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.
The arrival of adjustable saddles that really work has been a boon to saddle fitters and owners alike.
For the saddle fitter it means that they no longer have to hold so many saddles of one style because, although the different seat sizes and colours are still needed, we no longer need to hold all of the different width fittings. This enables us, as fitters, to hold more lines of saddles, greatly increasing the choice available for you.
Having an adjustable saddle does not mean that it can be made to fit any horse that you ever own – far from it, for within the saddle styles there are still options for different shaped trees to suit, say a high withered thoroughbred or a round cob. The former tends to have longer tree points and more shape to the tree and a deeper cut panel to enable you to keep the saddle clear of the spine, whereas for a cob or flat backed type of horse you have a flatter tree, often with shorter tree points and less depth and area to the panel.
The ‘fun’ starts when someone buys an adjustable saddle for a TB type of horse, changes to a flatter backed horse and blithely believes that, as the saddle is adjustable it can be made to fit the new neddy. No chance - it just can’t be done successfully. If you change the bar to the correct width the saddle will bounce and rock. The other way round, flat tree on a horse with a decent wither will just collapse down onto the spine unless you put in a bar two width fittings too narrow. This may stop the saddle from going too low but will be doing untold damage to the muscles behind the shoulder, not to mention that it will be very uncomfortable for the horse. You can’t really expect your new acquisition to go well or behave himself for you. He simply isn’t able to.
You may think, in view of the above that you could buy the flatter treed saddle and use pads with it but all that will achieve is an ill-fitting, unstable saddle with pads – hardly more comfortable or much of an improvement from the horse’s point of view as although it may look okay to you, the pressures and forces will not be being evenly dispersed throughout the saddle. Pads have their place and can be very helpful, but this is not such a case.
Having an adjustable saddle will mean that, as your horse changes shape be it through work, the time of year or for any other reason, you can adjust the width fitting to achieve an excellent fit year- round. Most horses will go up or down a width fitting throughout the year so if your saddle fitter shows you how to check which bar is correct you can have two or three bars and keep the fit right. Please make sure that you do check the bar and don’t just imagine that your horse needs something wider as I so often see. I refer to the excellent post from Dr Russell McKechnie-Guire on his research into the problems caused by the use of a saddle that is too wide. Logic will tell you that this will be better for the horse. Scientific research will tell you that this is wrong!
Of course, you can change the bar yourself, but it is still necessary to have the saddle professionally checked twice a year as the change of bar can affect the flocking and panel contact.
If you buy another horse of a similar type and shape your saddle fitter can almost certainly alter it successfully to fit the new addition, although they may well advise having the saddle stripped and re-flocked so that the flocking can settle to the new shape. It’s rather like borrowing someone’s shoes. They might be the right size, but I doubt that they will be comfortable as they will have gone to the shape of the previous owner’s feet. None the less, a visit from the QSF, perhaps a new bar or two and a re-flock is still going to be far cheaper than replacing the saddle, plus you will know the saddle and that it has moulded to you. Always an advantage I find.
So, there you have it. Adjustable saddles are great. The fit to your horse can easily be monitored and adjusted and it might be possible to change the saddle to fit a new horse. Might, but not definite. Fingers crossed eh?
Understanding more about saddles and saddle fitting has the potential to help you improve your horse's comfort, performance and also long-term soundness - and 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.
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