From a Veterinarian's Perspective

From time to time, I'd like to feature "guest bloggers" here - people who are interested in saddle fitting from a perspective other than mine. My first guest is Dr. Jennifer Bevilacqua, VMD, VSMT. She and I have consulted on a number of horse and rider combinations, and she has kindly taken the time to share her thoughts (thanks, Jen!):

Do No Harm

The first rule any doctor learns remains consistent throughout every discipline of medicine: Do no harm to your patient. One might consider this statement strange, contemplating why a doctor would desire disservice to her patient. Not the case at all. It’s simply the reminder that you don’t get something for nothing in the world of medicine, and we must all remain aware of the possible side effects of our recommendations. Sometimes that advice comes in the form of prescribed exogenous substances, which carry with them potential side effects. The benefits of consumption can far outweigh the detriments of disease, yet quite often the converse holds true. A similar relationship exists with recommendations given on mechanical devices impeding proper movement of the body such as a bandage, cast, or athletic equipment. Sometimes, it’s something as seemingly innocuous as a saddle placed on the back of a horse.

Why is saddle-fit so important? Similar to our previous example, we could say that a poorly fitted saddle can have a long list of serious side effects, whilst a well-fitted saddle can aid the rider and horse in stability and athletic accomplishment. Over time, compensation for an improperly fitted saddle can cause not only back discomfort, but a decreased range of proper motion to many parts of the body—not just the back. Once in this vicious cycle of compensatory change, it may elude an owner as to why a horse would travel in a particular way, or perhaps behaviorally show discomfort when performing simple tasks. Your equine veterinarian can help to determine the presence of a physical issue and its relation to saddle-fit via physical exam or other diagnostics such as bloodwork or radiographs. A Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapist (VSMT) sometimes referred to as an “animal chiropractor”, can be of great assistance in relieving discomfort and restoring range of motion to a horse’s back. Both practitioners may appropriately note that the saddle and/or girth may play a role in the discomfort of your horse, thus recommending a competent saddle fitter like Kitt. Many times a new saddle is not necessary, and the old saddle can be altered appropriately.

This assessment should be done on a fairly routine schedule, based on factors such as weight gain or loss, level of fitness, or change in riding discipline. We must also not overlook the role a rider plays in how a saddle sets on a back. Always entertain the idea that you may be the issue, and if you are riding in an imbalanced fashion due to habit or injury, you will affect your horse.

This website is an excellent source of information on the particulars of saddle-fit, especially for interactive readers. Kudos to Kitt for taking an assertive role in dispersing quality information to those in need while creating a forum for discussion. For those of you who reserve the right to hold a book in your hand, I recommend The Horses’s Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book by Joyce Harmon, DVM, MRCVS (2004). Dr. Harmon gives a comprehensive review of various aspects of saddle-fitting, while touching on many related topics ranging from conformation to various therapeutic practices and their role in addressing equine back pain. A list I felt worth repeating, found on page 19, allows us to gain insight to the myriad of physical and behavioral symptoms which indicate back pain. Likely we would notice some obvious signs of a poor saddle-fit such as sores or swelling, usually after more chronic insult. If your horse has one or more of these frustratingly ambiguous symptoms however, you might consider a consultation with your veterinarian or VSMT, remembering that a poorly fitted saddle is one of the many causes of back pain:

• ”Cold-backed” during mounting
• Slow to warm up or relax
• Resists work
• Reluctant to stride out
• Hock, stifle, and obscure hind limb lameness
• Front leg lameness, stumbling, and tripping
• Excessive shying, lack of concentration on rider and aids
• Rushes to or from fences, or refuses jumps
• Rushes downhill, or pulls uphill with the front end (exhibits improper use of back or hindquarters)
• Demonstrates an inability to travel straight
• Is unwilling or unable to round the back or neck
• Displays difficulty maintaining impulsion or collection
• Twists over fences
• Falters or resists when making a transition
• Bucks or rears regularly
• Exhibits sudden, decreased speed on the racetrack or in any other timed sport
• Is slow out of the starting gate
• Ducks out of turns, turns wide
• Increases resistance as a riding session progresses

In summary, it behooves us as horseowners to enlist a team of qualified individuals to ensure the proper fit of saddles to our horses’ backs, assuring comfort, lack of restriction, and balanced movement with proper range of motion. This team includes your general equine practitioner, a VSMT practitioner, and an experienced saddle fitter. Perhaps after gaining a deeper understanding of what leads to our horses’ discomforts, we will turn more slowly to the options of drugs or restrictive tack to solve our problems. After all, our goals are all the same: to improve and maintain the comfort, health, and happiness our friend, the equine athlete. As responsible agents for their health we should be confident that the decision to put a particular saddle on our horse’s back has truly done no harm.

