After a ride there should not be sweat over the spine of the saddle pad and the dirt and sweat should be evenly distributed. | Photo: Alexandra Beckstett

Riders are always looking for a quick way to gauge their saddle’s fit. You’ve probably heard of—or tried—a few: The baby powder test, sweat mark interpretations, etc. But what are the sweat and dirt patterns under your saddle really telling you? Nikki Newcombe, a Society of Master Saddlers-qualified saddle fitter and founder of Bliss of London saddles, in the U.K., helped take some of the mystery out of these marks.

First, she said, it’s important to ensure your saddle pad sits evenly beneath your saddle and remains so throughout your ride. Ideally, upon removing the saddle, the dirt and sweat that accumulated on the underside of your pad should be fairly symmetrical. It’s not so much the amount of dirt (as some horses will be cleaner than others), but how even it is.

“We are trying to see an even dirt pattern throughout the pad where the saddle has contact,” Newcombe explained. “The gullet (the channel that runs down the center of the underside of the saddle) or center of the pad should remain clean—in no circumstances should this be touching the spinal processes