At the risk of offending any our readers, this is a topic which does need to be addressed, in all honesty. I am not trying to insult anyone here, since the issue of proper saddle fit is not by any means limited to heavier riders – all riders and all horses can and will benefit from a correctly fitted saddle! However, heavier riders bring with them a whole different set of challenges (by heavier riders, I am referring to women who are 180+ pounds, and men who are 250+ pounds).
When a heavier rider chooses a horse, it should really be key to have a horse with a large enough saddle support area/weight bearing surface to accommodate a bigger saddle which will fit this rider’s conformational needs. (Think large Warmblood type rather than Thoroughbred!). Read the full article here.
~ Jochen Schleese CMS, CSFT, CSE, courtesy of Saddlefit 4 Life