_edited_j.jpg)
One of the most crucial tools if you are riding.
It can cause so many issues for a horse so why do lots of people pay little or no attention to what they place on their horse?
Think about it you are sitting on basically their rib cage and that some muscle separates the important organs to the saddle.
Lots of people buy their saddle on line or on market web sites which is fine however they do not follow up with a saddle fitter to see
1) it suits the horse and discipline
2) the flock underneath is even and making the right contact
3) that it is not impeding on the shoulder or spine etc
Ladies it would be like asking you to wear a bra one size or cup smaller than you are - yes you can do it but my god after about 10 -30 minutes you are sore and then 2 hours later you are ready to rip someone’s head off. Your horse is the same.
A wrongly fitted saddle can impede on muscles and the fascia causing all kinds of physical but also psychological problems for a horse.
I am shocked at how many horse trainers use one saddle and one pad to break horses in ??? Not one size fits all and I know my Clydesdale X who is more clydie than anything else had a stock saddle but on her and then a large western saddle which she only has a small back so the skirt was impeding on her hind quarters.
A good saddle fitter will not stick to one brand and will be able to adjust a current saddle IF they deem it adjustable for your horse. Some saddles can not be adjusted and therein lies a large issue.
A lot of people will purchase a saddle online or from a market place and that is fine IF you know what you are doing and I mean know what you are doing. Some will know the gullet size, the seat size etc but do you check underneath is it all evenly filled etc.
The other thing is horses change with age and work so do you get it checked on a regular basis? I can come out and loosen all that muscles and tension but if you don’t correct the saddle then it will be an ongoing expense. So a $150 saddle becomes a $1500 saddle!
