Saddle Fitting, Tree Adjustment and Purchasing Tips | Holistic Horse Bodyworks

Did you know studies indicate 75-90% of all saddles in use do not properly fit the horse on which they are used?

Did you know improper saddle fit can cause back, hip and pelvis issues, permanent muscle damage, cervical (neck) issues, shoulder issues, lameness, behavioral issues, poor performance and pain?

The good news is that a properly fitting saddle can be found for almost every horse.  However, finding a properly fitting saddle can be time consuming, take a lot of patience and knowledge, and often requires professional assistance.  Additionally, even when the “right” saddle for the horse is found, it must fit the rider too.  If not, the rider is also susceptible to painful back, hip, pelvis, leg, shoulder and neck issues, muscle damage (as well as some behavioral issues ☺).

Why is Proper Saddle Fit Important?

Proper saddle fit is a necessity for a happy, healthy, high performing horse.  A properly fitting saddle will:

  • Protect your horse’s spine and surrounding musculature
  • Distribute the rider’s weight as evenly as possible across a broad area thereby avoiding pressure points, muscle damage and possible lameness
  • Help enable your horse to properly use their ring of muscles which includes the neck, back, shoulders, hips, pelvis and haunches just to name a few key areas

The Six Components of Saddle Fitting

Holistic Horse Bodyworks performs a six component saddle fit evaluation.  Each component has 10-30 individual items that are assessed.

  • Component One: Saddle evaluation off the horse
  • Component Two: Evaluation of the horse (Some of this may be done prior to component one.)
  • Component Three: Saddle evaluation on the horse (static)
  • Component Four: Evaluate the “rider’s conformation” (if they give permission-oral and visual only)
  • Component Five: Saddle evaluation with the rider up
  • Component Six: Saddle evaluation with the rider riding

Examples of chalk impressions made during Component Six when the rider is riding

  Note the unevenness of the coloring right to left. This saddle shows more contact and pressure at the front on the right side due to shoulder asymmetry of the horse which was exacerbated by uneven flocking in the saddle.  The white space on the left side toward the center also indicates a bridge.  The deep blue coloring on the back portion of the panel also indicates a pressure point.
  This saddle has very little contact toward the front.  What little contact there is is only on the right side.
Most of the weight is on the back represented by the deep blue color.