larger (most likely left) shoulder will push the saddle to the hollow side (most likely the right) as soon as movement be- gins. With a larger left shoulder, for example, the left tree point of the gullet needs to be opened, with the right one supported by the same amount. This way the saddle has an opening on the left side and room for the larger left shoul- der to come through without pushing the saddle to the right during movement. An asymmetric adjustment to accom- modate the larger shoulder would be ideal, but not many saddles can actual- ly be adjusted in this manner. An even adjustment, which ensures the larger shoulder has enough room to move and a shim under the other, smaller shoulder, will also do the trick.
Asymmetry in the Horse There are many theories on what causes asymmetry in horses: it could be genetic (just like most humans are ‘right-handed’); it could be because
RIGHT: If the gullet plate has not been fitted to accommodate the horse's (larger) left shoulder, the saddle slips to the right and puts excess pressure on the back of the left panel and left side of the spine, which the horse tries to avoid by deviating to the right through the right shoulder (arrow).
of the way the fetus grows in the womb; it could be a result of domestication and the conditions under which we keep our horses. In my 38-plus years of working in this industry, my saddle fit technicians and I have measured and observed upwards of 150,000 horses on pretty much every continent. The majority of them had a definitely stronger muscled left side, with a shoulder blade that was higher and further back than on the right. This becomes very obvious during dy- namic movement—pushing the saddle over to the right if it has not been properly adjusted to accommodate this larger shoulder. As a result, it causes the rider to sit crookedly out of balance and he will compensate by leaning to one side. You’ll notice the left canter lead is much easier with most
horses. We lead on the left, we mount from the left, we sad- dle from the left. When horses fight, the defense is to turn the left shoulder to the aggressor. Interesting, isn’t it?
Conference Findings… In 2015, the Saddle Research Trust held an international con- ference. One of the hot topics was the interaction between equine lameness and saddle slip. Although my experiences indicate that saddle slip causes lameness issues rather than the other way around as suggested at the conference, there were still several pieces of information that emerged from the event that are consistent with what I know and teach about saddle fitting:
● Saddle fit must include fitting the rider correctly. ●
● ●
Saddle slip is due to asymmetries of the horse, the rider and/or the saddle.
Rider crookedness is more likely a result than a cause of saddle slip.
More frequent (than annually) evaluations may be needed because a horse’s back changes with seasons, body weight and workload.
● ●
Riders ride (foot pronation or not) as they walk. (We ride as we are, so it would follow we ride as we walk too.)
Riders need good core strength and should be symmetrical themselves in order to make their horses symmetrical. ● Early detection of saddle slip is important.
ABOVE: These cross sections show (a) even skeletal structure and (b) distinct asymmetry with left shoulder blade higher and a stron- ger humerus (upper arm) on the right of the horse.
…and Personal Conclusions As previously mentioned, I tend to disagree with the idea that lameness is to blame for saddle slip (if your saddle is slipping and your horse isn’t right, call a vet for a lame- ness exam), rather than what we see as the domino effect in saddle fitting: the natural asymmetry in the horse causes ‘saddle slip,’ which in turn causes the saddle to ride on reflex points (sometimes resulting in ‘negative’ or unwanted behav- ior). This then causes lameness because the horse hollows
Warmbloods Today 39
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