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How to Measure the Height of a Saddle Horn

A saddle horn is an important part of a saddle. Sitting at the front of the saddle, the horn rises from the saddle seat and provides a comfortable place for riders to rest their hands. The saddle horn is not intended to provide support. Rather, it was originally added to the western-style saddle as a tool for roping cattle. Cattle ranchers would rest their lariats around the horn so that the horn, rather than their hands, absorbed the force of the cow being lassoed by the rope. You can easily measure the height of your saddle horn by with a fabric tape measure.

Things You'll Need

Fabric tape measure
Western saddle

Instructions

- 1
  Use a fabric tape measure to determine the height of the saddle horn. Start your measurement at the outside tip of the horn and mark the spot where that line meets the front edge of the saddle seat. Write this measurement down as the saddle horn height.
- 2
  Measure the cap size of your horn next. Place the tape measure at the bottom edge of the top or face of the horn. Measure to the top edge of the horn face. Write this measurement down as the horn cap size, or diameter of the horn.
- 3
  Measure the thickness of the horn base, also called the stock thickness, by using your tape measure to mark the distance between the front and back of the horn base. Write this measurement down as the stock thickness. Take these measurements together to know the height, cap size and width of your saddle horn so that you can get the same size on a new saddle or make adjustments up or down if you want a slightly different-sized horn.

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