I often see people riding their horse in saddles that are either placed too far forward or which are too restrictive over the horse’s shoulder.
If the saddle restricts the shoulder movement it can cause your horse to be short strided and move with a hollow back. Eventually, this can lead to back pain.
Here’s an excellent video that demonstrates the range of motion that a horse has in its shoulder and relates it to saddle fit.
Hi there,
It cannot be emphasized enough how important a correctly fitting saddle (both for horse and rider) is. We have created a number of videos and some articles on the subject. Do take a look and let us hear your feedback 01337 870489 or e-mail info@mindbuzzler.com
Saddle Fitting resources
Life-time saddle?
How to saddle Western
How to saddle Stock Saddle
Saddle Fitting instructions
Thank you for highlighting this issue with a great video also. Riders do not understand enough about correct saddle fitting and all to often buy saddles without checking they fit correctly. One thing I would add is the saddle should not only fit the horse but should fit the rider correctly to help distribute the riders weight effectively.