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For The Good Of The Horse

Signs that you May Have a Saddle Issue
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  • Bucking

  • Misbehaving

  • Tripping

  • Stiffness

  • Lameness

  •  rider Lower leg instability

  • Stopping mid ride

  • Refusing to stand still at tack up-time

  • Sore back for the horse or rider

  • White hairs under the tack

  • Ruffled hair and or bumps  under the tack

  • Muscle atrophy

  • Muscle damage and disfiguration at the withers/saddle area

  • Hollow​  behind the withers and dips behind the withers

  • Sway back development

  • not using himself  under saddle

  • Refusing to go forward

  • Short choppy stride

  • Saddle slippage

  • Tail swishing

  • Hip/back and knee pain for the rider

  • Shifting of  the saddle

  • refusal of horse to listen to rider aids

  • rearing

  • bolting/taking off

  • knocking or falling down  jump poles

Why Hire a Saddle Fitter?

 

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  • Ensures your saddle fits your horse's back 

  • Ensures you don't damage your horse's back muscles 

  • Ensures your saddle fits you  comfortably 

  • to assist you when purchasing a new saddle

  • Helps achieve  top performance from your horse

to keep your horse at optimum performance the saddle should fit correct.

Saddle fitters ensure that the horse has freedom to use ALL these muscles so that optimal performance is achieved.

What muscles are under the saddle?


A horse's back has many layers of muscles including superficial muscles that lay close to the surface, and deep muscles which can not be felt or seen from the surface....  which are ALL important in saddle fitting. These back muscles consist of the; Latissimus Dorsi, the Longissimus muscle group, the Dorsal Serrated muscles group, and the Iliocostal. These  muscles ride along the top of the horse's spine comprising some of the muscles which the rider and saddle sit upon. In addition there are fascia and ligaments, blood vessels and nerves. The saddle is held in place by the girth which runs along the abdominal fascia,  ribs, intercoastal nerves and abdominal muscles. Additional  muscle groups interacting with the saddle are the Trapezoid, Spinalis and the Rhomboid.  These are located toward the withers and are important for the horse to be able to use its shoulders and neck. Saddle fitters know where these muscles are and how a proper fitting saddle will not impede the a horses performance.

 

 For additional information  keep an eye out on my blog!

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