Elephant In The Room. An Update

 In the three years since I wrote a piece in my blog spot on overweight riders many things have changed. Social licence to ride our horses has become a really big thing, many believing that it is unacceptable to ride at all. Welfare, which should always have been at the forefront in all that we do has become more spoken about, but I might venture that in many cases, it’s not so much in evidence.

Before I go further can I put on record that yes, I’m reasonably slim, that yes, I have been  overweight and yes, it’s really hard trying to shift the weight. I am not without sympathy or understanding for those with these problems.

So, in this post I speak of riders with horses that are too small or light boned for them. All too often we are asked to fit a thoroughbred, or similar type of sport horse with a saddle to “go eventing/ show jumping/showing (hunter type classes, for my American friends)”. The rider may or not admit to their correct weight, and yes, I am aware that there are many factors that can cause problems, but often it is in excess of 110kg – 242lbs.  The horse, at 500kg and using the 20% scale can carry, say 100kg –INCLUDING saddle, bridle, stirrups, girth, saddle cloth, your boots, hat and clothing. I suggest that everyone spends a bit of time to weigh this lot – it will be far more than you expect. Add to this that the 20% guidance is for the horse at its optimal weight, and so, with an overweight horse many kilos will be deducted.

Have we have got to a stage, bearing in mind the social licence and welfare considerations, where saddles should not be fitted to these horses as this will facilitate the rider being able to work them? I have walked away from a decent saddle sale because the rider was, in my opinion some 35kg too heavy for the horse . That’s 5 ½ stone or 77lbs!  Believe me, that was a difficult thing to do. I would have liked to make a nice sale and see the horse in a well-fitting saddle. I also have no doubt at all that the client was upset and hurt. How on earth can you say this without upsetting them? In this case it was the right thing to do, and it really is what all equestrian professionals should be doing. However, it is still ‘the elephant in the room’, meaning that we all know that it’s there, and a problem, but no one is prepared to address it.

Unfortunately, many who do try to compete when too heavy for their horse might be in for a shock this year. Certainly, in the UK and if not in place yet, soon to follow in other equestrian nations where this is a problem, people are being turned away from the competition. Many show classes have scales at the gate and have a maximum weight for each class. If you exceed it, you will be asked to leave. In dressage and, I believe eventingc the judges have a right to eliminate a rider if they consider their weight excessive for that horse. Surely other disciplines are the same or will follow. Endurance? Showjumping?

Whilst honestly full of sympathy for those who struggle with their weight, we just can’t allow this abuse of our animals to continue.

Let me leave you with this thought...

If you walked into a barn and saw someone beating a horse and, as you got level with them the whip broke, then the person asked you to give them another nearby whip so that they could continue as ‘he needs this to keep him in line’, would you give them the second whip? I suspect not. However, by ignoring or ‘not seeing’ the under horsed rider and walking on by, how much pain and injury will that horse suffer? Sadly, a great deal. It could well be broken beyond fixing. Why is this thought by some to be acceptable?

I’ll re-publish my original blog post about overweight riders when I have finished some planned edits to it and include a reminder of the formula I first shared in 2022 that can reliably help work out how much weight a horse can safely carry. In the interests of horse welfare and the growing awareness of the importance of our social licence, this is a subject for which all of us need to take responsibility.

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.

With online learning and training now much  more familiar to us all, Kay's highly acclaimed and informative 2-part video series continues to sell around the world since its launch in 2019. Aptly titled Saddle Fitting Know How - For Riders and Trainers, the two videos distil her 50 years of experience into over an hour of what is an unrivalled go-to resource for all Riders and Trainers interested in saddles and saddle fitting. They contain a wealth of information that will be of practical relevance to everyone serious about improving their riding, competing with more success or at a higher level and for those whose career is focused on training riders to develop their horses correctly.
Watch a brief trailer and buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/saddlefittingknowhow

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 a trailer and invest in one or more of the series that together form a definitive resource to enhance your understanding of saddles and saddle fitting.
Buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/fittingsaddles

 

 

Can Groundwork Replace Early Ridden Fitness to Save Saddle Fitting Costs?

Sharing expert knowledge helps everyone, emphasises Fellow of the Society of Master Saddlers, Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter Kay Hastilow, hence I thought it would be interesting to discuss a recent question in more detail, as it is both seasonal, and in these days of rising costs in every area of life, topical too….

Question - ‘Can I do just groundwork with my horse to start him back into work, so that I don’t have to have my saddle fitted now, and then re-fitted again quite quickly once he starts to gain fitness? It would be helpful to avoid the costs of two fittings if it is a sensible option.

Kay replies - I must say I was impressed that the enquirer had realised the horse’s saddle would be unlikely to fit when first starting back into work, and also that there would be sufficient changes to his shape to necessitate a second fitting in a relatively short timeframe. It seems that there is a much greater understanding of the importance of correctly fitting saddlery to the horse’s soundness and wellbeing and nowadays, for which we must all be grateful, as it is definitely a positive scenario.

