Saddle is Supportive arrangement for a rider or any cargo/load, fixed firmly to an animal's back by a belt. Now saddles come with variety of styles, intended for a specific riding discipline

First, the horse you are evaluating should be standing squarely on level ground. Then without a pad, place the saddle correctly on the horse’s back. This should be 1” to 3” behind the back of the shoulder blade for an English saddle, and slightly overlapping the shoulder on a Western saddle. While a Western saddle tree is longer and often overlaps the back of the shoulder blade by several inches, a properly fitting one should still allow free movement of the shoulder.

On an English saddle, lift up the flaps of the saddle and look for the points of the tree. On most saddles you can see what looks like a leather pocket. Inside this pocket, under the leather, lie the points of the saddle. This is the end of the front of the tree. The Western tree is easier to locate since it is only hidden by sheepskin underneath and leather on top.

Apply some pressure to simulate having a rider in the saddle. Place a flat hand into the front of the tree. Run it from the top of the tree angle to the bottom, checking for equally consistent pressure. Check both sides of your horse because your horse may be different on each side. An English tree has more give to it, so a little bridging may go away when a rider is aboard. But a Western saddle tree should have no give. If a Western bridges without the rider, it will bridge with one. This will cause pain to your horse as the tree displaces all a rider’s weight to the front and back of the tree only.

On most English saddles, the cantle is designed to sit 1” - 2” higher than the pommel. Most Western saddles are designed so that the pommel and cantle are roughly even.If the front is higher in either type of saddle, the tree may be too narrow. Likewise, if the front is too low the tree may be too wide. Whether a saddle sits a little high or low in front or back, a properly fitting saddle should always have a level flat spot in the seat so that the rider is not fighting the seat to stay balanced on their horse.

With the saddle correctly placed on the horse's back, look for the lowest point of the seat. In most cases, this is a level area centered between the pommel (the front) and the cantle (the back). This is the ideal position because it allows a rider to sit comfortably balanced and effectively deliver seat and leg aids without shifting rider weight to the front or back of the tree.When the flat spot is too far back, or worse – there is no flat spot, instead the seat looks like a wide ‘V’ – the rider tips back toward the cantle, shifting all their weight to the back of the panels or bars. This causes the horse to hollow his back. If the saddle's center is too far forward, the rider slides toward the pommel and feels out of balance.

With no rider in the saddle you should be able to fit three fingers into the gullet space between the bottom of the pommel and the horse's withers without feeling cramped.As long as the tree angle fits, if there isn't sufficient room, a saddle fitter may be able to add flocking to an English saddle or shims to a Western saddle to ensure that the saddle clears the horse's withers.Look down the gullet—the part that sits above the tree or panels—from the front and from the rear, if you can. The gullet should clear the entire length of the horse's spine by 2” - 3”.

With no pad, cinch up the saddle and check for excessive movement side to side. Look at the saddle from all angles to make sure the gullet lines up with the topline of the horse. Horses may be asymmetrical and so might a saddle. Closely check to make sure any unevenness is not causing an issue with this horse-saddle combination.

The weight-bearing surface of a saddle should be from 2" behind the shoulder blades to the point where the last rib meets the spine. To find this point (known as T18), locate the last rib and follow it up to the spine. If the saddle sits behind this point, it will rest on the lumbar region--the weakest part of a horse's back--where it can cause injury.

Every horse is inherently honest. No horse ever lies about saddle fit, so listen to him. He will tell you whether he is comfortable by his movements and actions. This is the acid test of saddle fitting.A horse that moves freely, calmly, without hesitation or rushing is probably wearing a saddle that fits him correctly. Most horses show an immediate, dramatic change in disposition and movement when an ill-fitting saddle is fixed or replaced with one that fits well.

Source: http://www.saddlesthatfit.com/EleentsOfFit.htm

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