Saddle English Fit

There are many factors to consider when fitting a saddle, and it is always best to get a trained professional to fit a saddle to a horse's back. Incorrectly fitting saddles cause pressure points, which may result in bruising, soreness, and problems under saddle. Symptoms of poor fit include:

• Sore back, which may cause the horse to no longer lie down or no longer roll
• Hollowing of the back and raising the head while under saddle
• General stiffness
• Shortness of stride
• Unwillingness to work, napping (refusal to go forward), or excitability
• Bucking, rearing, bolting
• Refusal of fences
• Uneven wear on the feet
• Intermittent or unexplained lameness

Long-term, the topline may start to deteriorate, and the horse will develop the wrong muscles. The muscles of the back may waste away and atrophy, causing hollows right behind the withers and it may look like the withers have gotten higher and sharper.

Correct Placement

This jumping saddle has been placed too far forward. Note that it is well over the shoulder, and the pommel is higher than the cantle.

Before fitting the saddle, it should be placed correctly on the back. Most riders put their saddles too far forward, especially those that use jumping saddles, which causes several problems including:

• Interference with the horse's shoulder blades as he extends his forelegs or as he folds his legs over fences. This also is damaging to the saddle, as it causes twisting.
• Causes the pommel to rise up, tilting the cantle down and moving the seat back, so it is impossible for the rider to maintain a correct balanced position. This not only makes it extremely difficult for the rider to ride, but also places the majority of weight on the horse's loins.
• The tree points are more likely to dig into the withers, as the withers are wider closer to the neck then they are at the back. This causes extreme discomfort for the horse.
• The girth will be more forward, which can result in rubbing.
• The stirrups fall too far back, and pressure from the rider's feet cause them to go too far forward, resulting in a "chair seat" by the rider, making a balanced position very difficult.

Therefore, the front edge of the saddle should be behind the shoulder blade when the front legs are extended as far as possible. This can be done by having someone on the ground pull each of the horse's forelegs as far forward as possible, holding the leg at the knee, while another person checks the shoulder blade. Even a well-fitting saddle will cause great discomfort and serious problems for the rider if it is placed too far forward.

The rider's weight should be carried on the muscles that are over the horse's ribs (from behind the shoulder blades to the last rib). The last rib of the horse should be found, and the saddle should not come behind it. Saddles that are too large (for example, a 17" saddle used on a medium or small pony), or saddles that are placed too far back, will put pressure on the horse's loins, which is very uncomfortable for the animal, and may be damaging.

Tree Size

The tree size, which dictates the width of the saddle, is one of the most important factors when fitting the saddle, and can be tested easily by looking at the sweat pattern on the animal's back after work. A tree that is too narrow is more of a threat than one too wide, as it pushes the points of the saddle into the horse's back. This will often result in a hollowing if it persists for long periods of time. The sweat pattern will have even sweating along the panels, except for the points of the tree, which will cause round dry spots in the area of sweat, as a result from the pressure.

A saddle that is slightly too wide will not be a problem. However, a saddle that is much too wide will not have adequate wither clearance, especially on a high-withered horse, and will cause great pressure in this area and damage.

The Panels

The panels should have even flocking. This can be tested by running the hands down the panels while applying slight pressure. If the panels are stuffed unevenly (one panel higher than the other, or stuffing that is hard and lumpy rather than smooth), the saddle will have pressure points and could cause soreness. A saddlefitter should also check to make sure that the pannels are correctly stuffed for the horse. The front panels should have pressure evenly distributed down their front, which can be tested by saddling the horse with a girth, than running the hands down the front panels to feel for even pressure. The back panels should not rise off the horse's back as he is ridden.

The bearing surface of the panels should be as large as possible (within reason). Poor stuffing or pressure points on the saddle will decrease the bearing area.

Height of the Gullet

The saddle should provide adequate clearance for the spine and withers. With the horse's heaviest rider sitting on the saddle, there should be at least three fingers width between the pommel and the withers, and it should be possible to shine a light down the gullet and see it out the other side. The gullet should also be about three inches in width all the way down, pommel to cantle.

Fitting the Rider

The fit of the saddle to the rider is also critical, as a poorly-fitting saddle will disrupt the rider's balance and cause her to fall backwards, or develop incorrect form as a way to compensate as she fights to maintain balance in the saddle. Even excellent riders can not ride well in a poorly balanced or fitted saddle, so it is best to find a model that is comfortable and allows the rider to easily maintain the correct position. There is no point fighting the saddle when riding is hard enough as it is.

• Pommel/Cantle height the cantle should be slightly higher than the pommel, and the seat should not be too far back (which would tip the rider backward and force the lower legs forward).
• Seat the seat should allow about one hand's width behind the rider's butt and in front of the pelvis, with the rider in the saddle. A saddle that is too small makes the rider insecure, and is very uncomfortable to ride in, causing rubs, a saddle that is too big does not provide any support for the rider. Secondly, female riders (due to their naturally wider pelvis) often prefer a wider seat. A narrow seat may cause backache, joint pain, and even cases of persistent headaches in female riders. It is best to try different models to see which is most comfortable.
• Saddle flap the rider should shorten her stirrups to the appropriate riding length (which will differ, according to experience and riding discipline). With the stirrups the correct length, the knee should not come too far behind the flap (so the flaps do not provide any support), or too far in front (which will force the lower leg back and severely disrupt the balance of the rider.
• Position of the stirrup bars the rider should lastly check that the stirrup bars do not stick out in such a way that the buckles of the stirrup leathers will cause bruising or rubs on their legs.

source