Perhaps the most important piece of riding equipment is your saddle. Saddle fit is as important for you as it is for your horse. Most saddles are designed for men. Women have a wider pelvis which often means its harder to find a saddle that is comfortable for both you and your horse.
The website for the Horse Saddle Shop has a saddle fit guide, a calculator for recommending a saddle, and the option to call and talk to a saddle fitter. (https://www.horsesaddleshop.com/)
This video by Rod Nikkel, a Western saddle tree maker with over 20 years of experience, is probably the best tutorial on Western saddle fit available: (Sorry about the ads…) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWoORDN8_R8
Jochen Schleese, a Master Saddle Maker, goes into great detail on proper fitting of an English saddle. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gWxMUY9f5g)
There are only a few saddle companies that have saddles designed for women.
These companies have saddles designed specifically for women:
English\dressage: https://schleese.com/
https://www.lapogeesaddles.com
Western:
https://www.synergistsaddles.com/
Synergist makes custom or semi-custom trail and endurance saddles. They have a fitting kit they send you to get exact measurements. Their website includes articles explaining their differences in design and their saddle making process.
Other saddle makers with women’s saddle in their equipment inventory include Circle Y, Billy Cook, Cashel, and Tucker.
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