If a horse has been out or work, the first thing to ask is why? Was it because of injury or lack of time / opportunity to ride? The answer to the former will be different to the latter, as correct and effective rehabilitation for an injury often requires the horse to be ridden. If this is the case, then it is imperative that the saddle is checked before the horse is ridden, which will include the saddle fitter checking that the saddle will stay straight and be balanced, as injuries often alter the horse’s way of going and can send a saddle over to one side. I expect that rehabilitation work will have included walking out in hand, but perhaps, if the saddle fit doesn’t look ‘too far out’, sit on for a couple of minutes before the saddler’s visit, just for safety. If the saddle does move when the saddle fitter sees it ridden in, steps must be taken to keep the saddle straight as the horse works, or there may well be further damage caused. Its also well worth noting that in most cases of injury rehabilitation, lungeing can be harmful because of the forces exerted on the leg, muscles or joint when working on a circle on a manmade surface, which might not be ideal in depth or consistency.

Should the break just be that the horse was turned away for convenience, so just purely unfit, it might be possible to do some preliminary work on the lunge and on long reins, provided you have a safe and secure area to do this. If using a roller, with or without attachments such as side reins, I suggest that you read Russell McKechnie-Guire & Mark Fisher’s research on pressures from rollers, which I shared recently. It makes you think - and no, just putting a pad under it doesn’t solve the problem.

It will be necessary to start to ride sooner rather than later though, as although you are getting the horse fitter, his back is not being prepared by groundwork to carry the saddle for any length of time. I am not talking about top line and shape, but the actual physical ability of the skin and coat to accommodate the normal wear and tear from saddle movement. Even with the very best fitting saddle there is always some movement side to side, and possibly a little back to front, as you are strapping a rigid item onto a moving surface. The skin needs to be prepared as much as the rest of the body. Also, the horse will almost certainly move differently when ridden, so the all the different muscles, ligaments, tendons and other tissues used to support this ridden shape need to be prepared and strengthened as well.

So, would this approach of groundwork to gain fitness be sensible? Possibly, in the short term, but my feeling is that, beyond a couple of weeks the horse really needs to be ridden – and unfortunately, this will lead to the need for the saddle fitter to call a couple of times during the period of increasing fitness, to get the saddle fit established. The risks of taking the alternative route could lead to the horse being injured and unrideable for a while. Just what we don’t want.

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.

With online learning and training now much  more familiar to us all, Kay's highly acclaimed and informative 2-part video series continues to sell around the world since its launch in 2019. Aptly titled Saddle Fitting Know How - For Riders and Trainers, the two videos distil her 50 years of experience into over an hour of what is an unrivalled go-to resource for all Riders and Trainers interested in saddles and saddle fitting. They contain a wealth of information that will be of practical relevance to everyone serious about improving their riding, competing with more success or at a higher level and for those whose career is focused on training riders to develop their horses correctly.
Watch a brief trailer and buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/saddlefittingknowhow

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 a trailer and invest in one or more of the series that together form a definitive resource to enhance your understanding of saddles and saddle fitting.
Buy securely online for unlimited streaming or downloading to your device at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/fittingsaddles

 

Why Saddle Fitting is Not a Magical Cure for Chronic Issues in the Horse

For this post Kay Hastilow welcomes Guest Blogger Rachael Argo, who like Kay, is a Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter. Originally from Scotland, Rachael now lives and works in Portugal.

This is an article I have been debating about writing for some time. After more than 20 years of saddle fitting, I have seen so many horses set up for failure by owners who have chosen the wrong route and ended up with chronically lame or injured horses. 

These horses’ working lives have been cut short needlessly for various reasons, some of which include lack of knowledge, not having access to a team of professionals who are familiar with equine rehabilitation, not following good advice from knowledgeable professionals, wanting to ride at all costs, being in too much of a hurry and not ensuring the horse was ready and fit to ride, costs and sadly sometimes just not wanting the hassle of rehabilitating their horse.

I cannot count the number of times I have been called out to assess saddle fit on horses because they have problems. Perhaps the horse’s performance has diminished, he has behavioural issues, the rider is slipping to one side and so on.

In most cases there I have found that poor saddle fit has played a part in the overall issues. In most cases there are also other issues underlying, for example, pain, mental distress from pain, arthritis in joints, soft tissue injury, poor hoof balance, teeth problems, poor bridle fit and bitting, riding techniques that are detrimental to the horse, use of gadgets like draw reins, pessoas etc. The easy part to alter is the saddle and bridle fit and the bit. These can be changed quickly to more appropriate tack that halts the cycle of re-injury that occurs each time the horse wears the tack.

HOWEVER this is where it gets more challenging. Once the offending tack has been changed to more suitable tack the owner often believes that all is now good, the problem will now magically disappear and the horse can resume not just normal work but actually increase the work because that is what the owner wants.

WRONG. WRONG. I say this over and over.

