Saddle Fitting

The purpose of the saddle is to distribute the riders’ weight evenly over as large an area as possible without restricting the shoulder, or putting pressure on the loin, spine or withers.

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The rider’s weight is transferred through the saddle and on to the horses back. The pressure on the horses back increases with speed with up to three times the rider’s weight during the stance phase of canter (when the diagonal legs are on the ground).

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A saddle that does not fit the horse or the rider correctly can cause pain and discomfort. Horses which are in pain may display clear signs such as bucking, rearing, bolting or more subtle signs such as swishing their tail, raising their heads or being hard to catch.

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• A saddle can cause pain if it is (some examples:

• too narrow

• too wide

• too long

• bridging

• tipping backwards or forwards

• restricting the shoulder

• positioned incorrectly

• putting pressure on the spine or withers

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When a horse is in pain his first response will be to move away from the pain, this may be rushing away from the mounting block or most commonly hollowing the back to escape the source of pain.

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When saddle fit is overlooked these subtle signs may progress to more obvious signs as mentioned above. 

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Symptoms of poor saddle fit usually start slowly and develop in severity over time. 

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Subtle signs of poor saddle fit: 

• Taking a long time to ‘warm up’ or ‘work in’ 

• Difficulty taking a contact

• Heavy on the forehand

• Fidgeting when tacking up 

• Fidgeting at the mounting block 

• Being described as "cold backed"

• Difficultly picking up the right lead in canter 

• Lack of suppleness on one rein 

• Trouble catching 

• Not liking the school 

 

Extreme signs of poor fit:

• White hairs

• Muscle atrophy

• Open sores

• Kissing spine

• Bucking

• Rearing 

• Bolting

• Spooking

• Rushing 

• Refusing Fences

• Reluctance to go forwards 

• Pinning ears 

• Mounting issues

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Maintenance of the saddle remains the responsibility of the client. 

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Saddle fit will need to be monitored by the client and it is your responsibility to book regular saddle fitting appointments as or when necessary.

 

Changes in weight, workload, episodes of lameness, illness or time off work are examples of things that will affect the saddle fit.

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The standard saddle check interval is 6 months however some horses may require more frequent checks especially if there have been saddle fitting issues in the past. 

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Additional factors which can cause the horse to change shape are:

• Lameness/Injury 

• Diet Changes

• Environmental Changes (field/stable)

• Training (type, frequency and duration)

• Rider 

• Shoeing 

• Medical Conditions 

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If any of the above have changed the saddle will need to be checked.