balking and bucking are common results of poor saddle fi t, not to mention physical damage to the horse. It can be a challenge to evaluate one’s own horse, because
S
so many variables go into the saddle-fi t ing equation. A saddle may appear to fi t a standing horse just fi ne, but put that horse in motion and everything can change in a heart- beat. T e rider’s posture and balance aff ects saddle fi t as does the horse’s level of training, age and body condition. Pads and shims can be used eff ectively to make up for a less- than-perfect fi t, but they also can obscure our ability to assess fi t clearly. And to top it all off , horses’ backs are ever-changing through the seasons and training cycles. Recently on our Facebook page, we posed the question:
“Do you have a saddle-fi t problem?” We invited readers to submit photos and background information on their hard-to- fi t horses for consideration as case studies—a unique ap- proach to the saddle-fi t puzzle. We collected the questions and photos and submit ed them to fi ve world-renowned saddle-fi t ing and behavior experts for analysis:
continued next page
✪ Peggy Cummings founder of Connected Riding and Groundwork
www.connectedriding.com
✪ Joyce Harman, DVM owner of Harmany Equine Clinic and author of “T e Horse’s Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book”
www.harmanyequine.com
✪ Kit Hazelton, Master Saddle Fit er
www.saddlefi t
er.blogspot.com
✪ Kerry Ridgway, DVM owner of the Institute for Equine T erapeutic Options
www.drkerryridgway.com
✪ Linda Tellington-Jones founder of the Tellington Method www.t
ouch.com
WWW.TRAILBLAZERMAGAZINE.US • November 2012 | 27
addle fi t continues to be the #1 concern of trail riders. And with good reason: an untold number of behavior “problems” can be traced directly to poor saddle fi t. Shortened stride, unwilling at- titude and resistance in the form of ear pinning,
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100