| Saddle Fit Consulting Services |
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| Saddle Forensics: |
| Discover the How, What & Why of Saddle Fit |
| By |
| Cynthia McFarland |
| It.s the weekend and you.ve trailered to the local show grounds with a friend from your training stable. |
| .Hey, good-looking saddle!. your friend remarks as you begin tacking up your horse. .Is it new?. |
| .Sure is. I just got it a couple weeks ago.. |
| .So, how does it ride?. asks your friend, admiring the gleaming silver conchos and fancy leather stamping. |
| .Like a dream!. you reply. .For what it cost, it should!. |
| Too bad your friend couldn.t ask your horse how that fancy new saddle rides. Your four-legged partner.s response might not be the same as yours. |
| Your horse can be a gifted athlete with abundant natural ability, and you may have invested a great deal of time and money into honing those talents. But the fact remains if you are using a saddle that doesn.t fit properly, your horse.s performance is going to be compromised. He can also develop a variety of problems related to saddle fit, some of which can be serious and career-limiting. Some horses are retired well before their time due to injuries caused by long-term saddle fit problems. |
| If the horse.s back is causing him pain, he will try to protect himself, which can result in an increase of lower leg lameness. Such secondary problems can develop when the horse stops using his hindquarters properly in an effort to ease back pain, and ends up putting more stress and strain on his front end. |
| You may be thinking, but I spent a lot of money on my saddle. It feels great to ride in and it.s well made, so it must fit my horse. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily the case. |
| .Just because you.re spending $2,000 or $3,000 on a saddle doesn.t mean you.re buying a saddle that will fit,. notes Don Doran of Animal Dynamics, an Ocala, Florida-based business dedicated to equine sports therapies and saddle fitting courses. .Each saddle, no matter the cost or name brand, must be evaluated on its own. Silver conchos are the last thing you need to be looking at!. |
| .The top side of the saddle is for the rider; the underside is for the horse,. adds Lisa Stahl, Don.s partner in Animal Dynamics and a saddlery consultant and a human and equine sports therapist. |
| Saddle making in the United States is not regulated. Most tack stores and catalogs that sell saddles are focused on meeting the rider.s needs and wishes, not those of the horse. |
| .The huge majority of saddles you buy in a tack shop aren.t designed to fit the horse,. Lisa points out. .They.re designed for the rider.s comfort and for looks.. |
| In their day-to-day practice as sports therapists, Don and Lisa routinely confront muscular and skeletal problems in their equine patients that are a direct result of poor saddle fit. Acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic treatments can indeed make a horse feel better for the short term, but if improper saddle fit is at fault, the problems will return if the horse continues to be ridden in that saddle. |
| Saddle Fit Consultation |
| What you don.t know can hurt you and your horse. So, how can you be sure the saddle you.re using actually fits your horse? A saddle fit consultation can answer all your questions. |
| As a saddlery consultant, Lisa can determine if your present saddle fits your horse properly. In a personal visit to your farm or boarding facility, she will examine and evaluate your horse and the saddle(s) you are currently using. A series of detailed questions enable her to pinpoint problems and solutions you may not have even considered. |
| During the consultation, which takes approximately two hours and averages $125, |
| Lisa measures the horse.s back using a precise method that enables her to create an equine back profile template. This template is then used to evaluate the current saddle being used. The saddle is also evaluated while on the horse.s back and with the rider mounted. |
| Another part of the saddle fitting consultation is demonstrating how to properly tack up the horse. Surprisingly, even many long-time horse owners put the saddle too far forward on the horse.s back, and often have the girth too tight. |
| If the saddle does not fit properly, Lisa will explain the flaws and potential problems. |
| A saddle that sits too low on the horse.s withers can pinch nerves and inhibit extension of the horse.s stride. If the gullet width of your saddle does not provide enough clearance on either side of the horse.s spine, he is going to have back problems. |
| Lisa will show you how to use the template if you want to shop on your own for a saddle. For an additional fee, which is based on an hourly rate, Lisa can shop with you locally and internationally. |
| As a knowledgeable shopper, Lisa is really conducting .saddle forensics.. She will show you how to look for weaknesses in a saddle. Panels and billets are often sewn on crooked, and this is not just found on inexpensive saddles. She can also determine if a saddle has a broken or twisted tree. A saddle tree can become twisted in the construction process, so you can.t assume a new saddle can.t have a twisted tree. Lisa can tell you the particular material used to flock an English saddle, which has an impact on how well the saddle will hold up. Even some prominent saddle manufacturers use .carpet waste. products to flock their saddles and these acrylic fibers can become hard and lumpy, and will never conform to the horse.s back. |
