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| Core Principles of Saddle Fit |
| English and Western |
| Europe and the United States entered a golden age of horsemanship in the late1800s and early 1900s. Calvary officers studied the mechanics of the horse, saddle and rider. | | Mechanics of weight distribution and its effect on the framework of the horse | | The effect of the saddle and its various components on the horse | | The effect of the weight of the rider under different conditions and in various positions on the horse | | The concept of a balanced seat was recognized. | | The need for survival necessitated good horsemanship and saddlery | | | Essentials of Saddle Fit | | I. | The saddle is a stationery object between two dynamic forces. There will never be a .perfect. saddle fit. |
| | II. | The horses. body changes. He gains weight, he looses weight, and he achieves different levels of muscular fitness. All of these different states may require a different saddle for the same horse. |
| | III. | To understand the importance of proper saddle construction and saddle fit, one must appreciate the mechanics of the horse, saddle and rider. Whether you are riding English or Western, the horse is structurally the same and his balancing points are the same. |
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| One must understand the mechanics of weight distribution and its effect on the framework of the horse, the effect of the saddle and its various components on the horse and the effect of the weight of the rider under different conditions and in various positions of the horse. |
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| IV. | We must strive for the best fit of the saddle to the horse. Key saddle construction principles from Major Francis Dwyer, 1886: |
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| a. | The larger the surface on which a given amount of pressure is equally spread or divided, the less will be the action on any given point of the under surface of the saddle in contact with the horse.s back. |
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| b. | The under surface of the saddle should fit very closely and evenly all over the part of the back which it is intended to cover; however it should never at any time contact that strip lying over the horse.s backbone, which must altogether remain out of contact |
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| c. | To put a large saddle on the horse.s back, then place the rider.s weight at one end, defeats the requirement of equal distribution of weight. |
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| d. | The rider.s center of gravity must be placed over the center of the bearing surface of the saddle, for this is the only single point which being loaded transmits the pressure equally to the rest of the surface. |
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| e. | When a rider is sitting in the saddle seat, he should be nearly over the center of gravity of the horse. (This location is a variable point that is generally 3-4 inches behind the withers). |
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| V. | The saddle should be placed on the horse according to the following parameters. These parameters must be applied to the evaluation of the saddle fit. The saddle: |
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| Must not interfere with the movement of the horses. shoulder |
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| Must be supported by the horses. ribcage, not the spinal column. |
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| Must be high enough so that pressure is not placed on the spinal column. |
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| Must be wide enough to provide clearance on either side of the spinal column so as not to restrict lateral movement. |
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| Must not put pressure in the lumbar area of the back. Weight far back on the horses. lumbar area injures the horse and completely unbalances him. |
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| VI. | It is the ideal of all horsemen to the .one. with their horses. When this is effected it means simply that the rider.s balance is working in conjunction with the horse.s balance. It implies that the rider.s center of gravity passes vertically through the horse.s center of gravity (McTaggert, 1925). |
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| VII. | The principles of riding in relation to the horse.s center of gravity are the same for English or Western. The saddles differ in their over-all construction because of the differences in the requirements of horse and rider. English riding is mostly even starts and stops. Western riding has faster starts and stops. |
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| As the horse moves through different gaits, the rider must be able to change his position and posture to be with the horse.s changing center of gravity. |
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| VIII. | The saddle must support the equitation of the rider. The rider maintains his balance using his seat bones, knees and feet. The rider.s hip joint, knee joint and ankle joint absorb the shocks of the horse.s movement. Therefore, the design of the seat of the saddle and the location of the stirrups in relationship to the seat determine how well the rider will ride. |
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| IX. | The girth must secure the saddle in such a way as to support the theory of having the saddle transmit an equal amount of pressure to all points on the horses. back. |
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| X. | Recognize that there are specialized equine athletics that require specific equipment. This equipment should be used with discretion. Events such as stadium jumping, cutting, and reining require a specific type of saddle. While necessary for competing in the athletic event, these specialty saddles are not designed for long term conditioning work with the horse. (You wouldn.t go jogging in your golf shoes and you wouldn.t use your bowling shoes on the tennis court). |
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| XI. | You have to view the saddle as a system of multiple components. These components must all be of good quality and must all function together in order for the system to work effectively. |
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| XII. | The cost of the saddle and the brand name of the saddle do not determine proper saddle fit. The goal is not necessarily to buy the most expensive saddle on the market. The goal is to find the best option for the individual horse and rider combination. The rider.s budget is a factor in this equation. The best option may be to select a used, well-constructed saddle over a new saddle that does not meet the needs of a particular horse and rider. |
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| If the rider is unwilling to invest the effort, time and money it takes to obtain a properly fitting saddle, they are doing a disservice to themselves and their horse. In the short tem, a rider can select a less expensive saddle that does not fit his horse; however in the long run this is the most expensive option considering the physical, behavioral and performance problems that this choice will cause. |
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| In 1886, Dwyer wrote: |
| .Nothing can be more certain than this; that it is the saddler, and not the instructor of equitation, that can most effectually and certainly produce the uniformity of seat which is so desirable; but unfortunately, few people ever think of this.. |
| Saddle Fit Links |
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