AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 THE RIDER/ 7


Beyond the Wither Tracing A Saddle-Fitting Series by Holly Barnett, REMT, CSF


in the hind limb (from at- tempting to counter-balance the front end) What I de- scribe as negative posture has several presentations though I find this one to be the most prevalent. Once the horse loses


The Reason your Horse is Hard to Fit is likely due to their Posture Poor posture in horses


is quite common in ridden horses. When I’m out to see a horse for a fitting I evalu- ate (and differentiate) their posture presentation vs true conformation. I classify their posture as Negative, Neutral or Positive. (More


on those in an upcoming issue) Negative Posture - typically accompanied by thoracic sling dysfunction - often presents as artificially downhill, dropped in the back, fore limbs angled backwards towards a tipped pelvis and artificial angles


the ability to use themselves efficiently (least amount of energy for both basic and loaded tasks) a cascade of musculoskeletal issues fol- lows. Joints are intricately designed with propriocep- tors (neural feedback) to ad- just to things like load distribution, terrain, gravity and weight or movement of a rider. When the horse’s spine can move freely and effectively (spinal integrity) the lower joints load evenly, self-lubricate,


and go


through their intended range of motion. Uneven loading breaks down cartilage while reduced range of motion de- creases lubrication and pro- prioceptive


properties


resulting in wear and tear of the joints and hoof deforma- tion. In a nutshell your horse’s


Fitting saddles soundness and


longevity depends on their spinal integrity and func- tion.


to


horses in negative posture is challenging. As a fitter my job is to assess the horse’s anatomy, posture, muscle condition and anticipate de-


Posture Shift after 15 minute ride in an appropriate saddle


velopmental changes. The saddle must allow for those changes to take place and will require more mainte- nance initially. I take a ‘yoga pants fit’ approach with these cases – stable, supportive with room to tweak the fit as they change and develop. When a saddle is ‘fit’ to the negative pos- ture without consideration of how this horse’s posture will shift the ‘fit’ locks in the negative posture, effec- tively casting the dysfunc- tion. This results in the saddle only fitting short


Every Breath Counts


term and running into issues as soon as the horse starts to change without a way for the saddle to follow those changes. This situation causes a downward spiral of poor performance and sub- stantially increases risk of tendon and ligament in- juries.


My advice to all riders


is to really evaluate your horse’s posture on a regular basis throughout the year. When you remove your sad- dle after a ride your horse’s posture is your report card. Your horse’s back should


One week in an appropriate saddle with fit maintained to accommodate change


look elevated and plump (full of blood) not com- pressed,


sunken and


dropped. Start comparing before and after ride photos, take notice what their pos- ture is telling you. Your horse will only develop a healthy topline in proper posture with good blood flow and innervation. Your saddle is the single most contributing factor to your horse’s posture and per- formance and topline devel- opment – make sure it impacts it in a positive way!


About the Author: Holly Barnett has been a profes- sional fitter and equine ther- apist for 20 years. She has worked with horses of all breeds and riders of all lev- els and disciplines through- out North America. She is the founder of August Equine, located in Camp- bellville ON. Her team pro- vides


saddle-fit


consultations of all brands and sales of new and used saddles. Stay tuned for more issues of Beyond the Wither Tracing saddle-fit series.


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