| Lisa can also recommend additional resources for saddles. .The solution doesn.t necessarily have to be a custom-made saddle,. she adds. .There are other sources of ready-made saddles that are horse-friendly, although they.re in the minority, and we can connect you with these saddle makers.. |
| If you.re a light- to medium-weight rider just interested in trail riding, you may want to consider a treeless saddle, which can be a practical solution for the casual rider. A larger rider will need a conventional saddle so that the tree will evenly distribute his or her weight over the horse.s back. Any rider who plans on doing speed events, such as barrel racing, or other competitive riding should have a conventional saddle because the treeless saddle simply won.t provide enough rider support under those conditions. |
| .I think saddle fit is one of the most important things we do with the horse,. says Vicki Kamp, a horse owner in Morriston , Florida , who recently opted for a saddle fit consultation. .Lisa was so professional and knowledgeable; she really works with the horse in mind. Horses don.t speak English but Lisa is a great interpreter! It.s all about the horse. |
| .A saddle is one of the most expensive items we buy for our horses. I wouldn.t think of getting a saddle without doing this,. Vicki adds. .My first goal is always to .do no harm.. Now I have a much greater feeling of confidence that I.m investing in a saddle that won.t do harm. and I know that I.ve done the best I can for my horse.. |
| Practical Knowledge |
| In Europe, the British Master Saddlers Association has created testing procedures and a formalized saddle fitting program. Animal Dynamics intends to establish a similar program here in the United States . |
| .We are in the process of establishing standards and creating an independent certification test for Saddle Fitters,. says Lisa. |
| Animal Dynamics offers a five-day Level 1 program that is the foundation for anyone wanting a career in saddle-fitting consultation. The course is also ideal for the horse person who wants to increase their knowledge, but isn.t interested in certification. |
| .This course is a natural extension for people in the equine therapy world, such as equine massage therapists and chiropractors, as well as people who ride and train professionally,. Lisa explains. .We.ve also had saddle makers take the class. Just because they.re making saddles doesn.t mean they necessarily know about saddle fit.. |
Lisa and Don assist with course instruction, and Master Saddle Maker Blake Kral is the main instructor. The first Level 1 course was held in the fall of 2002. |
| .We.re trying to make this course as beneficial as possible, notes Blake. .The main benefit is that once you.ve taken the courses, you can offer a service to the public that hasn.t been available.. |
In addition to those students who want to educate themselves to go out to perform a service as professionals, Blake says there are also students who just want to understand the principles of saddle fit and how to properly fit a saddle to a horse. |
| Blake stays in touch with past students, many of which are equine therapists who, after taking the courses, have added saddle fitting services to their present business. |
.They.ve seen a tremendous increase in their business,. he adds. .This kind of service is long over due and sorely needed in the industry. If you walk into virtually any tack shop and ask if a saddle will fit your horse, the sales people generally don.t have the experience or knowledge to give you a competent answer. You can.t expect a salesman to be a Saddle Fitter.. |
| Principles and Fundamentals of Saddle Fit . Level 1 is about 50% class room lectures and discussions, and 50% hands-on work. You will learn: |
 | Equine anatomy . this influences what is needed in the saddle |
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| Saddle construction & how to evaluate both English & Western saddles |
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| Principles of saddle fitting - how to .marry. the horse.s anatomy to the saddle |
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| How to evaluate whether a saddle fits a particular horse |
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| How to measure the horse.s back |
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| How to make a template of the horse.s back measurements |
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| How to use the template in saddle evaluation & selection |
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| Saddle construction and how to evaluate saddles |
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| How to properly tack up the horse with saddle in correct position |
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| How to serve as a saddle shopping consultant |
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| Saddle Fit Links |
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