It is estimated that 40-80% (Kentucky Equine Research, 2014) of horses presenting with back pain, behavioral issues under saddle and general undiagnosed lameness have saddle fit issues (Williams, 2023). Even the best fitting saddle can cause issues in the horse, as its very design changes the natural biomechanics of the horse. Imagine being on your knees and hands, and a piece of wood wrapped in leather sitting at the shoulder blades and wrapped around your rib cage, and then secured so tight so that it did not slip when you stood up. When we think about this image we can imagine the restriction we would feel in our thoracic vertebrae, our ribs and diaphragm and our shoulder movement. If we continue to imagine this sensation, and then add some movement, we could feel that restriction now transferring through the body as tension up the neck and down into the lower back. Now imagine trying to flex your spine laterally, or longitudinally - we have lost room to move! We may even start to feel anxious with our breathing restricted.
When we think about the saddle through the lens of equine biomechanics, we know that the thoracic sling is the area of the horse most directly compromised. Since the horse has no collarbone and only soft tissues connecting the front limbs (appendicular skeleton) to the trunk (axial skeleton) of the body, it is highly vulnerable to external forces. This can result in postural changes in the horse and therefore directly influence the biomechanics of the horse.
“Riders who reported frequent saddle fit checks were more likely to have saddles that did fit their horses well, though 30% of saddles that were checked at least once a year still did not fit properly. Because body shape changes as horses grow and become more muscular and fit, saddles should be checked for fit on a regular basis. - Kentucky Equine Research, 2014
Some symptoms of poor saddle fit are as follows:
Underdeveloped topline (dorsal line) of the horse.
Atrophy of the thoracic (and often cervical) trapezius.
Thoracic sling dysfunction.
Overall postural issues.
Girthy (cinchy).
Behavioral issues under saddle.
Back pain.
White hairs (scalding)
Roughed up hair under the saddle.
Irregular sweat patterns.
Unexplained front end lameness (nerve impingement).
Digestive issues (recurrent and unexplained ulcers and colic).
Breathing issues (rib and diaphragm restriction).
The 9 Points of Saddle Fit (as per Schleese - Saddle Fit 4 Life ): https://schleese.com/the-nine-points-of-saddle-fit/
Saddle Balance and position.
The saddle should sit with the rider's seat balanced on the horse.
The pommel to cantle ratio differs in each style of saddle, but the pommel should not be higher than the cantle.
There rider leg should fall naturally right below their hips
Wither Clearance.
There should be 2-3 fingers clearance between the wither and the center of the pommel and also the side of the wither and the pommel.
Gullet width.
The width of the gullet will be determined by the width of the horse’s spine.
Can you see clearly down the channel and is there space for the spine to extend and flex and move laterally.
Full Contact.
Ensure that the panels of the saddle make full contact along the back of the horse on both sides. Any gapping is called bridging and can cause pressure points in other areas.
Billet or Rigging Alignment.
The attachments for the girl or cinch should fall perpendicular to the horse's back.
Saddle Straightness.
Looking at the front and the back of the saddle it should sit evenly on the horse’s back and not tip left or right.
Looking underneath the saddle when it is off the horse, does one side look more worn down than the other? Is there a twist in the saddle?
Tree Angle.
The angle of the tree at the front of the saddle should match the angle of the horse’s shoulders within 10 degrees.
Tree Width.
The gullet width should be wide enough to allow the shoulders to move freely under the tree. However, the gullet should not be too wide as to allow the saddle to fall on the withers or tip the balance forward.
If the tree width is too wide it can also cause the saddle to pitch and roll during movement.
The basics of saddle fit apply to both English & Western Saddles. Although there are variations on trees & panels, all the above rules apply!
Saddle Fit Process:
Saddles should be checked without a pad to evaluate true fit.
Saddles should be checked on a horse on flat ground, with the horse square, for a static saddle fit.
The saddle should be checked first without being girthed/cinched and then again with the girth/cinch tightened.
Saddles can then be checked dynamically with the horse moving in all three gates on the lunge line, and then under rider weight.
Pads and shims:
Pads and shims cannot fix or fit an ill fitting saddle. Imagine adding bigger or smaller socks or socks with lifts in the toes or heels in order to get an ill fitting shoe to fit. This is not the solution!
However pads and shims can aid saddle fit in certain situations - they should always be treated as dynamic and temporary and be frequently checked and adjusted. Some areas in where padding and shimming may help:
The saddle will fit the horse once the proper muscle development has occurred. This means that the saddle is not a fantastic fit yet, but will be, and is fitted with specialty pads and shims to allow room for the muscles to work and contract properly and build up under the saddle.
The horse is very young and is growing rapidly and the body is developing and changing rapidly
The horse has a postural or conformational issue that makes fantastic saddle fit almost impossible, but active work is being done to aid the body to a more positive posture.
References:
1 (2014, December 10). Saddle Fit and Back Pain. Kentucky Equine Research. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://ker.com/equinews/saddle-fit-back-pain-horses-riders/#:~:text=The%20visual%20assessment%20showed%20that,abnormalities%20in%20the%20horses'%20gaits.
2Williams, G., PhD (2023). Horse Movement: Structure, Function and Rehabilitation. J.A Allen.
3 (n.d.). The Nine Points of Saddle Fit. Schlesse. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://schleese.com/the-nine-points-of-saddle-fit/
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