens if the gullet is too wide?

If the angles of the points are too narrow, the points will dig into the horse’s muscles and most likely, the middle of the saddle will not come in even contact with your horse’s back. If the points are too wide, the saddle will sit low in front, putting pressure on top of the withers or the back.

What happens if you ride in a saddle too small for you?

If a heavier rider sits in a saddle which is too small, the rider has no chance for a pliable seat and therefore doubles her natural weight. She is not able to swing through her back nor harmonize with the swinging of the horse`s back.

Does my horse need a wide tree?

My saddle is pinching, I need a wider Tree.



If the bar angle is too wide for the horse, it will pinch at the contact point. If your horse has a narrow “A” shape, the saddle may be too wide.

What tree size does my horse need?

The tree must not only be wide enough for the withers, but it has to accommodate the horse’s shoulders. They should be able to rotate freely, and for that to occur, the tree angle must match the shoulder angle. The scapula motions upward and backward as the horse moves.

Is the tree and gullet the same thing?

The tree is the underlying framework of the saddle. The gullet is the channel that runs from the pommel to the cantle on the underside of the saddle. Although the size of the tree influences the front of the gullet, the tree size and the gullet size are not the same.

Why does my saddle pop up in the back?

However, if you do have a situation where the saddle really is lifting up at the back, the most common reason is that the saddle is too wide for the horse. This can be because of too wide a bar spread or too wide a bar angle.

What does it mean when a saddle bridges?

One of the problems that you can encounter is “bridging.” This is when the front and back of the saddle make contact with the horse’s back, but there is a gap below where the rider sits. This means that the pressure is concentrated at the front and the back, and not spread evenly across the horse’s back.

What causes a saddle to rock?

A horse with a short back will require a saddle with short bars/ skirts. A very straight back, often seen in mules but not very prevalent in horses, can cause the saddle to “rock”. Rocking is a condition where the tree puts more pressure on the center of the horses back, and less at the ends of the bars.

Should a saddle lift at the back?

The saddle should not touch the horse’s spine above, at the sides or along its whole length. Look from the front and back and feel for this down the gullet.

Can a saddle go past the last rib?

The saddle cannot extend past the last floating rib at the 18th thoracic vertebra. The angle of the tree (at the tree points for the gullet plate) must be adjusted to match the angle of the horse’s shoulder. As the horse moves, his shoulder rotates upward and backwards.