Jennifer Bevilacqua, VMD, VSMT, owns and operates The Integrated Equine, LLC in Arlington, VT. The practice offers Spinal Manipulation and Acupuncture as part of an integrative approach to the improved health of the equine. Professional contact should be made at theintegratedequine@yahoo.com.

I Made It!!

The article to which I contributed appeared in this week's issue of the Chronicle of the Horse! Some examples of my photography are in there, too. I'm just absolutely thrilled. I have to give a huge thank-you to Edie Tschorn, who helped (and footed the bill for) me to learn the art and science of saddle fitting. And BIG thanks to Sara Ineson for the loan of her impeccably-cared-for tack for the photos.

Colleen Meyer of Advanced Saddle Fit was the other contributor to the article. Colleen is a Society of Master Saddlers Qualified Saddle Fitter, and I learned quite a bit from her contributions. And Sara Leiser, wonderful article - thanks so much!

Fitting Horse and Rider

"I'm not concerned about how the saddle feels for me - my horse is really hard to fit, so if a saddle works for him, I'll learn to love it."

If I had a quarter for every time I've heard this, I could retire. In style.

Saddle fitting is sort of like marriage: if one partner is unhappy, it won't be long before the other partner is unhappy, too. The saddle must work for both the horse and the rider - end of story. Here's why.

If the saddle fits the rider well, but not the horse, we know what the outcome will be: miserable horse, who will eventually make riding a most unpleasant experience, which will, in turn, make the rider miserable. But what if the saddle's a great fit for the horse, but not so much for the rider?

First, if you're not comfortable in the saddle, you won't be able to ride affectively. Your balance will be off, which will effect your seat and legs, your timing, and your feel, which will make it hard to communicate well, which will make it hard for your horse to perform properly - and those are just the short term issues.

Let's say the saddle fits your horse well, but the twist is too narrow for your comfort, and you're constantly falling forward. This will concentrate all of your weight under the front of the saddle, creating a lot of pressure in a fairly small area. This will not only make it tough for your horse to get off the forehand, it will cause the flocking in the front of the panels to compress; eventually, the rear of the saddle may cease to make proper contact with your horse's back and the cantle may "pop" at the rising trot. Meanwhile, you're becoming increasingly sore and miserable from being constantly unbalanced ... and so is your horse.

Given the number of saddles out there and the number of fitting options available, there's no reason for horse OR rider to be uncomfortable. Most better-quality saddles can be ordered with fitting options for both: specific panel configuration and tree width/shape for the horse, and flap length/set, seat size and thigh/knee block for the rider. Some compaines charge for these options, and some don't, but there's no reason that both beings in the equation can't be comfortable and happy.

Going Into Detail Revisited

Once again, I'm re-posting one of the first blog entries, in an effort to make this blog more useful to the first-time horse owner. (By the way, if anyone knows how to access the archives, please let me know.)


As promised in my last entry, I'm going to go into more detail on the Heavy Seven, and the other issues that come into play.

First, tree width. Yes, the tree has to be the correct width; the points should lie parallel to the horse's back (as illustrated in the previous post). But in some cases, the tree can be the correct width and still not fit properly, because many other things come into play: tree shape, gullet shape, length of tree points and panel configuration all contribute to how well - or how poorly - a saddle fits. For example, let's say that you have a lean, high-withered Tb like this fellow here:




Here he is in a saddle with the correct tree width, but with the wrong panel configuration (too shallow):



As you can see, the saddle's sitting pommel-high; it will put the rider too far back in the seat and concentrate pressure on the rear half of the saddle rather than distributing weight evenly over the surface of the panels. And though you can't really tell it from the photo, there was also insufficient clearance over the wither, and the rider's weight would have caused the saddle to sit directly on the withers. (NOTE: This is one reason that so many horses with this conformation are labelled as "narrow", because without panel modifications, most saddles with the correct tree width will sit on the wither; hence the need to go to a narrower tree for clearance. This just causes more atrophy in the back and makes the horse even harder to fit properly.)

