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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


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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:


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✪ 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,


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