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Signs that a saddle doesn't fit

5K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  gottatrot 
#1 ·
We ride the same horse in the same saddle every day, and it's hard to see subtle changes in that time. Changes in behavior, changes in attitude, changes in movement, changes in the way a saddle physically fits.

I'm trying to figure out subtle (or even not so subtle) signs that a saddle doesn't fit. I've been blindsided three times by saddles that didn't fit, and I don't want it to happen again. Part of my problem was that I never saw any really obvious signs of poor saddle fit until the horse had actually started to show physical signs. So I thought I'd put down some signs that I had gathered, and maybe others can add to it. I'm particularly hoping to find subtle cues that I personally missed, so I can keep an eye out for them and hopefully never go through this again.

From my saddle fitter:
- the horse expresses displeasure when saddled or girthed (me: none of my horses ever did this and yet I had three poor-fitting saddles between two of them)
- if put on the horse's back without a pad, the saddle wobbles and rocks

From me:
- the saddle slides forward when being ridden, maybe at the canter more than other gaits
- the horse is more forward when ridden bareback or in another saddle, than when being ridden in the saddle in question
- lameness (of course lameness has many causes) or development of problems with movement

Can anyone else add some more indications of poor saddle fit? Thanks so much...
 
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#2 ·
Un-level... front falls down onto or back raises and stays raised.
The channel, the gullet looks unequal, saddle maybe fine but horse is developing muscle not equal...we are all left or right dominant even in horses.
Go to mount saddle shifts more than it should, yes even if using a mounting block.
Continually find yourself needing to realigning your self in your sweet spot...something is off.
Your riding off balance, suddenly your stirrups need re-balancing to sit evenly.
Saddle is not form fitting your horse..something went wonky. Saddles do mold to the animal, sudden changes is not good.
When you ride you feel like you're going to fall face first, be pitched onto the neck or reverse of that is you can't post without great effort...like clawing out of a hole.


That should add a few more to your list...
:runninghorse2:
 
#3 ·
With my gelding, if he has issues picking up his weaker canter lead in a new saddle, it is always the saddle's fit that is causing him issues. I know he can pick up both leads 99% of the time bareback and in his usual saddle, so the saddle is usually the issue if he is not.

A horse can be more forward or more backward with a poorly fitted saddle - horses do not always present as more backward. Horses may rush away from the discomfort is a saddle is bothering them.

Angry, upset ears when asking for a transition can indicate poor saddle fit, same with a swishing tail.

I'm sure others will have others signs - some horses don't have the usual tell-tale signs of poor saddle fit, as some horses are incredibly stoic when uncomfortable, and some horses are nutheads when uncomfortable.
 
#4 ·
I guess I am old school because I still look at the sweat pattern after riding. If you see dry spots after riding these are areas were the saddle tree is applying concentrated pressure. As I understand it this excess pressure point can inhibit circulation and the horse is not able to sweat. This can sometimes be resolved by changing or the thickness saddle pad or modifying the saddle pad by thinning out the area at the pressure point.
 
#5 ·
Tension when you first sit down on the saddle after mounting, might be displayed as a sudden raising of the head or pinned ears.

A "turtle" feeling from the back, like it is rounding up underneath you. A well muscled, moving back will not feel like you are sitting on a turtle shell. It also should not feel like it dips away under you.

I always look and feel every time I put a saddle on. I make sure it is still able to sit level when I put it behind the shoulder. Sometimes it can be as simple as changing the pad, if you had a well fitting saddle but now it is sitting a bit above the horse's back rather than settling down around it. So the thicker pad you were using may need to be switched for a thinner pad. But if I am in doubt, the first thing I do is remove the pad and look at the saddle without it.

If there is doubt, I will run my hand underneath the bare saddle on the horse to make sure the underside shapes well around the horse with no gaps or bridging. Worst case you might find a sharp, poky area that is digging into the horse.

As I am saddling, I walk around and look at the front and back of the saddle to make sure it is not sitting to one side. After I tighten the girth, I give the saddle a little tug to make sure it fits around the horse like a glove. A saddle that doesn't fit will want to pull over toward you, or even only the front or back will move, which is a sign it does not fit the horse symmetrically.

Between rides, and especially after a longer or harder ride, I palpate the horse's back muscles. They should feel firm but soft, and with more exercise the back should fill in around the spine more. If the saddle fits poorly, the more you ride the more the spine will stand up over the back. A poorly fitting saddle can also create hollows behind or around the withers, and the muscles over the sacroiliac area may become hard knots.

Here's an example of strong back muscles I look for (not an overweight horse, see the second photo).
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Versus a back with muscle atrophy from a poor fitting saddle:
 
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