Published Articles

There have been many recent articles in all sorts of publications discussing “how to slow down the rushing horse”; “how to ride the stumble out of your horse”; “how to make your horse go forward”; how to, how to, how to. Many of these negative and unwanted horse ‘behaviors’ may actually be due to something as simple as a poorly fitting saddle. This can cause an instinctive reaction by impacting reflex points, rather than the horse consciously ‘acting out’. These articles point to the fact that many of these indicators are a result of rider error, and attempt to address corrections by either offering solutions to change rider behavior (or training methods), or – more drastically – calling in a vet to administer pharmaceuticals to address specific issues…

Recently, I was called out by the owner of a horse who said she was having difficulties with him under saddle. I was supposed to perform one of my 80-point diagnostic evaluations on site, and determine the possible cause for some of his issues. I was shocked when the groom brought out a beautiful, but somehow incredibly sad-looking horse. I have rarely encountered such a picture of absolute dejection. With some probing, I learned that the owner rode her horse maybe twice a month. It was the trainer who rode for the most part – with his own saddle, used for pretty much every horse he trained. This saddle was clearly too narrow in the gullet channel, and was constantly pressing on the horse’s spinal vertebral processes and causing nerve damage. The saddle was also much too long for this horse’s saddle support area, and lay on his back about 1½” behind the 18th thoracic vertebra. As I watched the groom ride, the saddle began sliding forward on the shoulder during the walk – which at best affected the horse’s freedom of movement, and at worst could cause chipping at the cartilaginous cap…

Synopsis: Shorter people need specific design changes made in saddle design and fit to accommodate their body types. As obvious as it may seem, just shortening the flap will not create a better fit of the saddle for a shorter rider. When the knee roll or the leg support of the saddle hits the knee, it can turn the leg out from the horse, and it will be difficult to keep the lower and upper inner leg against the horse. A saddle with a narrower twist is usually the first step in ensuring fit for a shorter rider. The twist is very often misunderstood. Twist is an arbitrary designation; what is crucial is the area on the saddle it refers to, which must be considered when fitting a saddle. People often think it is in the crotch area, however, the twist is actually that part of the saddle that is felt between rider’s upper, inner thighs. A wide twist under a short rider results in more room away from the leg and the rider will sit as if on a barrel, unable to get her leg on the horse. Women are usually much better off with a narrow twist regardless of their height because of the way their pelvises are shaped.

When you are in the market to purchase a saddle, you want to ensure that the saddle you are investing in will not only fit your horse, but will also fit you. If you have ridden in more than one saddle in your riding career, you probably noticed that there were subtle or major differences in each saddle. When you spend your dollars, you want a saddle that you and your horse will enjoy for years to come.

Youch! What Your Horse is Trying to Tell You. Probably at some point in our lives most of us – riders or not – have suffered from backaches, charley horses, sciatica, or even perhaps more drastically – slipped discs, herniated discs, or pinched vertebral nerves. You know how painful any of these symptoms can be, and you know how they can be treated: over-the-counter or stronger drugs and painkillers, massage, chiropractic adjustments or even surgery. But what about your horses? Do they suffer from back pain or injuries that result in symptomatic lameness or other “behavioral manifestations?” Many recent articles seem to prefer to attribute some of these consequential behavioral issues to “stubbornness,” “resistance,” or even simply “bad behavior,” but the solution is often right before our eyes without the need for veterinary or chiropractic care…

The art and science of saddle fit has become part of the consciousness of the importance of truly caring for your horse; of really working together with every equine professional who is part of the “circle of influence” around horse and rider. Traditionally however, it has been dressage riders and endurance riders who have been the most concerned with having a properly fitting saddle, because these are the disciplines where it seems to really matter how comfortable the horse (and rider) are – because otherwise performance can be visibly impacted. The design of jumping saddles has been primarily dictated by a certain ‘look’ that especially hunters want to achieve; little attention has been paid to …

There have been a proliferation of articles appearing recently in all sorts of publications discussing “how to slow down the rushing horse”; “how to ride the stumble out of your horse”; “how to make your horse go forward”; how to how to how to. All of these negative and unwanted ‘behaviours’ of your horse may actually be due to something as simple as a poorly fitting saddle which impacts the reflex points and causes simple instinctive reactions rather than conscious behaviours. But these articles all seem to point to the fact that these indicators are a result of rider error, and attempt to address corrections by either offering solutions to change rider behaviour, or – more drastically – calling in a vet to administer pharmaceuticals to address the issues.