I cannot emphasise enough just how false this idea is. I can, and have, repeated this statement hundreds of times and yet I still have clients that it is not getting through to.

It is common to find horses that have had poorly fitted tack for a year, two years, ten years. A horse cannot have poorly fitted tack for any length of time without sustaining chronic injury and a resulting alteration of his gaits ie he will adapt his movement to try and minimise the damage to his body. It is not a big jump for rational people to make the connection that this change in gait will affect the horse’s whole body, his muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones. To simplify this concept the horse now has excess wear and tear on his whole body, he is suffering from chronic long term pain and injury. So WHY is he immediately expected to get back to full work and be sound????

If an athlete had been running for a year in badly fitting shoes and had gradually lost their speed and endurance and started to have pain and injuries, you would not simply give them new shoes and expect them to immediately to go back to running and to perform at a higher level than before with only a couple of days off and one physiotherapy or osteopathy treatment. You would expect months of careful and slow rehabilitation to re-educate the body. The ‘wrong’ muscles would need to diminish and the right muscles would have to be slowly built up. All of the soft tissue would need time to adapt to a new way of moving and be allowed to develop to support the joints. All of that is assuming that a long time of moving unevenly or in a less than optimal way had not caused skeletal damage. If there was bone damage, then a whole different approach would need to be taken. In all cases a thorough medical assessment would have to be undertaken to see exactly what damage was apparent before a successful rehabilitation programme could be developed.

So why is it different for horses? Why is it a common belief that changing the saddle will fix all of the problems with just a session or two of complimentary therapy treatment? And when it does not solve the complex plethora of problems and the horse starts to lose performance or the saddle slips to one side the saddle fitter is summoned to ‘fix’ the saddle because it ‘doesn’t fit’. And when they ask the question ‘Did you get your vet to come and do a work up to check for pain and lameness?’ the answer is usually ‘no’.

My best guess as to why this happens is that owners cannot believe the horse could have profound and far reaching injuries because they are not on three legs or bucking riders off.  The horse has learned to ‘cope’ with the chronic pain and injury because he has to and it is his nature as a prey animal. It is also that the rider can see the saddle and bridle. They are tangible objects and often changes in the horse come after a saddle fit therefore the saddle or bridle must be to blame.

Most times we already have the information that the horse has always thrown a saddle to one side or not picked up one canter lead or not been able to bend one way. The situation gets worse after the saddle is changed because the horse is being asked to change his entire way of going. He has to carry the rider in a different place, a different balance, and he is simply not equipped to do so at that moment. Because he is a horse and they are generally very accommodating animals, they will often try for their riders. In some cases the horse may feel better straight away because the saddle is no longer pinching so he may go a bit better initially. Often the owner will misread the situation and take this as a sign that they can increase the horse’s work. Over a short time the horse will start to break under the strain. The first sign for the rider is often the saddle starting to slip more to one side. It is not the first sign of issues but it is often the first one the rider notices. (Recent research from Centaur Biomechanics and from S Dyson and D Pollard - The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram - has correlated saddle slip with hindlimb lameness) At this point the rider will do the 1+1 = 256. The saddle was changed, the horse is losing performance or saddle is slipping therefore the saddle fit is to blame.

How lovely it would be for all of us if a simple change of saddle could not only enhance the rider’s ability and make the horse feel better but it could miraculously undo all of the damage that has been done to the horse over the last year, five years etc. Sadly this is not true. The saddle fit is the first step to breaking the repeating cycle of damage. It is the first step on a long road of rehabilitating the horse. I always recommend that the horse be assessed by a vet and a qualified professional in whichever other modality the owner chooses to help the rehabilitation process.

Ideally the saddle should not go back on the horse until all of the rehab assessments and work are done. In some cases I will fit a saddle sooner than is ideal but with the caveat that the horse needs careful treatment and reintroduction to work. This is only in the case that I am a long way away from the client and know I cannot get back in the shorter term. In some cases I will refuse the saddle fit if the horse is obviously lame, thin, in pain etc. In other cases the horse does not appear to be too badly off and work is needed to help build up muscle and straighten the movement. When I hear the work has not only been resumed with no rehab involved, but has been increased and now the horse is really struggling, my heart sinks. In this case I will refuse to refit the saddle until the horse has been assessed and cleared for work by the vet. It will not make me popular but all equestrian professionals should be advocating for the horse and have a duty of care to tell the owner what the horse needs them to hear, not necessarily what the owner wants to hear. It is difficult for professionals to risk losing clients because they have to make money to live, but short term gain will be offset by long term loss if the horse becomes unfit to work.

So the next time your saddle slips or you are questioning why your horse is losing performance it is worth considering the bigger picture. Nothing happens in isolation and saddles can only go where the horse and rider put them. They cannot move on their own. Saddle fit issues can sometimes be the problem but more often they are an indicator of a much more complex problem. You need a team to get to the root cause and help formulate a plan to keep your horse healthy and sound.