There are many myths that have been going around with regards to saddlery and the use thereof. In this series of posts, I endeavour to show most of them are without foundations and can, in some cases, be the opposite of the actual facts.
Pictured right is author Kay Hastilow, Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter.
'My horse has a short back and despite me being 5'8" and 11½ stone I am told that I MUST ride in a 16" saddle as that is all that he can take. Can this be right?
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| Edited image to illustrate the issue. |
It is a fact that, at the same time as our riding population is becoming taller and heavier, horses are being bred with ever shorter backs. Whilst we know that a short back is stronger than a long back and considered good conformation, there is a limit to all things. Would a horse with just 6” (15cm) between the leading edge of the scapula and the last rib / T18 be considered to have good conformation? Would it be of any use to anyone? I think not, but here we are with these short backed horses and their tall, well-padded riders.
What then is the solution to this? To my mind having a saddle far too small for the rider doesn’t help us at all. Our rider mentioned in the question would be most comfortable in an 18” saddle, 17 ½ at the very least, so to put them in a 16”, as is so often insisted on by various no doubt well-meaning people is a recipe for disaster. For a start the rider will be so uncomfortable that they will be constantly moving in the saddle trying to find a place to sit. They won’t manage it – it really isn’t possible. The constantly moving rider is changing their balance every time and the horse will have to try to rebalance the rider and themselves. That’s very tiring and certainly not going to help their concentration and so this will limit their ability to work as you would wish. Not only this, but the rider’s weight, the downward pressures and upward forces will all be concentrated in a very small area making it nigh on impossible to distribute these pressures and forces as is necessary to prevent damage to the horse’s back. Now that CAN cause a ‘sore back’!
Another solution sometimes used is to fit a shorter panel to a larger tree. Very clever. Now the rider’s weight is concentrated exactly where the panel ends. Well, I suppose at least the rider is more comfortable….
Often these shorter saddles are recommended by some form of paraprofessional, qualified or possibly not, in the massage / physio/ chiropractor / ‘back man’ field. They will have found an area of tightness and discomfort in, say the lumbar area and the saddle immediately gets the blame. Whilst of course the saddle should be checked for fit (by an SMS qualified saddle fitter ideally) it is often the case that discomfort in the back is a symptom of a hind limb lameness or ulcers and nothing to do with the saddle. It’s just too easy for some of these people to scream ‘SADDLE!’ having the belief, incorrect I believe, that saddles are usually the culprit. In an ideal world a practitioner such as those mentioned will work with qualified saddle fitters so that the knowledge that each has can be shared to the benefit of both horse and rider. It happens occasionally but perhaps not as often as we would wish.
I have two problems with the suggested ‘solutions’. One is that some people take T18 as the point at which the panel of the saddle must end, whereas the actual bearing area of the tree is forward of this point. Beyond the tree the pressures are much reduced through the panel as, with no tree to support the panel it will fold away from the horse’s back to some extent. Also, I have yet to see any proof (or evidence) that having a saddle an inch longer than perfect is going to cause any harm to the horse, and it is certainly preferable to having the rider squashed into a saddle that is too small for them.
The second problem that I have with fitting such small saddles is that so often the saddles are just fitted static, and then condemned as being ‘too long for this horse.’ Often they are not even girthed up, let alone ridden in, and yet we know that when the horse is dynamic the area available for the saddle increases. No, the back itself doesn’t lengthen- if you have ever tried to pull two thoracic vertebrae apart on a fresh cadaver you will know that this is nigh on impossible. However, if you just bring the horse’s head down from standing position to that more adopted for work ( a titbit or some food will achieve this) you will note that the saddle area is increased. Could this be the spinus processes opening? I don’t know, but this increase can and has been measured, showing between 1 ½ (3.5cm) and 2” (5cm) increase in length from the edge of the scapula to the last rib. That is a huge amount and would, of course allow our tall, well-built rider to have their 17.5 or 18” saddle.
This is easy to prove for yourself. Mark the edge of the scapula and the last rib (use Tippex or insulating tape), measure, then get the horse to change his head position as suggested. Re-measure. Likewise, put the saddle on. Photograph where the saddle sits then work the horse. Film with the zoom lens so that you just are filming the shoulders to quarters of the horse. You will see that the back marker, possibly concealed by the saddle when static is now clearly visible behind the saddle. Before being talked into buying the tiny saddle please try this for yourself. I think both you and your horse will be grateful that you did so.
Like many riders and trainers, you've probably thought at some point that understanding more about saddles and saddle fitting would have the potential to help you improve your horse's comfort, performance and also long-term soundness - and not only are you right, you can now do that online, whenever and wherever fits into your busy lifestyle.
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If you are working as a saddle fitter or in training for a career in saddle fitting, Kay's 8-part video series titled Fitting Saddles: The Essential Guide will support your learning and help you develop a more in-depth knowledge of the subject and include invaluable insights into running a successful business as an SMS qualified saddle fitter.
Watch
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Buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
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