Quite often I hear people say their saddles fit fine. When asked how they know, the reply is almost always the same – they have room in the gullet and it sits pretty even on his back.

Well, that’s a start but saddlefit goes a lot deeper than that!

Many people tend to miss the obvious and often it is your horse expressing his discomfort that is believed to be him misbehaving! Some of the ways these problems manifest thru your horse is:

1. Obvious displeasure at approaching with saddle or pads.

2. Pinning ears, chomping or grinding teeth, swishing tail, stomping feet, avoiding placing or cinching saddle

3. Tossing head while cinching or attempting to bite

4. Stiff gaits while under saddle but fine without

5. Refusing lead or gait changes without “attitude”

6. Refusing to enter arena

7. Shying or running past obstacles

Some horses don’t exhibit pain issues as obvious as others. Be aware of their sometimes “subtle” expressions:

1. White or ruffled (broken) hair under the saddle

2. Dry spots when there haven’t been any before

3. “Dipping” when brushed over the back

4. Swelling under the pad when removed

5. Confirmation changes such as hollowing behind the shoulders or back dropping

6. Constant shifting weight from side to side on hindquarters

7. Overdevelopment of one shoulder over the other

8. Lack of flexibility in back muscles

9. Tracking hips to the inside (not traveling straight)

10. Arena times not as good as they had been

11. Any changes in attitude or behavior from the norm

12. Trail horses that charge up or down hills

So, Why do we use saddles???
In general, horses were not intended for riding so we must protect them to the best of our abilities. Lack of information is no longer a good excuse. There are many good articles in books, magazines and on the internet that gives you access to a world of knowledge!

In studying the anatomy of the horse, you will find a lack of a collarbone on a horse. His front legs are “attached” not by bone to his skeleton, but by a sling of muscles. This means we must pay attention to how a horse can become crooked. A good read on this subject is addressed on Dr. Deb Bennett’s website www.equinestudies.org (in re: woody) or by reading any of her excellent books on confirmation.

Also of great interest is the spine of the horse in relationship to our riding. The purpose of a gullet on a treed saddle is to protect the spinal area of the horse from damage from your weight and movement. The bars of the saddle must rest evenly on either side of the spine in order to keep the vertebrae from becoming damaged from tense and hardened ligaments and muscles. The horse’s back should be more like a trampoline over the loins and never hard and firm.

The strength for the horse’s back comes from its stomach muscles just like it does on a humans back! Lack of being able to raise their back from a stimulus applied under the belly is a sign of muscle atrophy and will lead to severe damage and possibly crippling if not attended to promptly.

The purpose of a saddle is to protect a horse from your weight and movement and not to inhibit his movement. Therefore, we fit the ribcage and make sure there is room under the front for the shoulders and rear for the horse to move out properly. The contact of the bars over the ribcage are after all, the weight bearing surface of the saddle and must be evenly distributed to avoid undo pressure.

A horse at a relative young age horses can be fitted properly if it is understood the shape of the horse in relationship to the saddle taking into consideration conditioning, weight gain or loss and general health that can and will change over the horses lifetime.

Because of these changes, I highly recommend checking your horses a couple of times a year at best to insure you are getting the best you can at fitting your horse’s back.

Meleta is located in IN and welcomes your questions, comments or calls to place an order. You can reach her at: thesaddlefitter@yahoo.com or call her at 260-724-7554.

Additional information on this website:

Choosing a Saddle
Dry Spots and Saddle Fitting
The Rear Girth
Benefits of Equine Massage