Gaited Horse Saddles - A Look at the Design Differences

Most gaited horses will perform fine with traditional western saddles. However, gaited horse saddles are designed to provide performance benefits to these horses. They have various design differences than other types of saddles. Some of these differences include the saddle tree, skirts, and gullet. This article will discuss some of the differences of gaited horse saddles when compared to the traditional variety.

Saddle Tree

The saddle tree is basically the foundation for the saddle. Gaited horse saddles have a tree with gaited bars. These gaited bars are a little more narrow than quarter horse bars. This is so that they will not interfere with the action of the horse's shoulders. Gaited horse saddles also have shorter bars so that they don't interfere with the horse's hind legs.

Skirts

Saddle skirts are large pieces of leather attached under the saddle tree bars. They are there to protect the horse from the bars and to help distribute the rider's weight over a larger surface area. Gaited horse saddles have shorter skirts than other types of saddles. This is so that they don't interfere with the horse's rear legs.

Gullet

The gullet is the tunnel beneath the fork that rides over the horse's withers. Gaited breeds usually have higher withers than other types of horses. Therefore, gaited horse saddles will have a higher gullet. They are designed this way so that the saddle has the right amount of clearance over the withers. Gaited horse saddles also have gullets that are wider at the front and become more narrow towards the back. This is so that they don't interfere with the horse's bigger shoulders.

Location

Gaited horse saddles also sit differently on the horse than other types of saddles. They are designed to have the rider sit further back on the horse. This also helps to prevent the saddle from interfering with the horse's shoulders so that it can perform the high-stepping gaits.