POINT OF VIEW
ago, may often have to be completely exchanged simply because the saddle support area has grown smaller as the horse has matured and the saddle is now simply too long for the horse’s back! In general, saddle fit should be checked minimally once
a year, and more often if there are other things going on in your horse’s life. Of course, you may not always have imme- diate access to your saddle fitter, and there are some tem- porary solutions available when you suspect saddle fit is an issue: Stop riding your horse until the saddle can be checked and
refitted. Use shims in your saddle pad (gel pads with the pockets to fit shims front and back on both sides as needed, a good tem- porary expedient to avoid hurting your horse). Lunge your horse to exercise him. Try a different saddle or bareback pad for a few days. It is never a good idea to ride your horse in a poorly fit- ting saddle for an extended period of time. Of all of the piec- es of the circle, it is the saddle (as interface between horse and rider) that has the potential to inflict the most physi- ological damage.
Guidelines to Check the Fit Balance: The center of the saddle (seat area when
viewed from the side) should be parallel to the ground while on the horse's back. Wither Clearance: Clearance at the withers should be
two to three fingers for normal withers all around the sides as well, not just at the top. Gullet Channel Width: The gullet should be wide enough not to interfere with the spinal processes or muscu- lature of the horse's back (three to five fingers evenly from front to back). Full Panel Contact: The panel should touch the horse's
back evenly all the way from front to back; some panels may be designed to sit slightly off the back at the cantle area to allow the back to come up during engagement. Billet Alignment: The billets should hang perpendicu-
lar to the ground so that the girth is positioned properly and not angled either forwards or backwards. The girth will al- ways find its position at the narrowest point of the rib cage behind the elbow. Saddle Length: The shoulder and loin areas should not
carry any weight of the saddle and rider. Rider weight should be on the saddle support area only (from base of the withers to the 18th thoracic vertebra). Saddle Straightness: The saddle should not fall off to one side when viewed from back or front. The tree points should be behind both scapulae (shoulder blades). Saddle Tree Angle: The panel tree points should be parallel to the shoulder angle to position saddle
56 September/October 2015
properly and to allow the shoulder to ‘slide through’ during movement. Saddle Tree Width: The tree width should be wide
enough for saddle to fit during the dynamic movement of the horse and accommodate the larger shoulder to prevent the saddle sliding to one side.
A Good Saddle Fitting Session Regardless of whether you are working with a fitter, a saddle ergonomist or a saddle salesperson, the following guide- lines will allow you to ask informed questions of your equine professional. The first question is about what you want to accomplish
in your appointment. Are you experiencing particular sad- dle fitting issues with your current saddle that you’d like re- solved? Are you looking to purchase a new saddle? Do you have a saddle you’d like refitted? Measurements of you
and your horse should be taken to establish a base- line and to evaluate how well your present saddle fits you both. This will also help decide which saddle would work best for your particular configuration. These measurements will also help assess future changes in the horse’s conformational develop- ment. There are various tools available to take these mea- surements but most saddle fitters rely mainly on a flexible wire curve to determine withers shape and size. If your saddle is fully adjustable (which means being able
Saddle fitter Laura Whitteron uses the Sprenger Gauge to determine the width and angu- lation of the withers.
to change the gullet plate in both angle and width as well as panel flocking), precise adjustments to the fit of the saddle as your horse matures and progresses in his training can be made. Otherwise, only the flocking can be rearranged and perhaps the angle of the tree points altered—which may mean a new saddle is required. The horse’s basic anatomy should be evaluated to deter- mine the length of the saddle support area, the width of the spine, if one shoulder is larger than another and the size/ shape of the withers. The current saddle should be looked at to determine the integrity of the tree and the condition of the billets, the stitches and the leather. The girth must be appropriate in length and construction, and the saddle pad should be considered as well. Is the saddle’s seat size appropriate, too large or too small? Is the flap the correct length and angle? How is the depth and balance of the seat? Are there any particular is- sues you’ve been experiencing with your saddle? Static fit
Michelle J. Powell
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