HOW TO: CHECK FOR BACK PAIN AND SADDLE FIT
- horsesclubb
- 4 apr 2019
- Tempo di lettura: 3 min
Having a saddle that’s correctly fitted to your horse is imperative. This helps keep things safe and comfortable for you and your horse. Having one that suits your discipline of riding will also ensure the best opportunity for correct positioning as you ride. Looking after your saddle well will enable it to be used for many years to come.
A saddle that doesn’t fit can make the horse’s back sore, but can also cause back pain in riders. When there is an asymmetries of the back lots of horses present also signs of lameness. A questionaire showed that 43% of horses had saddles that fitted poorly. About 14% of the horses showed saddle slip as they were ridden, and this change in saddle position was significantly associated with hindlimb lameness or other abnormalities in the horses’ gaits. Among the riders, 38% reported back pain. This was associated with riding horses that showed some signs of pain while being ridden and those that had poorly fitting saddles as determined by the visual assessment. Riders who were judged to be sitting in a crooked position were also more likely to report back pain, although it is not clear whether their position was the cause of discomfort. When expert riders were in the saddle, horses were less likely to show back asymmetry than when they were ridden by riders with less experience.
Riders who reported frequent saddle fit checks were more likely to have saddles that fit their horses well, because the body shape of the horse changes as he grows and become more muscular and fit, saddles should be checked for fit on a regular basis. It is also suggested that horse owners, trainers, and riders should make an effort to find out more about checking the fit of their saddles and recognizing signs indicating poorly fitted saddles.
Recognizing the links between back pain, rider straightness, saddle slip, and hindlimb lameness could help riders and horses correct problems and avoid discomfort.
Below you can find some steps to do the check your horse’s back and saddle:
CHECK YOUR HORSE’S BACK
Rest your fingers on your horse's spine and reach your thumb down to the hollow just behind the withers, about four or five inches down on most horses along which you'll test for back pain. Mark the point with your thumb.
Then press into the muscle every inch and a half or two inches along the pathway. If he feels tense and tight, he's sore; if he "splints" his back, he's really sore.
CHECK YOUR SADDLE'S CONSTRUCTION
First check your upside-down saddle for symmetry: The panels should be the same shape and fully stuffed.
Turn your saddle right-side-up and look at it from the front to see that the tree is symmetrical.
Then, looking down on the saddle as you brace it against your thigh, make sure that the buttons are perfectly parallel and that the flaps are straight.
CHECK YOUR SADDLE'S FIT
With your saddle correctly positioned, put your hand underneath and slide your fingers along the panel. If it doesn't feel equally snug from front to back, it's bridging and provocate too much pressure.
To check the fit of the saddle tree, position one crop or dressage whip against your horse's wither and one along the line of the tree. If the tree fits your horse, the whips won't cross.
If they cross above the withers, the tree is too wide. If they cross below, it's too narrow. A new saddle is the only solution.
CHECK YOUR SADDLE'S POSITION
To place your horse's saddle properly, put it up by his withers but then slide it back to where his conformation stops it naturally. That will get the tree off his shoulder blades and leave him free to step out. To check that the saddle's in the right place, look for a flat area on his underside three to five inches behind the elbow, just in front of where his belly starts to widen.
If your girth crosses this spot, the saddle is where it should be.
Thanks for reading!
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