My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Saddle fit is extremely important to the comfort of both the horse and the rider and there are a lot of coordinates that influence proper fit. However, one of the things I see most often when looking at pictures that people have submitted to evaluate if their saddle fits has more to do with placement […]
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How many ways can a saddle not fit a horse? It turns out there are many. In fact, there are probably more horses wearing saddles that don’t fit than which do. My evidence? Recently, I joined a saddle fitting group on Facebook. It’s a page where people post photos of their horse and saddle and […]
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Just because a saddle fits a horse that’s standing still doesn’t mean it will still fit when the horse is moving, because saddle fitting for the horse in motion has to take into account how the horse’s back changes. I came across an interesting post on Facebook by Erica Allen, a certified independent saddle fitter […]
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After buying a saddle that was definitely smaller than advertised, I learned how to measure the seat size on a Sensation treeless saddle. Unlike an English saddle where you measure from the button on the side of the pommel to the center of the cantle, or a Western saddle where you measure from the pommel […]
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The gullet of a saddle is the channel that runs down the center of the underside of a saddle, in between the panels. The gullet bridges the horse’s spine so it is an important part of the saddle design. If the gullet is narrow, it can pinch the muscles on either side of the spine which […]
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So, you’ve bought a treeless saddle because in theory, it fits every horse — but don’t forget that in many ways, ensuring proper fit is all about the saddle pad. Treeless saddles solve a lot of saddle fitting problems. I can’t tell you how many people I see riding in saddles that are either perched […]
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As mentioned in a previous post, Zelda grew a little too wide for her current saddle, necessitating the insertion of a wider gullet in the Wintec saddle I keep on hand. No problem, I thought. She has a Wintec Pro Jump as her back up saddle. A saddle complete with the all-too-inaccurately named “Easy Change” […]
Read MoreI 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 […]
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