What size saddle do I need? Seat size guide

Saddle sizing confuses everyone, and not because riders are getting it wrong. It is because the way saddles are measured has not kept up with the way they are made.

Here is how to find your size, how English, stock and western sizes compare, and why you might be a 17 in one saddle and something else entirely in another.

The short version. Measure from the middle of the saddle nail to the middle of the cantle, and that is your seat size. Wintec saddles are sized in centimetres, so 42 cm is a 16.5", 43 cm is a 17" and 44 cm is a 17.5". Stock saddles use Small to Extra Large and western saddles use their own inch sizing, and there are conversion tables for both below. Seat size is a starting point rather than a fitting, so sit in as many as you can.

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How do I measure a saddle's seat size?

Run a tape from the middle of the saddle nail to the middle of the cantle. That is your seat size, no decoding required.

Wintec saddles are sized in centimetres, and the inch figure is a conversion for reference only.

Wintec seat sizes in centimetres and inches

Centimetres
Inches
36 cm
14"
38 cm
15"
40 cm
16"
42 cm
16.5"
43 cm
17"
44 cm
17.5"
46 cm
18"

On most Wintec saddles the last two numbers of the serial number, after a dash, are the seat size in centimetres. Our serial number guide walks you through the rest of what your saddle can tell you.

One thing worth knowing before you put a tape on anything: a measurement tells you what a saddle is, not whether it suits you. Read on for why.

What size stock saddle am I?

A stock saddle will feel and fit differently to an English saddle, so the seat sizes cannot be compared exactly. This is a rough guide.

English to stock saddle seat size guide

English seat size
Stock saddle size
40 cm/16" to 42 cm/16.5"
Small
42 cm/16.5" to 43 cm/17"
Medium
43 cm/17" to 44 cm/17.5"
Large
44 cm/17.5" to 46 cm/18"
Extra Large

These measurements are approximate and should be used as a guide only. Browse our stock and endurance saddles.

What size western saddle am I?

A western saddle will feel and fit differently to an English saddle, so again the seat sizes cannot be compared exactly. This is a rough guide.

English to western saddle seat size guide

English seat size
Western saddle size
36 cm/14"
12"
38 cm/15"
13"
40 cm/16"
14"
42 cm/16.5" to 43 cm/17"
15"
43 cm/17" to 44 cm/17.5"
16"
44 cm/17.5" to 46 cm/18"
17"

These measurements are approximate and should be used as a guide only. Browse our western and exercise saddles.

What size saddle do I need?

Honestly? Sit in as many as you can.

We cannot responsibly call the fit of a saddle without seeing horse, rider and saddle together, and fit is about comfort, balance and performance rather than any single number. The size on the badge gets you into the right neighbourhood. It does not tell you which house is yours.

Your nearest stockist or saddle fitter can put you in a few and tell you very quickly which one you belong in. It is twenty minutes that will save you a great deal of second-guessing.

Why am I a different size in a dressage saddle and a jump saddle?

Because the seats are different shapes, and the old way of measuring them assumed they were not.

A dressage seat is deep with a high cantle. A jump seat is flat with a low cantle. If we forced both to give the same cantle-to-nail measurement, we would either have to move the nail or the badging somewhere it does not belong, or you would have to remember that you are an 18 in dressage and a 16 in jump, and buy a different size in every discipline.

So the industry badges saddles at the size most likely to match what a rider expects, rather than at a raw measurement. Much like a size 10 or a medium in clothing. Not every medium measures the same everywhere, but it is badged that way because that is how a medium feels on you.

Why did the traditional measurement stop working?

Traditional saddle measurements go back hundreds of years, to when a saddle seat was made the same way for every discipline and only the shape of the flap changed to turn it into a different model. In those days a saddle was roughly a wooden structure with leather or material fixed to it, very little padding and not much distinct shaping.

Because the seat was always the same, measuring from the top of the cantle to the saddle nail held fairly true, and it gave riders an idea of what size they were.

Manufacturing has moved on since, and so has the industry's understanding of horse and rider anatomy and movement. We can now build a wide range of seat shapes and styles, using sophisticated seat foams and materials that change the shape of both the seat and the cantle. The old measurement did not survive that.

Why do stock saddles use Small, Medium and Large instead of numbers?

Some saddles in our range do not use standard measurements. Stock saddles are Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large.

We know it causes confusion, because riders ask us constantly: well, which one is closest to a 17? The table above is our best answer. It is a guide rather than a rule, because a stock saddle simply does not sit you the same way an English saddle does.

Does the seat size affect how the saddle fits my horse?

Seat size is about you. How the saddle fits your horse is a separate question, and a more important one.

Every saddle in our range varies, so we always recommend that you not only visit a store or saddle fitter to find the right size for you, but seek professional advice from a qualified saddle fitter familiar with our brands to make sure the saddle suits your horse too.

Most Wintec saddles are adjustable, which helps a great deal. The EASY-CHANGE Fit Solution lets you change the width of the tree with a gullet plate and adjust the panel with risers as your horse changes shape.

Where do I go from here?

Have a look at the range by discipline: All Purpose, Dressage, Jump, Stock and Endurance, WintecLite, Kids and Pony, Wide and High Wither or Western and Exercise.

Every saddle page carries a measurement diagram as the last image in the gallery, if you want the detail once you are close to buying.

Still not sure? Find your nearest stockist or saddle fitter, or get in touch and we will help.

More answers on our FAQs page.