Saddle Fit & Horse Behaviour

You will probably be aware that there have been a proliferation of articles appearing over the past while 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.

Obviously sometimes there are absolutely valid psycho-somatic reasons behind some of these things, or actual illnesses causing these kinds of behaviour (or even lamenesses), but we would like to suggest that before you have to resort to expensive veterinary or ‘neuroscientific’ treatments, you invest in a simple diagnostic evaluation of your saddle fit using a qualified saddle fitter who understands equine biomechanics and anatomy and the ramifications for your horse if the saddle doesn’t fit properly.

Many people have agreed with the statement that ‘horses do not consciously behave badly’. They react to outside stimuli – either a poorly fitting saddle or an incompetent or untrained rider can cause these kinds of behaviours. How and where a rider’s weight is carried can make a huge difference. And dangerous horses can quickly be created when aids are misunderstood or mishandled. Sometimes horses will develop resistant or evasive behaviours because the handler does not know how to get what he/she is asking for, but remember that this does not make a ‘bad horse’ – it simply a horse behaving badly! (Although granted – just like there are simply mean people on this earth, there is the occasionally encountered simply ‘mean horse’.) Some of the ‘strategic behaviour’ horses have adopted have developed into what humans denote as ‘stereotypical’ – but these are not vices, as vices would infer that the horse is at fault.

Some of the unwanted behavior your horse may be demonstrating could include the following (and all of these could be indicators that something is not working with the fit of your saddle. If this has been professionally examined and deemed correct, then it would be the right time to investigate other causes and consult with your other equine professionals caring for the horse).

• Tongue faults
• Ears pinned back
• “Girthiness”
• Stumbling, tripping, lameness
• Rearing, bucking
• Resistance to move forward
• Tight hollow back