If I am a 16-16.5 seat in a hunt seat saddle what size am I in a western saddle? The same?

15-16"

Depends on your preference and the particular saddle.

I think I would go with a 15, but you should look into both.

Edit:

I ride in an 18" all purpose jumping saddle comfortably, and a 16" barrel saddle comfortably.

So you might even want a 14" saddle, but Western saddles are supposed to be a little "looser" sort of.

The typical rule is two fingers in between your thigh and the gullet/horn area, I believe it's technically called a fork??? Idk i'm not good with saddle parts, lol - but my saddle is smaller then that, and my western trail saddle is bigger then that, so it's really what you feel comfortable in.

It depends on the saddle in western also - barrel, roping, all-purpose, pleasure. Just like in English riding they all fit slightly different. I would suggest you try out a 14 inch, and a 15 inch. One of these should be fine for you. A 16 inch will likely be too big. (I ride in a 16" english saddle, and a 14 or 15" western) Since I'm short I can't always ride properly in a 15" western saddle because the stirrups are too long. So, I would suggest trying a few different types to find what is most comfortable. As was mentioned earlier, western and english saddles are measured differently. You should have a couple inches between you and the cantle on a western saddle, and your stirrups will sit slightly longer than an english saddle.

Most likely a 15" saddle. I have 16" western saddle and it is way too big and I weigh over 150 lbs! I also have a 15" saddle that I like much better. My daughter who weighs 120 is also very comfortable in the 15" western saddle and she has a 16.5" close contact English saddle.

Yeah I think so.

I would shop around and see if it fits you.

You might be able to get a smaller seat because western saddles are built differently than hunt seat saddles.

I believe compared to the western saddle hunt seats are smaller.

EDIT:

Seat size is measured differently and is scaled differently for English and Western saddles. All types of English saddle seats are measured from the metal rivet (or screw) on the side of the pommel (front top) to the center of the top of the cantle (the raised back portion of the saddle). A hunter/jumper seat sized for a typical child's saddle will be 13 -14", a youth or small adult will be 15 - 16", a regular female or slender male will be about 17", and a male or large female about 18". If a person is very tall they may want to go with an extra inch of size to let the knees lay on the flaps properly. A cut back (saddleseat) saddle' s sizes will generally run about 4" larger, ie: a youth's saddle would run about 19 to 20" for proper fit. Dressage saddles tend to run an inch or two larger than a hunt saddle,. but you need to be careful here - if the seat is cut very deeply it will feel very differrent from one that is cut a little shallower. The same holds true to a lesser degree for Western saddles. They are measured from the inside top of the cantle (the back) to the inside top of the pommel right below the horn. A regular female is most often quite comfortable in a 15" seat, and an average male in a 16" seat. Again this is only a general rule of thumb...a wider seat may "sit" bigger than a narrower one and depending on how deep the seat is dwill affect the rider's feel. Before you shop - sit in as many saddles as possible to find the style and seat size that best suits you.

Go a full size 16" western saddle. but beware as the roping saddles have a low lying seat and the western pleasure or barrel racer has a deeper higher seat. So try them out before you just jump in and buy one. I have both styles and find the pleasure saddle just that little bit more comfy.!

No, it is not the same. You'd be in a smaller western saddle seat, but it doesn't make much of a difference.

Go to tack stores and see which one feels comfy, I have a 16 in English and Western, but my western may be a little big, IDK, but once you are balanced, it can be a size big.