Saddle Fitting
Ten Top Tips on Saddle Fitting
Contents
Saddle Fitting - The Purpose of a Saddle
The purpose of a saddle is to take the riders weight off the horses spine and to distribute the weight over the muscles along their back either side of the spine.
At the same time, allowing the horse as much flexibility and freedom of movement, underneath the saddle that is possible.
Keep this purpose in mind at all times.
Your Saddle Requirements
There are an enormous amount of saddles on the market and every salesman and shop will have their own preferences and will be giving you different opinions - this can then cause utter confusion.
The saddle industry, like any other industry will be looking to manufacture and make saddles for the current market demands, with each company offering their own particular stamp and uniqueness. This can vary from cost, style, types of leathers etc.
In order not to get confused you need to first decide what you want and can afford, then go about finding a saddle that:-
- fits your style of riding
- fits your horse
- fits you
- fits your budget
All four points are vital and of equal importance.
A final thought to remember is that it is possible that every single company will have something of value to offer, but you need to find what is right for you and not others, don't be persuaded otherwise.
Your Style of Riding
What style of saddle do you want? What does your riding require? What is it for?
- hacking
- show jumping
- cross country
- endurance
- dressage
Will you need different styles of saddles for your sport? (e.g.. jumping & dressage) and do you like deep or flat saddles?
Personally I will always want a dressage saddle, as whatever I do with our horses if they are schooled properly and balanced they go so much better and for this, a really good dressage saddle is indispensable.
Does it Fit Your Horse?
Your saddle needs to fit your horse correctly.....Here's the BIG ISSUE.
If you can understand and recognize a correctly fitting saddle this will help you and your horse enormously. If......however.....
Equine Saddle fitting, is a qualification in itself, done by master saddlers, so this can be quite challenging and to top that, they often don't all agree with each other...
Custom-made saddles, designed for an individual horse and rider will fit the best, but are the most expensive. It is like having a dress or pair of shoes made for you.
However, many manufacturers now make saddles where minor adjustments can still be carried out, so that they fit you and your horse.
There are now a vast array of numnahs and pads which can also really help.
Get some qualified saddle fitting help, until you are sure you know what you are doing. This could save you a great deal of frustration in the future.
Ask their advice and try them out - like anything, there are good, as well bad, saddle fitters and saddle fitting. If you have an understanding of the basics of saddle fitting you will be in a much better position to know which saddle to buy and whether, your fitter is advising you correctly.
When we were researching saddles we had a number of different saddle fitters and although they were experienced not all of them in my opinion, were able to fit both rider and horse properly. Hence the value in getting more than one opinion and aswell as finding out if they will let you try their saddles for a week or more.
Ten Top Tips on Saddle Fitting
1. Wither Clearance - The gullet of a saddle must clear the withers but not be so narrow as to pinch the horses back.
The ideal clearance needs to be 2-3 fingers between the saddle pommel (gullet) and horses withers. Anything less is risky and if no clearance the saddle must not be used. It should be possible to look down the gullet and see light at the other end, when girthed up.
2.To check you can look down the gullet and see light at the other end, place the saddle on the horse, girthed up, but with no numnahs or pads and then look to see if you have this clearance.
3. The Gullet Width - The gullet width (when seen from underneath the saddle), should be about three inches in width all the way down the pommel to the cantle.
4. Saddle Balance - The saddle needs to sit straight, i.e. not dipping down at the front or back. To check this, once you have put the saddle on the horse, look and see if where the rider sits the saddle is sitting horizontally. This area is quite small, you need to bend down and look at eye level to see this properly.
The saddle balance needs to be checked again by a person on the ground with the rider on the horse and the horse standing on level ground. This is because although it may look straight without a rider, when a rider is sitting on the saddle the balance can alter.
If when sitting does the saddle make you feel you are tipping forward or tipping backwards? Either, is another indicator of a saddle not sitting straight.
5. Saddle Seat Position - The seat of the saddle must be positioned so that the rider is placed over the horse's center of balance. This is the position that correlates closely to the center of gravity of the horse.
The location of the horse's center of balance depends on a combination of speed and collection of the horse. If the horse is standing or just walking the center of balance is just behind the heart girth and below the withers.
