Okay, good idea. I might do some research before I bug him though :)

Jochen is a great resource for saddle fit questions ;)

I was thinking; you mention how your 30cm saddle fit better than the 32cm saddle, but it was 40 years old. Perhaps over the years it's been "broken in" more and has managed to become a bit more flexible in some spots? I'm not sure how this would work exactly (I'm no Jochen Schleese!) but it may be a possibility.

:) Best of luck, Siobhan!

I am not a saddle fitting expert by any means but have learned a lot in the last year since my Arab is very tricky to fit. Saddle width usually refers to the cm. between the tree points, but it is not a very reliable measure between brands. Some saddles have longer or shorter tree points, so a saddle with shorter points will measure a difference distance between, but might have the same angle (say 90 degrees between the points, and might have more shoulder room or fit differently than one with longer points. I have a Stubben (they last for years, not likely it has changed the tree in all that time), but the channel between the padding is much narrower than some other brands, so will fit differently especially on a broader backed horse. Saddle fit really is very complicated and takes a long time to get the hang of, so I would say you need the help of an expert at any rate on assessing your particular horse and any particular saddle, and of course the fit for you too. There's a lot more to it than just the measure. Using the wrong fitting or poorly balanced saddle can also put you in the wrong position, cause you discomfort, and cause physical and behavior issues in your hores than could take a long time to identify and correct if it goes on too  long. My guy was badly behaved when I got him, during saddling and sometimes riding, just because he had had poor fitting saddles in the past. I presume that was it, because once I got a better fit, these issues gradually resolved. It has taken me a year, but I have finally found a saddle which fits us both, but I had to use a treeless in the meantime. He is a whole different horse now, but learning about saddle fit has been more complicated, and more worthwhile than I would have guessed at first.

Hi Siobhan, fitting a saddle is tricky business! I'll third sending Jochen Schleese a message on Barnmice, and I'll also add in, reading over his articles on saddle fitting (if you haven't already) - they are packed with information on tips for fitting a saddle and proper saddle balance.

Heres an article that he did on measuring for gullet channel width, that also has a video.