Effective saddle fitting to the horse is an exceptionally difficult task. There is no universal method of fitting a saddle to a horse since it depends on many individual factors of both the horse and the rider. The weight of the rider’s body on the horse has to be evenly distributed on the whole length of the saddle. In such a way, you can protect your horse from sad consequences. When the pressure point on the saddle is wrongly put, you can seriously damage the horse’s locomotive organs, which in turn would make it hard for him to move. Ordering a saddle fitting service could help you a great deal.
What is a saddle fitting service?
This service is supposed to improve the horse’s comfort of riding without endangering him to painful consequences. A qualified saddle-fitter makes tailored saddles and checks their usability for riding. At the initial phase of measuring a saddle, the saddle-fitter interviews the rider for the type of riding, the expectations for the saddle considering the complexity and level of training. Then, due to a system of measures, the fitter gathers necessary information about the saddle’s size, adjusting them to the rider and the horse, based on the previously learned knowledge. A qualified saddle-fitter has knowledge and abilities regarding the saddles’ build, humans’ anatomy, and horses’ ways of movement. With the use of professional equipment, the fitter is able to tailor the saddle to each rider’s individual needs and each horses’ back size.
Why is saddle fitting so important
The saddle fitting service ordered before buying a saddle has many assets. The most important one – it is supposed to optimally adjust the saddle’s panel and its shape to the horse’s profile. The horse’s weight changes, e.g. because of an injury and then it is important to re-adjust the saddle. The service offered by the saddle fitter allows you to individually set the withers bar accordingly to the horse’s back build, and set the length of tabs, where the rider puts his/her knees while riding. Usually, when the saddle is wrongly fitted and the work is wrong, the pressure is too great, which might lead to a lack of blood flow at a certain point and cause the rider to lose balance. Wrongly fitted saddle causes the ride to be uncomfortable, as the horse and the saddle do not work in an optimal way. Prolonged use of a wrongly fitted saddle might cause the horse to be unwilling to cooperate with you, but also visible chafing and back pain, further leading to degeneration that would make your horse stop riding altogether. A properly fitted saddle is a guarantee of comfort and protection of your horse’s health.