Saddle Fit :: Nixon Equine Vets

Author: Stewart Hastie MRCVS (Nixon Equine Veterinary Practice)

Stewart was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Society of Master Saddlers in January 2007; he is the only veterinary surgeon to have received this prestigious award for contribution (vet input) to saddle fitting.

Correct Saddle Fit Information

The following information is intended only as a guide to correct saddle fit. It is not intended to replace the use of a saddle fitter. We always recommend using a qualified saddle fitter (QSF) when choosing and fitting a new or used saddle.

A QSF will be willing to explain the saddle fitting to an owner and advise how he / she can regularly re-assess the horse / saddle compatibility. It should be remembered that whilst a new or a re-flocked saddle should quickly bed down to give a correct fit, both the horse and to a lesser extent the saddle, may change over time. This is most likely with condition change following work, associated feeding and increasing physical fitness.

We therefore suggest that an owner carries out a simplified check in between the professional visits arranged and carried out by the QSF. He will initially describe and demonstrate these to the owner.

The 7 "amateur" checks

Saddled and girthed but held in hand (no numnah): 1. Does the saddle appear to sit level back to front and side to side when viewed from the ground with the horse standing four square on level hard ground and does the depth of the seat profile seem horizontal from the side and the panels level from behind at the cantle.; 2. Do the arms of the points lie parallel to the slope of the sides of the pommel area of the horse, just behind the shoulders with the panels equidistant from the top line.; 3. Can you swipe your flattened fingers under the panels (with flaps lifted) from pommel to cantle in an uninterrupted level contact with the leather.
Mounted (with usual numnah): 4. Is there a clear space between mid arch and the top line of the withers.; 5. Do you feel centered front to back and side to side.
Ridden (all gaits): 6. Do you feel centered front to back and side to side (assuming you sit balanced and centered to begin).; Are you pushed off centre so that you feel the need to reposition yourself and your saddle when you ‘halt’. Does the saddle rock at canter and rising trot.; If in doubt consult your QSF.

Qualified saddle fitters (QSF)

Whilst it is not illegal for a lay person to fit a saddle to a horse, it is strongly recommended that only a qualified saddle fitter (QSF) be used. The QSF will take into consideration not only the profile of the horse’s back, but some 15 other features of horse and rider in selecting the saddle tree and saddle “cut”. The QSF will request to see the new (or altered) saddle in use in all gaits, to determine that both rider and horse are happy and well balanced. Careful records will be made of all relevant findings, for future reference. Advice will be given regarding optimal times for subsequent checks, e.g. flocking takes time to settle and leather to lose some stiffness. Do not forget that the saddle has to be “broken in” like a new pair of boots.

It must be appreciated that whilst a horse’s conformation doesn't change, its condition will, primarily with feeding and work and later, to some extent with age. This should be seen as the horse no longer fitting the saddle. Most horses develop unequal, side-to-side muscle bulk; this asymmetry becomes apparent, especially along the back. Not only is the saddle likely to lose balanced contact with the rider's seat but also the horse straightness in action, resulting in unbalanced riding. A vicious circle!

Such asymmetry can also arise in horses for physical reasons usually associated with a varying degree of pain and consequent evasion. Back discomfort is a frequent consequence for which the saddle is wrongly blamed. The QSF may suspect this, but in our experience veterinary input should be recommended. Conversely it is not the job of the vet (or other adviser) to blame the saddle; not being qualified to do so. However the vet might be suspicious that there is a developed saddle fault and then advise that the QSF be called in; preferably in consultation.

Saddlery trade association

The Society of Master Saddlers (CEO Mrs Hazel Moreley) web site address is www.mastersaddlers.co.uk. Membership is by assessment and / or examination by an elected committee, selected panel of senior members and by nominees from related disciplines. Of the several membership classes two are directly relevant to saddle fitting: 1) Master Saddlers: manufacturers and retailers and 2) Qualified Saddle Fitters (QSF): associates by examination, they may also be of prior master saddler status. It is usually a QSF who professionally fits (or re fits) saddles under the authority of the Society’s ruling body. Some are employees of retailers. Others are freelance; access to different manufacturers’ products is thus variable.

The saddle

Saddle tree: The basis or foundation of all saddles, except for flat race horses, is the tree. Its function is to provide a framework for the saddle furnishings, thereby ensuring an equal distribution of weight over the bearing surfaces in the final product.The tree is constructed to meet British Standard specifications as it is an engineered, fixed item. Its form can be specifically designed to meet differing inherent conformation and equine disciplines.
Saddle furnishings: The furnishings of the saddle are of leather, or man-made fibres, which are flexible and variably resilient, so cannot be expected to maintain a quantifiable standard. The flocking of the weight bearing panels will alter with time and use. Conversely they can be adjusted to meet the natural changes in the horse’s condition, its fat and muscle components and the leather’s stretching. They can also be customised in form to suit the rider’s shape and specific equitation expectations.