Saddle Fit and Your Horse's Conformation
Thursday July 19, 2007
Friends and I were talking and we agreed that there were three sticky issues when it came to owning horses: saddle fit, finding a good farrier and finding top quality hay. Saddle fit can be tricky because there are so many saddles to choose from, but they all fit so differently. One saddle won't fit all horses. That's because horses are so different and their backs change over time. The saddle you bought for your green broke two year old may not fit your now fit and well schooled 5 year old. Then of course there are problems due to imbalances like the one shown in the photo. This was a mare I owned briefly, and you can see the difference in the shape of her shoulders. This stemmed from having one slightly upright hoof and shorter leg on one side. How do you check if your saddle fits your horse? Saddle Fit and Horse Anatomy explains the four critical points of the horse's anatomy that impact saddle fit.
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Comments
Beth, saddle fit is one of the most important elements of a pain-free horse. The problem with most methods for assessing saddle fit is once the rider has mounted, you can no longer check for clearances. The impact of the rider depressing the saddle downward can cause pressure points. These pressure points can disrupt muscle blood circulation with as little as 3mm Hg force. And, the physical signs of bad saddle fit do not show up until the muscle damage is already done. Use of a force sensing pad and computer algorithms allow you to see the effect of the rider and saddle on the horse’s back.