Hi there. l was wondering if anyone could give me an estimated guess on what size of english saddle tree my horse would need. He is a 14.2 and a half hands high pintabian (99.22%arabian) who is 4 years old and 800 pounds. He does not have a high wither, just a normal one. l have a wide treed saddle that is too big for him. l just need an estimate so that when l buy a saddle for him l do not buy one that is waayyyyy off. l will make sure to get it fitted though, so do not worry. Oh, and if it helps l am looking for an all purpose saddle because l do 3-Day eventing and also hunter jumper.

How much too big is it? He is still growing, so he will probably need a wide in a few years (most arabs do), but if it is too big then go with a medium for now.

l agree. If he has not got much wither but a wide is too wide. The next step would be to go down the a medium. ;)

Well first of all most tack stores sell saddle fitting kits which may or may not be cheaper then this one:
http://synergistsaddles.com/Horse-Saddles/equimeasure.htm

But they r essential. Your horses saddle fit (as l am sure u know as u were going to get it fit) is really important & l have seen horses who develop annoying behavior problems JUST out of saddle fit (just saying). And a good brand of saddle is wintec. They have dressage models & 2 all purpose ones. They r also relatively cheap $300-$500. And super easy to clean (wipe with damp cloth, or use a special really good smelling cleaner) but the Wintec 500 has the easy change gullet system allowing u to change the size of the tree easily.
Picture:http://legacytack.com/p/10776/Wintec%20500%20All%20Purpose%20Saddle.html
gullet system is on the bottom.
Fancier show saddles r going to cost more but look at Dover Saddlery.com its the best place for saddles in my opinion.
Good luck & hope this helps.

If the wide is way too wide, then probably a medium. If it is only a little too wide, then maybe a medium wide- it is really pretty much impossible to say without seeing ur horse is back. l would strongly recommend getting a saddle on trial before u buy it & have a fitter check it for you. A poorly fitted saddle can greatly affect the performance of the horse, or even hinder him from working at all. Since he is young, he will change shape as he continues to mature. In as little as 6 months (or less) he could outgrow a new saddle, so the fit needs to be checked at least once every week with any horse, not just young ones. Any weight gain or loss or a change in muscle development can make a previously great fitting saddle horrible as they change shape. If the tack shop does not offer a trial on that paticular saddle, take a wither tracing of his back into the tack shop with you. All u need is some chalk, a big piece of paper, a pen, & a flexible curve, 24'' long which u can find at any office supply store for around $10- which is money very well spent. The link below explains how to correctly take a measurement.

l have a 14.2 qh/arab, and he uses a wide tree, so maybe an adjustable one just to be sure.

Whatever you do, do not buy a wide tree saddle.

If you go down to ur local tack store they should have a measuring tool to lend you so that you can measure him thats what l did.even if you have to leave them a deposit untill you bring it back .. :-)

Wintec, Bates & Collegiate offer the easy change gullett system. If u get one of those, u r more likely to be able to fit the horse as he grows. l have the Collegiate, & although it does not fit every horse, l really like the saddle, & l am confident that most of the time, l can fit the horse. The system has narrow, med-narrow, med, med-wide, wide & extra wide, so you're pretty much covered. Make sure u buy the whole kit, it is hard to find single gullets later. The kit also comes with a gullett guage so u can measure for yourself which size to use.

l have ridden in a Bates once, & it was heaven. Too rich for my blood, though.

l bought my Collegiate used from a woman who was eventing; that is what she used it for.

l am told the Wintec r great for durability but they do not hold their value, & u would not really be able to do a high level show in them.