Tack & Fit Calculators

Fit is the whole point

Tack that does not fit hurts the horse and the rider. A saddle that pinches the withers or sits on the loin, a bit that is too wide or too narrow, a blanket that rubs the shoulder or a saddle seat that is too small for the rider can all cause soreness and bad behavior. The tools on this page give you the measurements and the sizing guidelines, so you know what to look for before you buy or have a fitter out.

Which calculator answers which question

• What size bit? The Bit Size Calculator turns a mouth measurement into a bit width.
• What size blanket? The Blanket Size Calculator works from your horse's measurements.
• What saddle seat size? The Saddle Seat Size Calculator covers western and English seat sizes.
• Is the horse carrying too much? The Rider Weight Calculator checks rider and tack weight against the horse's weight.
• How tall is my horse? The Hands to Inches Converter converts hands, inches and centimeters.

How much weight is too much?

A widely used guideline says a horse should carry about 20 percent of its body weight or less, counting the rider and the tack. It goes back to US Cavalry manuals. A 2008 study at Wilmington College in Ohio found that horses showed little change up to 20 percent, while at 25 and 30 percent heart rate, breathing and next-day muscle soreness rose clearly. Fitness, build and the type of work all matter, and horses with wider loins and thicker bone cope better. Treat the percentage as a guide for planning, and watch the horse.

Measure, then have it checked

Measuring gives you a starting point, and a real fitting finishes the job. A qualified saddle fitter looks at how the saddle sits on your horse's back as well as the size on the label, including the bar angle on a western saddle and the tree width on an English one, and checks it with a rider on board. Bits are checked in the mouth, and a horse that tosses its head, gapes or resists may have a dental problem to rule out first. Blankets should be checked after the first few wears for rubbing.

Reading height in hands

Horse height is measured in hands, from the ground to the top of the withers. One hand is exactly 4 inches, and the number after the point is extra inches, not a decimal. A horse that is 15.2 hands is 15 hands and 2 inches, or 62 inches. After 15.3 comes 16.0. In most competitions, a pony is 14.2 hands (58 inches) or under.

Common mistakes

• Buying tack by size alone. Fit depends on the individual horse.
• Ignoring the rider's weight. Heavier riders need a horse built for it and a well-fitted saddle.
• Treating a bit as the cure for a training problem. Check teeth and training first.
• Leaving a blanket on without checking underneath. Rubbing and sweating show up quickly.