THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD SADDLE FIT:
Have you ever tried to run in a pair of shoes that didn’t fit?
You wouldn’t get very far would you?
Well if you are riding in an ill-fitting saddle that’s exactly what you are asking your horse to do.
The importance of a good saddle fit can go unnoticed and difficulties with your horse can be put down to behavioural problems, when in reality an adjustment of saddle can instantly remove the problem and stop future lameness problems from occurring. Most of, if not all of today’s Saddle Fitters have been trained by saddle manufactures or saddle stores, and usually come out to sell you one of their saddles, so the information they will usually give you will more likely suit the brand of saddle they are trying to sell.
Saddle fitting is like fitting good shoes for humans,in addition to the length of your feet, you must have the right widths at the toes and heel, and arch support. Yes, you could get away with flip flops for some activities, but investing in the right shoe to do the right job, just ask a top athelic if they would run in any old shoe?
It is necessary to gather information by going though evaluation methods, like looking at the horse conformation and movement, addressing any back problems or feet issues that may affect the saddle fit.Assessing the saddle it self for symmetry and any faults stemming from manufacturing or if an old saddle just from wear and tear.It is a commonly held belief that the rider should determine the saddle size, when in fact it should be to suit the horse.
Then to look at how that saddle sits on the horses back and what it does when the horse moves, then assessing how the rider sits in the saddle.Then finally how they all work together in movement, which is the most important because a saddle may look like it fits well when the horse is stationary, but can work quite differently during movement.
Does you horse have any Symptoms?
- Sore on the back.
- White hairs under the saddle.
- Temporary lumps of swelling after riding.
- Muscle wastage under saddle area.
- Offens tripps or stumbles.
- Objects being saddled/grithy or colded back.
- Hypersensitivity to brushing.
- Unexplained bucking or rearing.
- Unwillingness to move forwards.
- Difficult to work in a round frame.
- Tail swishing,grinding teeth and head tossing while being ridden.
While bad saddle fit often causes a variety of behavioral and physical problems. Owners should also work with their Vet, farrier and equine dentist to rule out the possiblity of health ,feet and dental issues.
If you have what you suspect maybe a saddle issue and would like to get it checked out, ring for appiontment to gain a true evaluation, or email me with any questions.
Travel cost: $0.67 per km ouside a 40km radius.
So…Why Does My
Saddle Need To Fit?
by
Kristen Vliestra
Lately there has been a noticeable trend in dressage forums to ask the
question, “Why has saddle fit become so important? When I rode as a kid we
never worried about that stuff”.
There are some very specific tenets that must be observed when fitting a saddle. To begin speaking on saddle fit, we first need to look at all the parts of your horse’s physiology that are affected by the way that your saddle is fitting.
Please click on link to read more.
Why does my saddle need to fit?
This article was primarily written by Kristen Vlietstra, one of Schleese’s
certified saddle fitting technicians
and top salespeople. Kristen is also a longtime and experienced equestrienne,
as well as a recent
successful graduate of Dr. Deb Bennett’s course in Equine Anatomy. From time to
time she will assist
Jochen Schleese by contributing to his column in Sidelines.