Did you know Saddles have trees?

A saddle tree is the base on which the rest of the saddle is built. A saddle tree is built out of wood or a synthetic material similar to wood. A saddler covers the tree with leather, or a similar material, when he builds the saddle.

The size of the tree is important for fitting to the horse’s back as well as the rider’s seat. The tree protects the horse from the weight of the rider by raising and distributing the rider’s weight across the horse’s back. Saddle trees distribute the weight so that any one part of a horse’s back doesn’t carry significantly more than another part. This increases the horse’s comfort and stamina under saddle.