Saddle Fit and Comfort Can Effect Your Horses Performance

By Betsy Jarnigan

Improper saddle fit can be the root cause of many behavior problems and health problems for the horse. Just as human athletes use protective equipment, athletic shoes and apparel, the equine athlete depends on comfortable, well fitting tack to give his best performance. A horse that is 'cold backed' often can be corrected by readjusting or correcting saddle fit. Often horses with saddle fit problems do fine at the trainer's or for other people (with different saddles) and then come home and act like a different horse. Some will buck, kick and even rear. Some will bite at the handler when being saddled or develop other behavior problems related to being saddled and ridden. Often, saddle fit is the last thing to be considered in correcting these issues instead of the first

Let's talk about what a good saddle fit looks like. There are several things to consider in this process. The type of riding to be done, the conformation of the horse, his muscular development and the physical attributes of the rider should all be considered when selecting a saddle. Ideally, the saddle should fit all of these needs. To correctly fit a saddle, first look at the horse. The following principals apply for an English saddle or for a Western saddle. Find the horse's withers, shoulder blades and hipbones. When he walks, pay attention to where his shoulder, spine and hips move. A correctly fitted saddle won't interfere with this movement. Now, put the saddle on the horse with a clean, light-weight (thin) saddle pad. Make sure that the saddle is back far enough from the shoulder so it doesn't restrict movement, but is not too far back on the horse's loin area. Settle the saddle and pad on the horse's back and girth it just tight enough to prevent it slipping around. Take several steps back and look closely. Notice if the front and back of the saddle are level. If you are looking at a very high backed Western saddle, look to see if the skirts are horizontal to the ground. If not, look to see if the saddle is sitting on the horse's back correctly. On an English saddle, the pommel and cantle should be the same height from the ground (i.e. level).

Stand behind the horse. (not in kick range, of course!) and look at the saddle. It is straight and sitting square? For an English saddle, the gullet should not be too low on the horse's spine or too narrow. When a horse moves correctly and rounds his back, the saddle should not hinder it. A Western saddle does not fit in this way in the back--just look for straight and square and that it does not come too far back on the hip bones and loins.
Now go in front of the horse. If possible let his head down and let him have a bite of grass. Look at the front of the saddle. Check the area between the horse's wither and the saddle. How much room is there? How about when he puts his head up in riding position? Depending on the individual horse (and breed) the neck may come out of the shoulders at a variety of levels. If your horse is a Saddlebred, Arab, Morgan or Paso, there is a good chance that his neck is set on very high in relation to his shoulder. In these cases extra care needs to be taken so that the saddle does not bump on the neck when it is raised. In Western saddles, a high swell is a good answer for these horses. English saddles with a cut back head are sometimes needed to fit these horses comfortably. A 'flat', 'cut-back' or 'park' type saddle has a 3-4 inch cutback head. This is to give the wither and neck more room to elevate. Dressage, jumping and all-purpose saddles are also available with a cut back head. A new line of Western saddles specifically for gaited horses is gaining popularity for it's fit on these types of horses as well.

After a saddle passes all these tests, then it's time for the best part. The last phase of checking saddle fit is the ride. Tighten the girth to a comfortable tension and get on the horse. Did the saddle try to slip to the side? Put your hand under the front of the saddle. How much room is there? Is it pinching the horse's neck? Does the saddle slip side to side? Ride for a few minutes and if possible have someone take a picture of you. The saddle should put you in correct position without you having to think about it. Is there a straight line from your ear, down to your shoulder, hip and heel? Put your hand behind your bottom on the saddle. How much room is there? Is the seat long enough? There should be a hand's width behind you on the seat. On an English saddle, check to see if the knee rolls are the right height to support your knee (especially important in jumping). Is the saddle comfortable? Is it too wide or narrow? Is there enough padding for the kind of riding you do? If yes, you may have found a winner!

There is one last test. Remove the saddle and look at the pad. Does the pad have an even dirty spot on each side of the spine or did the saddle 'bridge'? If the saddle distributed the rider's weight evenly the pad will show an even, all over pattern of sweat. If the saddle bridges, usually the front and back are the only parts that make contact the horse resulting in sore spots, hot spots and in extreme cases saddle sores. This can occur in English and Western saddles, but is harder to detect in the Western because the thick pad will often disguise fit problems. If an English saddle bridges, it should be sent to a saddle maker to be re-stuffed. It is not a good idea to attempt this yourself. Any inconsistencies in the new stuffing will cause more problems! A western saddle that bridges is a little trickier to fix. It may be that the saddle is too long for the horse's back. Sometimes, if the saddle length is ok, fit can be helped with a gel or other therapeutic pad, but usually the issue is the saddletree and that can't be fixed. At this point I recommend getting a new saddle.

A final note: the shape of a horse's back changes over time. A horse that has not been worked won't have the muscle across his back that typically supports the rider and saddle and may even have a slight sway back appearance. As hours under saddle accumulate, the back will change and those muscles will build and change the shape of the back. Most saddles are built to accommodate this condition rather than the 'baby' state. Older horses that don't get ridden as much may have these saddle fit issues as well or may have a raised spine and reduced muscle. A little extra padding in these conditions and possibly a different saddle can make these horses much more comfortable.