PHOTO 5: T e most important thing to check for is suffi cient clearance when you pass your hand down on either side of the saddle aſt er it is shimmed in the front and cinched up. If the saddle pinches your fi ngers, it will certainly pinch your horse! Photo courtesy Peggy Cummings
5
PHOTO 6: A well-fi t ing West- ern saddle and pad show even
pressure distribution and a level seat from front to back. Photo courtesy Peggy Cummings
6
the front to give freedom for the horse’s shoulders. Look at the photos of diff erent kinds of trees on Dave Genadek’s website www.AboutT
eHorse.com, and it may clarify what I am talking about.
You may be able to fi nd a pad that is slightly raised in front. Maybe a friend has one that you can try before purchasing one.
when you pass your hand down on either side of the saddle aſt er it is shimmed in the front and cinched up (Photo 5). If the saddle pinches your fi ngers, it will certainly pinch your horse! I also recommend that you get a back cinch and adjust it so the saddle does not fi shtail during movement.
I recommend the following resources for further study: David Genadek, www.AboutT
eHorse.com
Dr. Joyce Harman,
www.HarmanyEquine.com
Developing an eye and feel for saddle fi t takes practice. I commend you sending your pictures and asking for help.
T e most important thing to check is for suffi cient clearance T ere is not nearly enough education from the saddle industry educating consumers on what to look for in saddles, especially
when you have a certain budget allowance. It is sometimes easier to buy a pair of shoes! I also commend Trail Blazer for trailblazing education for its readers.
T e saddle and pad are a bit raised off the horse’s back be- cause the saddle is not sit ing level. At the front of the saddle as it is cinched, the pad looks fl at and fl ush with the horse. It does not look as if there is room there to run your hand down the front on either side to see if the shoulder blades are free to move. T is combined with the instability of the back of the saddle plus it not being level can be enough to cause behavior issues in a horse. T e saddle is also too long for this horse. T ere should be about a hand’s width from the point of the hip to the back of the saddle.
30 | November 2012 •
WWW.TRAILBLAZERMAGAZINE.US
Peggy Cummings is the creator and founder of Connected Riding and Connected Groundwork, an approach to riding and handling horses that gives both horse and human more freedom, confi dence and lightness in any situation. For further information, visit Peggy at
www.connectedriding.com Her
latest book, Connect With Your Horse, was pub- lished in February 2011 by Trafalgar Square Books.
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