One of the very misunderstood things we often run into is the ‘opinion’ of the peanut gallery watching their fellow riders that saddles aren’t fitting because they may seem to be too curved in the back (i.e., not lying flat on the horse’s back). There is actually method to our madness in making saddles this way and making them fit this way. Let me try to explain…
A saddle’s supporting surface on top of the horse’s ribcage is generally almost always flat from front to back. The majority of all saddle trees made have a slight arc so that the shoulder (which moves 6”-8” upwards and backwards) has room to engage. The back, which we like to see with a “swinging” motion, should be able to come up without too much interference from the rear of the tree. The panel stuffing is mainly at the pommel and at the cantle, in an effort to provide extra cushioning at these areas.
Every effort should have been made during saddle construction to increase the weight-bearing surface from front to back in order to stabilize the saddle. Some saddle companies even go to the extreme of straightening the tree even further in an attempt to prevent “rocking”. However, recent research using thermography, computerized saddle pads, fibre-optic photography, and other state-of-the-art technology has indicated that in contrast to this belief, a saddle sitting “perfectly flat” can actually inhibit the horse’s movement and cause heat, friction, etc. Read the full article here.
~ Jochen Schleese CMS, CSFT, CSE, courtesy of Saddlefit 4 Life
