Gullet Facts Explained:
The most misunderstood terminology concerning the saddle is the gullet. The gullet is where the pommel of the saddle tree attaches to the bars of the tree. Gullet width is the measurement from side to side of this area. The height of the gullet is measured with the saddle tree sitting on the floor and the measurement goes to the underside of the pommel. Gullet width can only be accurately measured on a raw tree. High withered horses need tall gullet height.
Do not make the mistake of fitting your horse ONLY by the gullet height or width. More importantly is the angle of the bars. Have you ever heard someone describe a saddle as having a 93 degree tree and wondered what they were talking about? They're talking about the bar angle.
The bar angle is the angle of the space underneath the gullet. The gullet width and the flare (the curve of the bars at the front of the saddle) combine to determine the bar angle. A standard bar angle is 90 degrees. A wider angle is 93-96 degrees.
You can purchase a saddle with "any" size gullet and still have bars that will hurt your horse.
The moral of the story here is that just measuring the width of the gullet will not tell you if the bars are proper for your horse's conformation.
We like using and recommending wood trees because it gives us a wide range of angles and sizes, much more so than molded fiberglass or ralide trees. You will get a much better and comfortable fit for your horse.
Continue to check at HorseLoversHeadquarters.com for these future "Feature Articles":
Bridles and Bridling;
The Equine Digestive System;
Feeding Your Horse;
First Aid;
Keeping Your Horse Healthy-Horse Health Problems-Equine Vaccinations;
Skeletal Structure of Equines;
Foot Trimming;
Equine Dentistry;
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