Position Of The Saddle
Place the saddle slightly forward on the horse's withers. Next,
press down on the pommel and slide the saddle rearward until it
stops at the resting-place which is dictated by each horse's conformation.
Repeat this procedure several times until you feel the saddle
stop in the same spot repeatedly, well behind the shoulder blade
(approx. 2.5‚-3‚). Resist the temptation to place the
saddle too far forward on the withers. This is a very common fitting
mistake and can interfere with your horse's soundness and movement.
Angle Of The Points
To find the points, lift the flap
of the saddle and look for a little leather pocket into which
the wooden processes f the pommel are fitted. This is the
point pocket and there is one on both sides of the pommel of the
saddle just under the stirrup bars. These points should
lie parallel to the withers and not on top of the musculature.
If the angles are too narrow, the points will dig into the musculature,
also causing the middle of the saddle to be in uneven contact
with the horse's back. If they are too wide the saddle will sit
down in front putting pressure on top of the withers or at the
top of the point panels. To assess the point angles, stand
looking from the front with the flap lifted; the points should
be parallel with the musculature within 10 degrees of the heaviest
side. Some points are concealed making it difficult to determine
their angles. If this is the case,you will have to rely more on
the panel pressure procedure to determine if the point angles
are correct.
Panel Pressure and Contact
(Note: The panels are the wool stuffed underside of the saddle,
which rest on the horse's back.) Place one in the center of the
saddle and press down to secure the saddle in place as you test
for panel pressure. Run your other hand between the front
of the panels and your horse's musculature and feel for any uneven
pressure under the points. The front panel should not pinch the
withers in any area. While maintaining pressure on the top of
the saddle, run your hand, palm up, under the entire panel along
the back feeling for even pressure. You may also raise the sweat
flap to ensure that the panels fit snugly and evenly on both sides
of the withers and along the back to check for bridging. Bridging
is a space near the center of the where the panels do not make
good contact with the horses back. Wool stuffed panels are almost
universally considered superior to foam for the following reasons.
Assuming correctly designed panels, wool conforms to the many
shapes of the horses back and can be adjusted if necessary to
correct for a multitude of fitting problems. You can not, however,
correct for a poorly designed or incorrectly fitted tree.
Pommel To Cantle Relationship
Visualize a straight line parallel to the ground from the pommel
to the cantle. In saddles with deep or moderately deep seats,
the cantle should be between 2 to 3 inches higher than the pommel.
In shallower seats, such as close contact jumping saddles, the
cantle may only be approximately 1 to 2 inches higher than the
pommel. In almost any saddle, if the cantle is level with or below
the pommel, the saddle is not properly fitted.
Level Seat
Visualize the same straight line parallel to the ground and look
this time at the deepest part of the seat. This area should
be level in order to put the rider squarely on their seat bones
and in balance.
Wither Clearance
There should be adequate clearance between the pommel and the
top horse's withers, approximately two to three fingers. More
than three fingers‚ clearance may mean the pommel is too
high, i.e. the tree is too narrow. A saddle with less than 2-3
fingers may mean that the saddle is too wide. With wool
stuffed panels, make allowance for the saddle to settle a half
inch or so. There is an exception to this indicator; horses
with flat, round withers may have more clearance than usual under
the pommel. In these situations you may need to rely more on the
balance of the seat and pommel to cantle relationship. On horses
with high narrow withers maintaining proper clearance is something
that has to be monitored and maintained.
Channel Clearance/Gullet Width
There should also be adequate clearance over the spine and connective
tissue throughout the channel of the saddle. A channel that is
too narrow will impede the horse‚s movement dramatically
and may even cause the spine to be observably sore. Feel the width
of the spine and connective tissue with your fingers and estimate
its width. The channel of the saddle should completely clear this
width, resting on the long back muscle of the back called the
longissimus dorsi. Repeat Steps 6 & 7 with the rider in the
saddle, checking for adequate clearance over the withers and spine.
The saddle should not shift excessively from side to side or up
and down. Keep in mind that such shifting may be a function of
your horses symmetry and not the saddle. A qualified saddle fitter
should be able to make suggestions to minimize or eliminate the
problem.
Seat Length
The saddle should never go behind the 18th thoracic vertebrae,
which is the vertebrae corresponding with the last rib.
Behind this vertebra are the lumbar vertebra, which is the weakest,
non-weight bearing area of the back.
Horse Response
Throughout the whole saddle fitting process, monitor your horse's
response. Watch his ears and body language. Does he
try to step away from the saddle or flinch when it is placed on
his back? Or is the opposite true; is he more accepting
of the saddle? How does he move when he is ridden?
Does he seem freer or more restricted? The horse is the
most honest indicator we have when fitting a saddle so pay attention
to it and note any changes. *Girthing: Some horses object to the
girth. The Logic girth is proven to dramatically relieve problems
associated with girthing.