So what would have to be done to the saddle? The panel would obviouosly need to be thicker in the rear, but it would also need to be modified in front; in this case, a wither gusset:




and a dropped or trapezius panel:






The combination of these two panel options will "fill in the dips" below those big withers and lift the saddle up off the wither. The photo below roughly shows - in red - where the weight bearing surface will be on a "standard" panel; the green lines show the weight bearing area of a saddle with a trapezius panel and wither gusset:




UP NEXT: Channel width and panel contact. Stay tuned!

--Posted By saddlefitter to Saddle Fitting - The Inside Journey at 11/30/2008 04:16:00 PM

Parts of the Saddle, Terminology

In my ongoing effort to make this blog a little more user-friendly for the first-time horse owner, I'm going to cover the parts of the saddle and terminology regarding knee rolls/thigh blocks, billeting systems, and the like.

First, the parts of the saddle:

Here's a monoflap saddle (has only one flap instead of an outer flap with a sweat flap underneath, knee/thigh/calf blocks will be external) with overlay or external billets:

Next, let's look under the flap of a standard two-flap saddle. First, a dressage saddle:

Thigh block: On dressage saddles, on the front of the sweat flap; often runs the entire length of the front of the sweat flap

Point billet: Billet attaches to the point of the saddle tree; may emerge through the rear or the end of the thigh block.

Swing or sliding rear billet: “Self adjusting” rear billet attached via a ring to a nylon strap; the nylon strap is attached at the middle and rear of the saddle tree, creating a “V”.

Then, on a close contact (or all purpose) saddle:

Knee roll: On cc and ap saddles; runs the length of the front of the sweat flap.

Knee block: On the top of the sweat flap above the knee; usually triangular shape.

Calf block: On the rear of the sweat flap on some cc and ap saddles.

Next, the front of the saddle:

Gullet: The area under the head (front, pommel) of the saddle.

And now the underside:

Channel: The space between the panels.

Flocked panel- wool (or synthetic fiber) is ‘stuffed’ into the panel. These panels are often the softest of all the panels and break in quite quickly and can be adjusted by adding, shifting, or removing wool.

Swiss panel: Wool flocking encased in felt. These panels can be adjusted by flocking, though not to the degree a plain flocked panel can.

French panel: Foam encased in felt. Can only be adjusted with pads and shims.

Foam panel: Plain foam. As with the French panel, these can only be adjusted with pads and shims.

Close contact saddle: In the States, it's a saddle with a flat seat, square cantle and forward flap that's used for jumping. Elsewhere, the term is used to indicate a saddle of any discipline that has a close "feel".

Dressage saddle: Saddle with a long, straight flap and deeper seat used by dressage riders.

All purpose saddle: This saddle is often used by lower-level eventers and trail riders. The seat is usually deeper than that of a close contact saddle, but not as deep as that of a dressage saddle. The flap is usually more forward than that of a dressage saddle, but not as forward as that of a close contact saddle.

"The Heavy Seven" revisited

Since access to the blog archives seems sporadic, I'm going to re-post my entry, "The Heavy Seven", which covers the seven basic points of saddle fitting.

When it comes to saddle fitting, everyone has an opinion, and it can sometimes be tough to get much of a consensus. Theories abound regarding tree shape, panel shape, foam panels vs. wool flock vs. synthetic flock, you name it - and most fitters will happily debate different viewpoints ad nauseum. But there are seven points regarding saddle fitting put forward by the Society of Master Saddlers that are generally accepted as truths. So here are "The Heavy Seven" (how many of you remember that George Carlin riff?) of saddle fitting.

1) The points of the tree must lie parallel (or within 10% of parallel) to the horse's back - not the shoulder, but the back. Points of the tree and angle of the back are highlighted in red:

This means the tree width is correct. Here is a tree that's too narrow (angles highlighted in green):

#2) There must be even pressure under the tree points from top to bottom. In the photo above, there will be more pressure toward the bottom of the points; if the tree's too narrow, the pressure will be greater at the top of the points.

