Even a correctly fitted saddle can’t do it’s job if the rider sits crooked in the saddle.
When I have the saddle on the horse, the tree fits, the panels are leveled, the rider is sitting in balance on both her seat bones, so statically everything looks ok. Then the horse starts moving. The saddle does what is has to do – it stays in place – and, at this moment, I am satisfied by what I see, how the saddle is working for the horse.
But then the rider sits ‘crooked’ in her saddle. Nine out of 10 times, the problem begins in the pelvis and legs. Most riders compensate in the lumbar part of their back. Then the upper body gets involved. Most of the time, they have a rotation somewhere in their back, one of their shoulders is higher than the other shoulder and on that side they have their hand higher.
When I take the saddle off then, the dust pattern is good, but I have a little more dust on one side, mostly the side where the rider is sitting “heavier.”
When I look at the form and the experience I have, then I think the rider has a big influence on how “straight” the horse is. I have only seen a couple of horses where the trapezius and the long back muscle were even. Both horses where ridden with a saddle with an adjustable tree, and their riders where almost “straight.”
When you want to protect the horse against long-term damage, you also have to “help” the rider. But that isn’t really our job as saddle fitters. The trainer says the horse is the problem because it is crooked. So do I adjust the panels so the rider is less crooked or leave it as it is? Does the rider have the responsibility to take care of his body so she won’t ‘damage’ her horse?
There are three possibilities … read full article here.
~ Jochen Schleese courtesy of Saddlefit 4 Life
