I know a lot of people who could have written this letter. While there is a growing awareness of the importance of saddle fit for horses, many people don’t understand saddle fit for them! As someone who has very long femurs, I fought many saddles before I realized that I needed a saddle where the stirrup bars are set back. When you do find a saddle that fits you AND your horse, it’s magical.
Now, a saddle can’t fix all your riding problems, but if you’re having trouble keeping your legs still, if you’re pivoting on your knees or find your feet are always “on the dashboard,” take a good hard look at your conformation and your saddles components. Keep in mind that a saddle that is not level on your horse, will also put you off balance — so if you find that you are tipped slightly too far forward or too far back, check your saddle fit.
I decided to break up with my saddle and I am now making it public. I recently borrowed a friend’s saddle for a lesson and all my riding problems magically disappeared–sounds crazy, but it’s true. I had the “it’s not me, it’s you” phrase run through my mind when I gleefully realized I DO know how to…