If you’re reading this article, you’re likely on the road that has detoured you away from the “Ignorance is Bliss” highway. Any of us who want to be the best and do the best for horses gets on this path at some point and let me warn you- it’s a bumpy one. Once the clouded vision of ignorance has cleared you’ll never be able to not see the blaring obvious signs of mismanagement practices in the horse world. It can be disheartening at times, but without this detour from the main highway of unknowing, the equine industry would never progress and the blessing of horses in our lives would likely diminish and be eliminated altogether. When we apply pressure to industry leaders, trainers, and owners to be better and understand the horse thoroughly, we end up decreasing the number of horses in pain, fear, and abusive situations. This all starts from a place of knowledge and understanding- and proper saddle fit is no exception.

There are many physical and behavioral signs that a saddle does not fit a horse. A horse that bucks, rears, swishes his tail, or displays any of the other signs of pain when under saddle are all ways in which the horse is telling us that the saddle might not be fitting them correctly. A horse that has white marks on either side of the withers is a sign that an ill-fitting saddle has been used for a very long time; white marks indicate nerve damage, causing the pigment in the hair follicle to die, resulting in white hair growing in that spot. Horses that “bloat out” or are “cinchy” when you go to tighten the girth is a very strong indication that the saddle has been uncomfortable. I’ve met many horses that will actually bite the handler when the saddle is put on or when the girth or cinch is tightened, and in some cases, bite the legs of the rider when they get on. A horse that won’t stand still at the mounting block or tends to walk away when mounting from the ground are possible signs of the horse anticipating discomfort when the weight of the rider is in the saddle. 

Understanding a basic knowledge of saddle fit and the anatomy of how a horse carries weight will be very helpful in creating harmony with your horse- you’ll be quicker to identify discomfort and (hopefully) eliminate it with changes to the saddle.

Whether you are a Western, Dressage, Jump, Hunter Jumper, or Side-Saddle rider, it is necessary to understand the basics of how a saddle should fit a horse, regardless of the type of saddle that you put on. 

I like to talk about anatomy in most of my articles, mostly because the anatomy of the horse is the ground zero knowledge base that is necessary in order to try and not cause harm to the horse when managing and interacting with them. And saddle fit is no exception to this trend of mine. A saddle, when fit incorrectly to the horse, can cause irreparable damage to nerves, unwanted behavior in the horse, and increased risk to the rider. So let’s quickly discuss the anatomy of the horse’s back and where a saddle interacts with it.

The horse’s spine is broken up into 5 sections. After the skull, you have the cervical vertebrae, which make up the neck, followed by the thoracic vertebrae, which is where your saddle would fit, then the lumbar, and finally the sacrum & coccygeal (tail bones). The saddle has an effect on the thoracic section, which includes the wither and shoulders, and, if a saddle doesn’t fit the horse correctly, the lumbar area. Ultimately, when a horse is in constant discomfort with a saddle, it can have an effect on the entire body.

Ask the Experts: Schleese Saddlery

Schleese Saddlery is the leader in saddle and rider fit. Not only is this the first saddle maker to take female anatomy into consideration when making saddles, they are consistently conducting research to improve their product and have the saddles with the lowest amount of pressure on the horse's back. They have many videos on YouTube that go into detail about assessing saddle fit and offer saddle fit consultations and clinics. You can view their library of information here and here. I won’t dive too deep into detail in this article, but I will reiterate on a synopsis level what to consider when evaluating the fit of your saddle. 

1. Saddle Balance- The saddle should sit on the horse so that it is not tilted too far forward or backwards in a way that affects the point of balance for the rider. A saddle that is tilted forward will offset the rider’s balance forward, putting more pressure into the front of the saddle, and vice versa. 
2. Wither clearance - There should be a 2-3 finger clearance all the way around between the wither of the horse and the underside of the swell. This will make sure that the saddle never comes into contact with the withers. Pressure to the withers can cause a lot of pain and discomfort to the horse and will open the door to a lot of lameness issues.
3. Gullet Channel Width - The gullet channel allows for the spine to not be touched by the saddle, and instead distributes the weight of the rider to the appropriate areas of the horse’s back. Pressure to the spine can interfere with sensitive nerves and cause performance issues to the horse.
4. Panel Contact - The panels of the saddle should sit on the horse with even contact all the way through in order to distribute weight appropriately. There should not be any hollow spots between the horse’s back and the panels or disproportionate pressure anywhere. 
5. Billet Alignment - The attachment point for the latigo should allow for the latigo and cinch to hang perpendicular and align with the horse’s girth grove. If this alignment is off, it will cause the saddle to move forward on the horse's back and will impede on the sensitive areas of the shoulder cartilage and withers. 
6. Length of Saddle- The pressure of the bars should not interfere with the shoulder cartilage and/or lumbar. The flare of the bars can extend past these points as long as it is not applying pressure to the sensitive areas.
7. Straightness of Saddle - Sometimes the tree of the saddle gets warped, or our horse themselves is asymmetrical. Either way, the saddle should be straight and parallel with the horse’s spine. You can check this by looking at the saddle from the back, looking towards the horn. The center of the saddle and the horn should align perfectly. If it doesn’t, it could be causing uneven pressure on the horse
8. Tree Angle & Width - The angle of the tree bars is probably one of the most important characteristics to look for when assessing fit. The bar angles should be the same angle as the horse’s shoulder. Angles that are steeper than the shoulder will cause pinching and damage to the shoulder cartilage, along with lameness issues in the horse. An angle that is wider than the shoulder will allow the saddle to sit too wide on the horse and not place the weight bearing surface of the saddle on the appropriate parts of the back.

Check, Re-Check, and Re-Check Again

Once you have a saddle that fits you and your horse well, you still have to remember to check saddle fit periodically. Changes in fitness/muscle, weight, and age can all play a role in how a saddle fits. Our horses age and have changes in their fitness levels which can have an effect on how a saddle will fit them. Major accidents or improper saddle husbandry can affect the tree or panels, causing it to warp or break, deeming it no longer usable. I highly recommend using a reputable saddle fitter to make sure the saddle you’re using is appropriate for your horse. Many saddle makers are incorporating innovations into their saddles that allow for the saddle to have some degree of change in width and angle of the bars. Although you might be paying more for this type of saddle, it likely would save you money in the long run from having to buy multiple saddles over the course of the horse’s career.

Anytime you notice a change in behavior in your horse when under saddle, that’s a very good indication that you need to stop and analyze the fit of all the tack and equipment you use in order to rule out pain or discomfort in the horse. Remember, horses are truth tellers and don’t have the ability within their brain to purposefully “be naughty” when under saddle. Bucking, crow hopping, rearing, swishing tail, grinding teeth, ears pinning, and reluctance to move forward are all ways in which our horse is telling us they are not comfortable. Never punish a horse for telling you the truth. Always default to questioning what external factors are causing the undesirable behavior in the horse.

And remember my mantra, “Once you know better, do better”.