Articles on saddle-fitting are somewhat frequently published in horse magazines, both in print, or online. The articles are usually combined with a bulleted checklist (9 points, 11 points, and so on) to see if your saddle fits. However, the most important ingredient to a successful riding recipe is that the rider understands WHY the saddle should fit that way, and what often happens if it doesn’t fit correctly. This is especially critical as we head into show season and need to recondition our horses after a winter of perhaps less intense training than usual.
I was recently at a tack shop and overheard the ladies next to me trying to find a new saddle. The first woman sat in quite a few expensive models until she found one that was comfortable for her, and the friend helping her looked it over and proclaimed that the tree should fit the horse just fine, “after all, it’s a medium-wide.” No longer able to contain myself, I asked what kind of horse they were trying to fit, and had they thought about at least doing tracings to bring to the store before making such an expensive purchase. These were kind people that only wanted the best for their horse in their new riding adventure, but buying a saddle before fitting it properly to the horse is like buying a bikini for your friend without taking her to the store to try it on! (Worse actually, because buying a bikini that doesn’t fit won’t do you any damage – at least not physiologically speaking!)
Understanding some basic equine anatomy goes a long way in understanding why the saddle must fit correctly for your horse to perform pain free and maximally. The horse’s shoulder must be allowed a complete range of motion to extend the trot, cut cows, or jump fences. The scapula, or shoulder blade, is actually topped with cartilage. A saddle that pinches in this area can actually shear off the delicate cartilage that allows the shoulder blade to glide beneath the muscles that overlay it. The effects of pinching saddles are now documented with advanced imaging, such as MRI and CT scan. There should be some space at the top of the panel to allow for proper range of motion of the scapula.
The saddle tree is designed to provide a frame for the saddle itself, but also to provide support for the curvatures of the rider’s spine, and an interface for horse and rider to communicate. Store-stocked saddles are often marked with different tree widths (narrow, medium, wide, extra wide, combinations of these) but did you know that saddle trees also have an angle? Read the full article here.
~ Jochen Schleese CMS, CSFT, CSE, courtesy of Saddlefit 4 Life
