If the saddle is incorrectly
fitted or even positioned in the wrong place many problems can occur
here are just a few:
- Loss of willingness to work.
- Bucking
- Rearing
- Bolting
- Loss of gait quality
- Sore back
- Aggression (i.e. biting, tail swishing, ears back at the sight of
the saddle or instrument of torture as your horse may see it!)
- Muscular damage.
The saddle may look great from the outside, but
take a closer look. Are there any lumps on the panels that could be
causing pressure points and pain?
Are the panels evenly stuffed? – If not
it could be putting uneven pressure over the horses spine.
Is the saddle too narrow and pinching the horse behind the wither area?
This will cause muscle damage and pain.
Is the saddle too wide and putting too much weight onto
the back or moving from side to side. This in turn can cause the rider
to slip, making it virtually impossible for the horse to work in balance
and harmony.
If the saddle is pinching, rubbing or causing
pressure points on the horses back, the whole area can go numb after
about 15 minutes of work – Although
now the horse may not be able to feel the pain, permanent muscle damage
could be occurring!
Check all the stitching on the saddle, numnah, girth
etc. Sometimes just the seam of a numnah can cause discomfort to your
horse.
Do not over-tighten your girth. Be careful with
elastic sided girths. These are designed for your horses’ comfort
not for you to pull up too tight! You should always be able to fit
2 fingers between the horse and the girth – If not you could
be restricting your horses breathing! (Try doing up your belt buckle
up two notches-not very comfortable is it?)
The saddle should be positioned 3 CMS behind the
point of scapula. If not and placed to far forward the foreleg will
be unable to move correctly leading to lack of gait quality and a short
choppy stride (Which will definitely lose you marks if doing a dressage
test!) This in turn can cause muscle spasms and wastage over the wither
area. There should also be about 15 CMS behind the saddle to the loins.
If the saddle is too long, pressure can be put onto the weakest part
of the back. Also if the saddle is too short, this puts the weight
of the rider (i.e. You.) into a small surface area, putting a lot of
strain onto the horse’s
spine.
If you think that a horse can take about 9,000
steps of trot in one hour it wouldn’t long for damage to occur
if the saddle was incorrectly fitted. Imagine wearing a pair of shoes
two sizes too small with your belt pulled in tight, carrying a 20kilo
pack on your back and someone insisting you run a 10 kilometre trail
everyday. I bet it wouldn’t
take long before you put up a few objections, and rightly so!
By using a qualified saddle fitter and having regular (i.e. twice a
year) checks on your saddle you can be sure you are doing all you can
to ensure your horses comfort and well-being while he or she is been
ridden.
You can be sure your horse will thank you for it.
For further information contact The Society of master saddlers.
www.societyofmastersaddlers.co.uk