#3) The channel between the panels must clear the spinous process.

#4) There must be adequate clearance between the gullet and the withers. "Adequate" will vary from horse to horse - sometimes it will be 3 fingers, sometimes 1. "Adequate" just means that the saddle is sitting in correct balance and at no time makes contact with the withers.

#5) Balance of the saddle must be correct, with the deepest part of the seat being the lowest point. Here's a saddle with the balance point too far to the rear as a result of a too-narrow tree:

Here's a saddle with correct balance:

#6) The panels must make even contact with the horse's back, with no bridging or rocking.

#7) The tree of the saddle cannot extend past the 18th thoracic vertebrae, which is the location of the last rib and therefore the last part of the back capable of bearing weight.

So there you have the seven basic points. Next entry, I'll go into greater detail on each point.

For the First Time Horse Owner

I've realized (thanks to one reader's comments) that I've been gearing this blog more toward the experienced horse owner than the first timer, so I'm going to switch gears a bit and cover the real basics. I'm going to re-publish one of my original blog posts, "The Heavy Seven", since it seems unavailable in the archives.

But before I do that, here's the very best advice I can offer the first time horse owner: buying a saddle is a lot like buying a horse - get help from a professional.

1) Find a saddle either with the help of an independent fitter (or through one who reps multiple saddles) or through a reputable shop with a good inventory and a good fitter. This will allow you access to saddles from a variety of saddle makers, which I believe is vital - there's no one company out there that makes a saddle that's perfect for every horse and rider combination, so limiting yourself to one company may not be the best idea. Working with a good fitter should also cut way down on the trial and error process, since the fitter can direct you to the tree shape, tree width, and panel configuration that would most likely work for your horse.

Now, I hear you all asking, "How do I find a reputable fitter?" Word of mouth is usually the best way - if someone's "street cred" is overwhelmingly good (or the reverse), there's usually a reason for it. And while there are companies, associations and schools that will certify people who pass their courses, I'm going to don my flame suit, brace myself, and make a bold statement: it's my belief that not all good fitters are certified, and not all certified fitters are good. Some certification programs, like the Society of Master Saddlers or Mike Scott's program, are very lengthy and detailed and require prior knowledge and experience, and some are not; many of the certification programs offered by saddle companies are geared toward teaching their reps to sell and fit their saddle rather than saddles at large. I'm not certified by any association, though I have learned from certified fitters, and regularly have certified fitters refer clients to me. My mentor (and hero) Patty Barnett - who does all the big scary repairs that I don't have the equipment or know-how to do - spent 5 years apprenticing with Gary "the Saddle Dr." Severson, and she's not certified, either. So my advice would be to put more store in reputation than in certification.

2) Make sure you can try the saddle before you commit to buying it. Some shops will offer you a one-week "ride it like you own it" trial.  Panther Run Saddlery (that would be me) is one, and Equestrian Imports is another.  We want you to put your fittings on the saddle and really ride in the saddle - take a lesson or two, go on a trail ride, whatever it is that you do. You simply can't tell if a saddle's going to fit just by plunking it on your horse while s/he stands in the cross ties. What looks fine there may be a whole 'nother story when you're up and your horse is going, so remember: try before you buy.

Saddle Recommendation for Arabee and Nicole

Next in the series of saddle recommendations are Nicole and her horse Arabee (you can follow their adventures on Nicole's blog: http://www.adventuresonarabee.blogspot.com/). Nicole is doing endurance and wants to find a saddle that will fit better than the one she has now:

As you can see, the saddle's sitting pommel-high; some of that is due to the fact that the saddle's too far forward (I'd like to see it about 3 fingers' width further back, but given Arabee's conformation, I'd bet most saddles tend to slide forward). Another reason it's pommel-high is that the tree is too narrow. In the next photo, I've outlined the angle of the tree in green, and the angle of Arabee's back in red. You can see they don't match up.

The saddle's not a bad fit otherwise, but the tree points can't be comfy for Arabee, and Nicole likely feels thrown into the back seat due to the pommel sitting so high.

