Contents
INTRODUCTION
Most people in the equine world are familiar with the following truth: "No feet, no horse".
I wish to state that the following is as true: "Poor fitting saddle, Poor performance".
It is no news to you that in my profession I am confronted with assessing saddles on a day to day basis as they are a main cause of major back problems in the horse. I must say that every day still I am horrified by seeing so many ill fitting saddles. I will never understand how some people can buy a saddle of the shelf or via the internet, without even having the saddle professionally fitted to their horse. Every horse has a different shape. Neither will I ever understand how some saddles are being used for three or more years without even being re-flocked.
Some people seem to think that because they have a posh expensive saddle it doesn't need looking at. That's just the same as saying "Well, my car is a Porsche, it doesn't need servicing". Well, let's see what happens if you don't take your car to the garage...it doesn't add up does it? A yearly routine check up for your horse and saddle doesn't cost a fortune. Most saddle consultants charge around £50.00. Some people spend more money at the hairdressers... Trying to save money on a saddle and its care is not going to benefit you in the long run. If your saddle does not fit, you will soon see your vet bills raise. So please do have your saddles fitted by a professional.
You can find your local qualified masters saddlers and consultants on www.mastersaddlers.co.uk.
Another few of my biggest gripes are saddle position and excessive padding. Most riders place the saddle too far forward so that it's sitting on the scapulae (shoulder blades) where it impedes forelimb movement and tips their seat backwards. Too many numnahs or pads eliminate saddle fit in the same way that 2 pairs of thick socks jammed inside a snug pair of hiking boots make them uncomfortable.
But luckily all is not bad! The majority of horse owners in the UK appreciate that the saddle, and the way it fits, is fundamentally important to the welfare, comfort and performance of the horse. Prevention is always better than cure. In a big step forward, more and more horse owners have the fit of their saddles checked regularly in much the same way as they make regular appointments to have the animal's teeth checked by an equine dentist or having their backs checked by a physiotherapist.
Likewise, there is now far greater understanding of why horses change shape. A saddle that was fitted last year may not be perfect this year as horses change shape throughout their working lives.
SADDLE PROBLEMS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE
Sore backs due to ill fitting saddles are a common and usually underrated problem. The saddle must fit the horse correctly. However minor a misfit, it can still be restrictive enough to alter the horse's performance. Excessive or uneven pressure prevents muscles from receiving adequate blood circulation during exercise. Muscle development and build up of a top line cannot occur when blood supply is reduced. Pressure and lack of blood supply causes muscle spasm and as a result the function of the nervous system is impaired. The horse will try to avoid the pressure by altering his gait pattern; this has an effect on the biomechanics of the horse. Excessive saddle pressure may be caused by the following issues:
- Saddle put too much forward
- Tree too narrow or too wide
- Twisted tree
- Saddle too long
- Gullet too narrow
- Panels too long
- Panels unevenly or over-flocked
- Asymmetrical stirrup bars
Look for signs of soft swelling after work, changes in hair colour (white hair), uneven muscle development, resentment towards saddling/girthing and deterioration in performance. Injuries can occur at the front of the saddle or at the rear, on one side or on both.
Saddle put too much forward:
The saddle must sit behind the scapula. If it is sitting on top of the shoulder blade it will inhibit scapular movement and the horse will shorten his stride length. This affects the bio-mechanics of the entire front limb, including foot loading.
Saddle tree too narrow for the horse:
The saddle tree point should be parallel behind the scapula, transferring an even pressure on the bearing area. If the tree is too narrow it can cause pinching behind the scapulae that can lead to a short, choppy stride with the front legs. (This picture shows a narrow tree)
Lumpy and uneven flocking:
Flocking in saddles can become lumpy and/or uneven after a period of time, creating unnecessary pressure points on the horse's back.On this picture you also notice a narrow gullet.
Gullet too narrow:
If the gullet is not wide enough it will not protect the spineous processes and the supraspineous ligaments from pressure. The panels will cause bruising to this vulnerable area and can cause serious damage. The horse will be moving stiff through the back, resistant to engage and often move crookedly.
Saddle tree too wide for the horse:
A tree that is too wide can be as problematic as one that's too narrow. The saddle will dip in behind the shoulder as the rider rises in trot and the back of the saddle will often lift up and down, causing a pinching effect around the withers and soreness at the back of the saddle.
Saddle too long for the horse:
Ideally a saddle panel should not extend past the last thoracic vertebra. If a saddle is too long it can cause excessive pressure on the lumbar region resulting in hollowing the back, back pain, lack of engagement and poor muscle development.
Saddle too small for the rider:
If a saddle isn't large enough for the rider he/she will sit on the back of the saddle, resulting in excessive pressure on the corresponding area on the horse's back causing serious soreness.
RIDERS CAN INFLUENCE SADDLE FIT AND BALANCE
The rider can cause imbalance even if the saddle is a perfect fit. The rider might sit crookedly thus interfering with the horse's natural balance. Misalignment in the rider (particularly pelvic) will also affect the way in which they sit in the saddle and this can push the horse out of balance. This causes the horse to overcompensate and will have an effect upon the biomechanics of the horse and the musculature that lies beneath the saddle.
