Advices

Gaston Mercier stands first and foremost for 30 years of innovation and research conducted among horse-riding athletes, enthusiasts and technicians. This unique know-how is a guarantee of the care taken in producing a French quality product in environmentally-friendly conditions. We listen to you to achieve even more or just too advise you on what is best for you and your horse.

Which is the best tree for your Gaston Mercier saddle

With epoxy and carbon fibre trees the following can be achieved :

Perfect fit of the saddle to your horse’s back, from the finest of Thoroughbreds to the largest
Percheron;
The option of reshaping your saddle if you change horse or if your horse’s morphology changes;
Close contact with the your horse hence enabling you to be in tune with its movements.

For any question about the various trees used to make our saddles, please contact us

Advice to take fotos :

At first we need some informations : Rider stature, weight and shoe size ; Horse stature and chest size

Take fotos :

Camera up to the withers ; right horse in a flat ground ...to get that.

Get hight on a chair ...to get that.

Some advice on how to position your Gaston Mercier saddle

Placing the saddle on your horse’s back is done in relation to three reference points :

The girth should be positioned a hand’s width away from the horse’s elbows, so as to avoid injury;
Shoulder movement must not be inhibited. The hollow behind the shoulder should prevent the saddle from moving up towards the withers;
There must be no pressure on the loin.

The exact position of your saddle is determined by the morphology of your horse. That is the whole idea behind the design of the Gaston Mercier tree, ensuring that the rider is in the right place over the horse’s 13th dorsal vertebrae. This is the only position where the rider does not cause discomfort to the horse.

How to properly fasten a girth

Make sure buckles on both sides of the horse are on a par, above the horse’s elbows.
It is possible and indeed common for there to be a difference of one or two holes between the two
straps.
Tighten without excess and only once the saddle is in position with the horse on flat ground.