How to Take a Template of Your Horse's Back ("Wither Tracing")

hi i'm kit hazelton from panther run salary if we're working together to find a saddle for you and your horse one of the first things i'm going to ask you for is a template of your horse's back it's going to help me determine your horse's fitting needs and decide which saddles are going to be most likely to work for you you're going to use this little thing right here it'll take you 10 minutes really easy and i'm going to walk you through it step by step to take the template you'll need a few simple tools first you need a large sheet of paper in this case i've used a file folder you can also use a cut open paper bag or the back of a sheet of gift wrap just make sure that it's marked down one side and across the bottom with some form of measurement mark it left and right and make sure you have your name the date and your horse's name written on the tracing the first tool you'll need is a flexible curve also called an artist curve or drafting curve you can get this at staples or officemax or your local art supply store you'll also need a permanent marker and you'll need a roll of painters tape or a piece of chalk and a color that contrasts with your horse's coat with your horse standing squarely the first mark you're going to make is at the rear edge of the scapula you should be able to find it by palpating if you have a hard time finding the rear edge of the scapula you can have your assistant take a hold of your horse's foreleg and pull it forward that will make the scapula rotate back and then as the foot goes down and the horse is standing squarely again you can follow the rear edge of the scapula as it rotates and that's where you make your first mark the next measurement you're going to take is three fingers back from the rear edge of the scapula you're going to make a chalk mark there and then you're going to take your flexible curve and with the center of the curve directly over your horse's spine you're going to mold the curve to your horse's body making sure that the leg of the curve is pointing straight down to the ground you want to make sure it's not angled forward or angled back then you have your assistant hold the leg of the curve and you go to the other side of the horse and repeat the procedure three fingers back from the rear edge of the scapula with the leg of the flexible curve pointing straight down and when you've done that you lift it off very carefully with the left side and your left hand and the right side in your right hand and you're ready to transfer this to the paper now that you've taken your first measurement you want to place it on the paper with the left hand side on the left side of the paper right hand side on the right side of the paper you're going to take your marker and you're going to trace the inside of the curve where it was against your horse's back you're going to mark that number one that's going to tell me the width of the tree and also the type of tree you need standard or hoop to take the second tracing you have to find the lowest point in your horse's back to do that you can take your chalk or you can take a pen or a tube of lip balm and just allow it to roll along the spine to the lowest point and it will stop there and that's where you're going to take your second measurement to take your second measurement now that you've determined the lowest spot in your horse's back you basically repeat the same thing that you did taking your first measurement you put the center of the curve over the center of your horse's spine and with the leg hanging straight down you form it to your horse's back then you have your assistant hold this leg of the curve while you go to the other side and repeat the process left side and the left hand right side in the right hand remove it from your horse's back and there's your second measurement now that you've taken your second measurement of the lowest point in your horse's back you're going to place the curve on the paper again left side on left right on right above your first marking and then you're going to trace the inside of the curve again where it was against your horse's back and you're going to mark that number two the third tracing you're going to take is your horse's top line to do this you're going to take your flexible curve place it directly in the center of the horse's spine and you're going to form it to the shape of your horse's top line you're going to note where you took your first tracing which is at three you're going to note where you took your second which is the lowest point in your horse's back that's at 13 and a half the third thing you have to find is the horse's 18th thoracic vertebra t18 that's the last bit of weight-bearing surface in your horse's back and you don't want your saddle to extend past that to find t-18 you just take your fist and you sock it in in front of the hip bone slide it forward and it'll stop at t-18 at the last rib you follow the last rib up it's going to angle toward the horse's head and make your mark t18 is right here so your marks are at 3 13 and 19 and a half then you take your curve off place it on the paper and trace it now that you have your third measurement taken you place it on the paper and again you trace the underside where it was against the horse's back you're going to mark the spots where you took your first tracing the spot where you took your second tracing and you're going to show me the location of t18 and there you have your complete template [Music] you

Channel: Kitt Hazelton

Views: 70,152

Keywords: saddle fitting, english saddle fitting, saddler, saddles, english saddles, saddle fit, horses, horseback riding, back, horse, saddle, english saddle, how to take a wither tracing, wither tracing, back template, instructions for taking a wither tracing, wither tracing instructions

Id: mOMTBgmKjBw

Length: 6min 43sec (403 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 29 2013