Look out for:
- Needing to adjust the stirrups daily
- Feeling that the seat is unlevel
- Moving too much in the seat
- Tipping forward
- Sitting behind the movement
- A rider with physical problems (including low back pain & being overweight)
SYMPTOMS IN THE HORSE
- Muscle wastage or lack of development in the saddle area and beyond. Excessive pressure shuts down blood flow to tissues and leads to subsequent wastage. Hollows develop behind the shoulder, along with prominent withers and shoulder blades.
- Overdeveloped brachiocephalic muscles
- Habitual posture of pulling the shoulders forward so that they look upright. Eventually the central nervous system is trained to recognise this posture as normal, and the horse holds it even when not being ridden. We then describe this habitual pattern as conformation.
- Upright boxy feet
- Tripping
- Discomfort encourages the horse to contract long back muscles. This causes a hollow posture when ridden which brings the head up and disengages the pelvis. This can lead to sacroiliac problems and poor development of the top line. The horse is on the forehand.
Good and Poor Movement diagrams - Bucking, rearing
- Fear of girthing
- Shortness of stride
- High head carriage
- Working on the forehand
- Reluctance to bend
- Difficulty going down hill
- Hanging legs over jumps
- Lack of engagement
- Not going forward
- Brushing
- Collapsed heels
- Spavin
- Sacro Iliac stress
- Back pain
SADDLE FITTING, ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
Your saddle, new or second-hand, should be fitted by a member of the Society of Master Saddlers.
If you use a numnah or gel pad, the saddle fitter must be informed before the saddle is fitted. Adding a numnah under a saddle which fits well without it is asking to put thick socks into shoes that fit perfectly without them. Many riders like to make use of a riser pad under the saddle. While occasionally being temporarily beneficial, in general a riser pad tends to unbalance the well-fitting saddle and, in extreme cases, can be the cause of serious problems.
Each horse should have its own saddle. Just as a pair of shoes adapts to the wearer's foot, so the saddle adopts the contours of the horse. Ill advised riders use one saddle on several horses ('it is an expensive saddle'...'I ride better in that particular saddle'...) without pausing to consider possible consequences.
Your horse changes shape regularly. The frequency of these changes will relate to his age, training, management and so on. Try to develop an eye to recognise these changes. Viewed on a daily basis, the changes may seem inconsequential but over a period of just a week or so they can be surprisingly substantial. Have your saddles checked, and any necessary adjustments made, regularly.
The young horse must be fitted especially carefully. Great care must be taken to avoid any damage that may cause problems later in life. Young horses should never be lunged in any old saddle ('it doesn't matter, no-one is going to ride in it'). The young back is particularly vulnerable and a swinging/bouncing saddle that doesn't fit can be the cause of physical problems that may be irreversible.Some young horses develop at a substantial rate and the saddle that fitted well only a short time previously may need adjustment.
The standard general purpose saddle is a compromise and can never fulfil the needs of individual disciplines as well as saddles designed specifically.
Unlevelness, even slight, in your horse's gait, especially behind, can cause the saddle to move, creating back pain and more lameness.
Mounting from a mounting block should not be restricted to the less-than-athletic! It is infinitely better for the horse's back and guards against the saddle tree becoming twisted which is bound to happen if the saddle is regularly used as a lever.
Great attention must always be paid to the condition of the saddle flocking. Irregular, uneven or lumpy flocking can cause pressure points that may seriously damage the horse's back. Severe irregularity in the flocking can cause the saddle to sit to one side. On the other hand, over stuffed, the saddle will be hard, not adapting to the horse's back and causing pressure sores and back pain.
The seat of the saddle must always be level when viewed from the side. Anything else compromises the horse's comfort and welfare (i.e. tipping forwards or backwards).
The saddle gullet must always provide adequate clearance both in the front and back, both with or without rider on board.
CONCLUSION
Saddle fit and/or novice riding can impair the horse's paces resulting in an unhappy, resistant horse. As a result the horse can move in a wrong balance, causing him to compensate through his body (i.e. hollowing back, not engaging, etc.) In some cases this may lead to physical problems, including lameness.
The horse can recover from muscle wastage and/or compromised posture if the owner/rider will supply him with a saddle that fits correctly AND if the rider is willing to exercise the horse as necessary to support a return towards correct balanced movement under saddle.
Your physiotherapist can help you rehabilitate your horse by prescribing a tailored exercise programme to aid muscle development of the top line.
The horse before using a correctly fitting saddle and the same horse 6 months later....
References
- The Society of Master Saddlers www.mastersaddlers.co.uk.
- Carol Brett, Balance saddles seminar 2007.
- Joyce Harman, The horse's pain-free back and saddle-fit book, Kenilworth Press.
- Kay Humphries, Saddle Fitting, Allen Photographic Guides.