If the horse is trotting or cantering, the center of balance moves forward & if galloping or jumping the center of balance moves even more forward. If the horse is highly collected the center of balance will be further back regardless of gait, than if the horse is in an extended frame.
(Very simply if you are not positioned over the horses center of balance you will feel quite unbalanced.)
6. The Length of Saddle - a saddle should not go beyond the 18th thoracic vertebra which attaches to the horses last rib, beyond this is the lumbar spine which is the weakest part of the horses back. if you feel the ribs on your horse and work your hand backwards, until you can feel their last rib, then run your fingers up this rib till you reach the spine - that is the point where the saddle must not go beyond.
7. The Panels - need to be smooth and make even contact along the horses spine so distributing the weight of the rider evenly. The panels are the bearing surface of the saddle, it is important that they are as large and even as possible. An uneven fit increases pressure points and soreness.
With used saddles when you are saddle fitting you need to check that the panels are still in good condition and don't need re-flocking etc.
8. Movement of Saddle - When riding, the saddle should not move backwards or forwards or rock up and down. To help see if this is happening when saddle fitting, it helps if you have someone standing on the ground, watching to see if the saddle moves while you walk, trot and canter past them. (You may need to do this several times before coming to a conclusion).
9. Tree Size - The tree size which dictates the width of the saddle and height of the gullet is one of the most important factors when fitting saddles.
A tree that is too narrow, is more of a problem than one too wide, as it will push the points of the saddle tree into the horses back and eventually cause muscle wastage/atrophy, which long term will result in a hollowing in the horses back either side of the spine around the shoulder area.
It can be tested easily by looking at the sweat pattern on the horses back after work. The sweat pattern should have even sweating along the panels, except for the points of the tree points which will cause round dry spots in the area of sweat.
10. Saddle Placement - When saddle fitting a saddle should be placed two to four fingers behind the end of the horses shoulder blade. This allows the shoulder to move fully. Many riders position the saddle either to far back or too far forward.
Does it Fit You?
So at this point you may have found the ideal style and fit of saddle for your horse. However, do not disregard your own comfort. With good saddle fitting the saddle needs to fit you and you should feel comfortable and well supported.
1. Saddle Length - The length of the seat of the saddle is the most common measurement when fitting a saddle to a rider, it needs to be neither too short or too long. Of the two, it is more common to have a saddle that is too big than too small.
The length and placement of the flaps is also important when saddle fitting as these influence your leg position and how you sit. The flaps need to be the right length for your leg, not too long and in the way and not too short and your knees need to sit within the saddle and not outside on the edge which is also commonly seen.
2. Saddle Width - The width should be wide enough to support your seat bones but without being so wide as to be uncomfortable.
I have tried many saddles which although good in theory when you come to try them they are most uncomfortable.
3. Saddle Balance - This is critical. The rider needs to be place over the horse's center of balance. A poorly fitted saddle can easily leave you feeling you are falling backwards, so you are continually trying to move forwards.
Alternatively if the saddle pushes you too far forwards you will feel you are falling onto the horses neck. Some do not put you in the correct position and hence you can feel unbalanced.
4. Stirrups - The stirrups vary in length depending on you discipline but in all cases the stirrup leather must be properly placed so that the rider remains in balance over the saddle and is not thrown ahead or behind the movement of the horse when putting their weight into the stirrups.
5. Additional Support - If you want support i.e. knee rolls, thigh rolls, in order to feel you are supported do not feel uncomfortable for asking for them and getting them in a size that feels right for you.
Again every rider has their own preferences, so get in touch with how you feel and how your horse feels when you are trying saddles and saddle fitting.
Saddle Styles
Some saddles position you to far back from the horses center of gravity and some place you too high from the horse that it is harder to feel your horse and its movement and some are so heavy.
When I sit on a saddle I like to be able to feel I am part of the horse which is perfectly possible but it may take a bit of time and effort of good saddle fitting in order to meet these requirements, however once found, the benefits are enormous for you and your horse.
A Few Final Points
Finally if you can, be fussy and get a colour that will look good on your horse and go with your existing tack. Spending a bit of time not rushing at this last stage will give you years of daily satisfaction when you come to tack up and ride your horse........
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