Have you ever heard of a saddle fitter taking a “template” of a horse’s back? Or perhaps you’ve seen a tracing in action—flexible ruler, masking tape, and all?

Whatever you call it—a template or a tracing—saddle fitters use this measurement to record the shape of a horse’s back. He or she can compare this record to follow-up tracings over time or send it to a saddle manufacturer to produce a custom piece of tack for that horse.

During the Society of Master Saddlers Introduction to Saddle Fitting Course, held May 1-2, in Hagerstown, Maryland, master saddlers Ian Hastilow and Laurence Pearman demonstrated how qualified saddle fitters take a basic template.

First, gather your materials: a large piece of paper, an 18-inch flexicurve ruler (available online or at craft or woodworking stores), half-inch-wide masking tape, and a pen. Then, stand the horse squarely on firm, flat ground