SADDLE FIT FRUSTRATION: Why Breeding may be to Blame
(This article focuses on Western saddle fitting, but has many points relevant to other types of saddles, as well.) In the old days, a cowboy had a favorite saddle, and every horse he ever rode was likely ridden in that tried and true piece of equipment. He didn’t spend his time fretting about whether the saddle fit a particular horse perfectly or not – he was too busy working in it. Nowadays, responsible horse owners take great care to ensure that their saddle fits their horse properly because we know that a poorly fitting saddle can not only cause pain, but can also diminish performance. With all this concern, our advances in technology and our greater knowledge of biomechanics, you would think that we should be able to fit a saddle far better than our forefathers did. In reality, however, many of us struggle to find a saddle that doesn’t pinch, poke, bridge, rub, slip or tip on our horse’s back. Veterinarians and equine chiropractors report that back issues caused by poorly fitting...