Measuring a Treed Saddle...

[Showjumper]

I'm selling a saddle for a friend at the moment and when I measured it, it came up as a 17"
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b124/dollymare5/00004.jpg
from the centre of the stud to the middle of the cantle. However on the receipt my friend has, it states that the saddle is 16.5"...

When I move the tape though so it starts just behind the stud, it comes up a perfect 16.5"...are you supposed to measure from the centre of the stud or from just behind it?

Am I going mad? :o

[Pink's lady]

I'd have said it was a 16.5 - the tape should be pulled tight. It should be measured from the middle of the stud, tape pulled tight and to the middle of the cantle, at it's highest point.

Does it have it's size stamped on it somewhere?

[Rea]

I agree with Pinks lady, the tape should be pulled tight. I've always measured from the centre of the pin but you only need to measure to the highest point on the cantle not to the back of it.

[baileyboy]

Would agree looks like 16.5 but you cannot rely on all makes of saddle to put the stud pin the same point. But good as a general rule. Though Saddle co saddles are always measured from this point.

[Remmy]

agree with all of above, but, just to confuse things...some saddles wont measure the same on one side to the other!!! which 'could' mean a twisted tree or just that the head nail isn't in the same spot as the other side :)

[unicornleather]

On a spring treed saddle it's not always possible to get the length exactly the right size when you are making it. As Pink's lady says measure from the middle of the saddle nail to the middle of the cantle at it's highest point. When we make say, a 17" saddle on a spring tree we have to buy in a 17.5"" as we lose about 1/2" when we web up the tree (it's under tension as we web up so shrinks!). As I said, it's not always possibble to get it spot on depending on the tree and who makes it and sometimes the size given of the finished saddle is as close as we can get!
Oz :)

[Showjumper]

Thanks everyone! I've amended the listing to say that it could well be a 16.5" :)