Points of Reference on the Saddle. Area #1 represents the waist of the saddle (saddle seaming which can be manipulated at will). In the middle of the saddle, Area #2, represents the actual position of the twist (what the rider feels between their upper inner thighs). The rider should feel an absolutely even distribution of pressure between the inner upper thighs and the crotch area. If the saddle doesn't fit here, the knees and the feet will be turned out instead of hanging straight down. Your thighs will also feel “pulled apart” and your hips will hurt. The other extreme in this area could have you feel as though there is very little contact between the upper inner thighs and the saddle – almost as if you were sitting on a tepee. Area #3 represents the seat width and Area #4 represents the area of seat foam support which should be ample enough to accommodate the rider’s gluteal muscles but not too much as to force the rider into excessive arching of their back..

Points of Reference on the Saddle. Area #1 represents the waist of the saddle (saddle seaming which can be manipulated at will). In the middle of the saddle, Area #2, represents the actual position of the twist (what the rider feels between their upper inner thighs). The rider should feel an absolutely even distribution of pressure between the inner upper thighs and the crotch area. If the saddle doesn’t fit here, the knees and the feet will be turned out instead of hanging straight down. Your thighs will also feel “pulled apart” and your hips will hurt. The other extreme in this area could have you feel as though there is very little contact between the upper inner thighs and the saddle – almost as if you were sitting on a tepee. Area #3 represents the seat width and Area #4 represents the area of seat foam support which should be ample enough to accommodate the rider’s gluteal muscles but not too much as to force the rider into excessive arching of their back.

I think the question of twist of the saddle is one of the most poorly understood parts of the saddle. It goes along with the idea that if you have a very wide-backed horse you will naturally get a saddle that has a wide twist – with the result that (especially as a woman), you will often feel like you are being ‘torn apart’ at the hips. Of course, you can do all sorts of yoga stretching exercises to help overcome the pain you will feel when this happens, but…

This absolutely does not have to be the case. Unfortunately, however, it seems that almost every country, every saddle manufacturer, and every rider have their own idea of what the twist actually is and where it is found on the saddle. Of course, every discipline brings with it different balance points and different parts on the saddle where the rider will be positioned, but even these considerations can determine the proper twist for the rider.

There is a very simple definition of twist: it is actually that part of the saddle (tree) that you will feel between your upper inner thighs. That’s it. It has nothing to do with the seaming on top of the saddle, which is a very simple optical illusion and can be made very narrow or very wide, depending on the saddler making the saddle. It does not affect what you feel. You can have very narrow seaming and a very wide twist or vice versa.

The twist of the saddle is crucial in determining this type of “feeling pulled apart” coming up. Because of the female pelvic structure and our muscles, most women will need a fairly narrow, upside-down u shaped twist… Read the full article here.

~ Jochen Schleese CMS, CSFT, CSE, courtesy of Saddlefit 4 Life