Saddle Fit

Do you feel comfortable in your saddle?

Does your horse feel comfortable in your saddle?

Could your horse perform better?

Does your horse dislike jumping or walking down hills?

Do you have a problem getting your horse to go in an outline?

Does he stand still when you try to mount?

Does he bite you when you do the girth up?

Does your horse put his ears back when you walk towards him with the saddle, or try to move away?

Does he nap, rear or buck?

The above are all things that could be related to poor saddle fitting which can be due to your horse changing shape, maturing, becoming very fit or having sustained an injury. Horses can also sometimes build up uneven muscles due to injury and this too will alter saddle fitting.

Things to cheek to see if your saddle fits:

1.	Does your saddle look evenly balanced from the side?

2.	Can you easily run your hand down the side of the saddle between the shoulder and the saddle?

3.	Is there between 2 to 4 fingers clearance at the pummel when the saddle is under weight?

4.	Does your saddle stay still when you are riding? i.e. check it does not roll from side to side, bounce on the horses back or slip forwards or backwards.

5.	Do your saddle panels have contact with the horse’s back all the way along?

6.	If you place the saddle on the horse’s back without girthing it and put your hand on the pummel or the cantle is it stable? i.e. it should not rock easily from back to front.

7.	Does your saddle slip to one side?

If you answer 'No' to any of the questions in 1 to 6 then you need your saddle checked.

If you answer 'Yes' to question 7 then you need the horses back checked by a qualified professional before a saddle fitter is called out.

Saddle Exchange are specialist saddle fitters and suppliers of Reactor Panel saddles that have very large weight bearing panels and adjustable fittings that have proved to be effective on horses with severe back problems, including broken withers and severe muscle wastage. These saddles are successfully used in endurance riding as well as other sports.

Saddle Exchange are also producers and fitters of The Native Pony Saddle Company range which specialises in fitting wide ponies, cobs and horses. Our latest range also includes an SE Comfort range with gel filled panels for extra comfort for both horse and rider. The gel filled panels give free movement of the shoulders for the horse.

For more details on all these saddles and Saddle Exchange Ltd

look at www.saddleexchange.com