Saddle Fit Plays a Major Role in the Soundness of Your Horse

One of the most important factors influencing the soundness of riding horses is saddle fit. Ill fitting saddles can become instruments of torture and cause

• muscle spasms
• nerve damage
• atrophy
• restriction in movement
• behavior issues
• permanent skeletal changes (in young horses)
• sores and
• the respective slew of compensatory problems

as the horse tries to move in a way to keep himself comfortable or reasonably pain free when moving under an ill fitting saddle.

Saddle problems are not always obvious and surely spending a good amount of money on a saddle does not ensure the saddle fits the horse, especially as his body changes throughout his life. Common mistakes in saddle fit and saddle use include

• fit the saddle to the rider, without giving enough consideration to the way it fits the horse
• trying to compensate for a wrong fit with all sorts of padding (including 'correcting' pads etc.)
• understemating the importance of balance
• putting the saddle too far back, beyond the weight bearing area of the horse

Another common mistake is to not consider the size of the weight bearing area of a horse as a criterion during purchase considerations. One example: If I am a larger size rider, I may consider purchasing a larger size horse. This horse may have high withers and be relatively short backed, meaning the area where the saddle should start (gullet) to the last rib (end of weight bearing area) is rather short, even though the horse is tall. Since I am large, I may now think I should purchase a saddle wide enough for the horse and long enough to accommodate me. However, this would take the weight bearing area of the saddle past the last rib, unto the lumbar section, which is not weight bearing. If this criterion is properly considered, this particular horse may be not the horse for me, since he requires a much shorter saddle than would accommodate my anatomy. In short: we need to consider the size of the weight bearing area of a horse's back to consider whether the horse is right for the rider.

In general, I believe that saddle fitting should be left to educated professionals. The basic principles, however, can be learned by anyone in a short period of time. Books, DVD's and seminars are a good way to up your knowledge level. Whether you are considering the purchase of a custom fit saddle, a brand new store bought saddle or a good quality used saddle, educating yourself about basic principles will help you choose the best possible saddle for your horse and yourself.

After having seen a great deal of structural problems in horses that - after some investigation - could be linked back to saddle fit, I can be a witness to the fact that fancy contraptions and high priced designer saddles and pads can do just as much damage as an ebay purchase.

A saddle should always be

• of good, solid materials (leather should be supple, not old, dry and cracking; tree must be flawless, not repaired or broken)
• manufactured by a specialist company or saddle maker (not a replica, made in an unnamed foreign country)
• fit your horse without a pad first (a pad, shim or cushion will not make your ill fitting saddle fit your horse)

For the purposes of this article, we'll look at the example of an English style saddle. Jochen Schleese of Scheelse Saddlery Services has posted some excellent short videos on youtube to explain the different aspects of saddle fit. Below his series of 9-Steps videos. For more information about the Schleese System (I am not affiliated with Schleese...) please go to Jochen Schleese's website.

Armed with the knowledge you gain by watching below videos, I hope you will feel encouraged to explore the topic of saddle fit further and - if your horse has any structural, performance or behavior problems that remain unexplained - consider questioning your current saddle's fit and embark on the search for a saddle that fits both you and your horse.

9 Steps to Saddle Fit by Jochen Schleese