Is Your Horse Left-Handed? Understanding the natural asymmetry of the horse and its implications for saddle fit. Did you know that up to 90 percent of the world’s population is right-handed? Approximately nine out of ten people are said to be right-handed, and of the 10 percent who are left-handed, males slightly outnumber females. Most horses, however, are left-handed (or at least what we refer to as dominant on the left-hand side), and it is usually very obvious. There are many theories as to what causes this predisposition. The German FN (the governing body of riding in Germany) even recognizes in its rule books that most horses are born with “a natural asymmetry” and that it is “cerebral, or determined at birth.” It could be caused by the way the equine embryo grows in the mare’s womb. At least 70 percent of the thousands of horses we see each year are left-handed, while about 20 percent are right-handed, and the remaining 10 percent are relatively even. I am of the opinion that asymmetry occurs in part because of domestication, and due to the conditions in which we train and keep our horses…

Riding should not hurt. Unfortunately, many women are riding in saddles that have been made for men. They’re suffering in silence, tolerating the pain because they simply may not know what they don’t know. Saddle fitters should have a basic understanding of equine biomechanics and how saddles need to fit to prevent long-term back damage in the horse. What many may be lacking is a realization that female anatomy can impact saddle fit. Several key points need to be addressed when determining proper saddle fit for women…

With complex physiological issues, veterinarians may recommend treatments to alleviate symptoms. The horse benefits greatly when the health care team works together, combining knowledge to understand underlying factors. This series will discuss concepts to assist professionals in the diagnostic process. A common equine injury is to the suspensory ligaments, caused by poor (or incorrect) riding. Classical principles of dressage training and movement are being replaced by flashiness, hyperflexion and the “show trot”. When a horse is ridden in a flashy trot, his back is pushed down, the saddle balance falls too far back, and the rider sits behind the center of gravity, causing excessive pressure over the last floating ribs…

When it comes to your saddle, it’s highly recommended that you only use oil that is manufactured for use on leather – use baby oil on babies and olive oil in salads, because that’s where they belong…If you use any type of soap (glycerine or otherwise) on your saddle, make sure you rinse it off completely…

What your saddle pad looks like after you ride can tell you a lot about its fit. In order to get an optimal sweat/ dust pattern, we suggest you first place a simple, thin white cotton pad under your saddle with a light smattering of “dirt” on your horse’s back. Then, ride your horse at all three gaits (walk/trot/canter) in both directions, in 20-meter circles for about two minutes each. Take your saddle off with the pad and look at both the horse’s sweat pattern, and the dust pattern left on your pad.

In most instances, there are three places on your horse’s body that will be impacted by something that is either made of metal, or includes a metal part….The third place where metal is used is in the saddle – the gullet plate and spring steel are both used to give the saddle more stability and help it protect both horse and rider from long term damage – if and only if the saddle is made and fitted properly. The spring steel gives the saddle support along its length and needs to be customized to fit the rider: longer and thicker for the heavier rider, and shorter and thinner for a lighter rider. The gullet plate is only truly adjustable in some saddle brands – usually it gives stability to the saddle at the pommel to maintain the proper width of the tree over the wither area, but essentially it should be able to adjust to accommodate inherent asymmetry in this area of the horse.

Many saddles at first glance look like they’re fitting really well, but when I turn them over, the gullet width is too narrow – maybe 1-2 fingers. A saddle with a channel or gullet that is too narrow (or too wide!) can cause permanent damage. The width of each horse’s spine will determine how wide his saddle’s gullet must be, and the width of the gullet should be the same throughout the entire length of the saddle. Some saddles may have gullets that are the appropriate width at the front, but then get progressively narrower towards the back. The horse’s spine and surrounding ligaments do not get narrower over the length of his saddle-support area, and neither should the gullet of the saddle…

For the female rider the main point of consideration should be the choice of a gender appropriate saddle. What this simply means is that the saddle should be made to accommodate the various “vagaries” of the female anatomy. Briefly, the stirrup bars should be extended to allow the proper positioning of the leg (which in a woman is generally longer from hip to knee than from knee to ankle). This affects the center of gravity and how the leg will hang naturally in the stirrups. The seat itself should be wide enough to accommodate the seat bones – which will be wider apart than a man’s because of the birthing channel. You will want to avoid hitting the pubic symphysis