OCTOBER 2022 THE RIDER/ 7


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


POV – Bird’s Eye View, Reading Your Horse’s Back points of view.


Mini Observation Check- list – while not exhaustive, here’s a quick list to get you started.


When was the last


time you peered over your horse’s back and observed their posture from behind? If you’re like most, it’s likely been a while… or per- haps you’ve never thought to observe from this angle before? Either way, it’s time to add this angle to your POV on a regular basis. Accurately describing


how a client’s horse has been moving under saddle simply by looking over the back has surprised many over the years. Truth is, this POV is a roadmap and of- fers extensive clues to any performance obstacles horse


and rider may be experienc- ing.


Start with setting your


horse up squarely (as possi- ble) on a flat surface in a well-lit area. It goes without saying that you’ll need to safely position yourself be- hind them in a way that al- lows you to see over their back (bird’s eye view) Take in the landscape of the sad- dle area and shoulders but also note how the neck sits and of the barrel of the ribcage is even or off to one side. Taking a photo and ex- amining sections at a time is often helpful when training your eye to analyse new


Neck – does it appear to be attached on straight or does it sit to one side? Which way does the mane sit? Does it split? Do ears appear level?


Withers – do they appear straight or tipped to one side? Are they tight or braced looking? Full or atro- phied?


Shoulders – Are they posi- tioned evenly? Does one ap- pear


larger? Do they


protrude and create pockets behind them?


Spine – Does it look straight or do some vertebrae appear to have shifted to one side? Does the spine appear to curve anywhere? Does the


Do you have a special occasion or announcement to make?


Consider putting it in The Rider!


hair lay smoothly or stand up or appear rough in some areas?


Ribs/Barrel – Does the barrel sit evenly or is one side more visi- ble? Is there a convex and concave presenta- tion?


We don’t expect


horses to be perfectly even left to right and if there’s obvious asym- metry than it’s not hard to imagine how this can be causing per- formance limiting is- sues


and even


damaging your horse. Next


observe


your horse walking away with the saddle girthed up – take note if the saddle stays cen- tred over your horse’s spine or shifts to one side. Repeat the observa- tion with you riding away from the camera down the long side. Do you sit cen- tered? Are your shoulders even with your head cen- tered or does it tip to one side? Does the saddle stay straight? Do your legs ap- pear even or does one thigh appear to sit higher? Do


Every Breath Counts


your feet look even and pointing in the same direc- tion? If you spot any issues such as a crooked horse, saddle, or rider - contact your saddle fitter and be prepared to include a body- worker in your action plan. This underutilized POV is a powerful way to stay on top of performance limiting is- sues before they become


long term damage. You might just be surprised at what your observations re- veal!


Happy Riding!


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 offers sales of new and used saddles. For upcoming educational events www.augustequine.com.


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