So let's take a look at Arabee "nekkid":

She's a nicely compact little mare with a moderate wither and some curve to her back. She's a tad rump-high and has a well-sprung rib cage - both will contribute to a saddle wanting to move forward. She also has a broad back:
Ideally, I'd like to see Arabee in a saddle with an shallow gusseted, upswept - the upsweep will keep the panels from extending past T18, and the gusset will give a broader bearing surface to the bottom of the panel, and a shallow gusset will keep it from sitting too high in back. A full front gusset might help keep the saddle back, as well.

I would definitely not recommend an extended panel, such as you find on the Wintec endurance saddle - unless Nicole rides in a really tiny seat (like 15"), I'd be afraid an extended panel would A) extend past T18, and B) I'd be afraid it would poke and / or rub, since Arabee's a bit butt-high.

I'd like to see a hoop tree on this mare, too. In the photo below, both "gullets" are the correct width, but notice how differently they compare to her back. The standard tree gullet is in turquoise, and the hoop tree gullet in pink.

Here's the catch: Nicole (like mostly everyone else out there today) is on a budget and needs to keep the price as far under $1000.00 as possible, and most saddles in this price range don't offer a ton of fitting options. So we're going to do the best we can to maximize comfort for everyone and still stay within budget. Nicole could try to find a used leather saddle - I'd recommend looking into a Duett Fidelio or perhaps a Duett Companion Trial, though I'd worry that the tree on the Companion Trail might be too flat for Arabee's back. A used Frank Baines Enduro or Enduro LDR would be worth considering as well. or perhaps an older County Competitor (I'm mentioning dressage saddles here because many of my endurance and competitive trail customers ride in dressage saddles - they either order them with dee rings, or have me retrofit them). Arabian Saddle Company also makes a trail saddle, and that would be another avenue to try.

However, given Nicole's budget, her chosen discipline, and Arabee's conformation, I'd recommend trying a Thorowgood Cob or Broadback, either the a/p or dressage models. Even brand new, they're in her price range, they offer a changeable gullet, and in my experience, they're a good, reliable saddle. They also have a more hoop-shaped gullet plate, which will work better for Arabee. (The reason I'm not recommending a Wintec Wide is because their gullet plates are just flattened-out versions of their standard gullet plates - the turquoise-colored gullet in the photo above is a PhotoShopped version of a plate from the Wintec Wide). And being synthetic, Nicole can kiss leather maintenance goodbye - the Thorowgoods I mentioned are synthetic, and wash up with soap and water. No more worries about being caught in the rain!

Next up: Finding a saddle for the first-time horse owner.

So Many Topics

I want to thank everyone who's commented and sent photos - sometimes finding a good topic to write about isn't quite as easy as I had (somewhat naively) thought it would be, and I really appreciate the input. This blog is meant to be an educational tool, so knowing what people want to learn about is a great help.

I will get to everyone's questions, topics and photos as soon as I can, though it may take a little time. In the meantime, please keep the input and photos coming!

Saddle Recommendation for Tipperary and Renn Goldberg

Here's our first "Saddle Recommendation" installment, and thanks to Renn Goldberg for patiently complying with my photo requests.

This is Renn's boy, Tipperary. He's a 15.2 1/2 h. Irish Sport Horse, whom Renn describes as having a "big ribcage and a gigantic shoulder":

My initial impression here is a nicely balanced horse, just a tad rump-high, fairly short back. Girth spot is decently long, and I can see what Renn means about a big shoulder and a well-sprung rib cage. Tip has a moderate wither and while he's not completely flat front-to-back, he's not going to need a lot of curve or "scoop" in the tree. The saddle should have a fairly shallow rear gusset and possibly (depending on seat size) an upswept panel.

Now let's look at the rest of Tip's back. Just FYI, that white spot on Tip's wither is NOT Renn's doing - it was there when she bought him:

Tip is a little bigger on the left than the right (left shoulder more developed, left haunch higher), which isn't unusual. All horses (like all people) have a preferred side, and that side will be more muscular (and often less flexible - they'll bend to the left with no problem, but going to the right is tougher because they have to stretch that muscled side). From a saddle fitting standpoint, it's not a big deal unless this is a chronic issue that won't be changing, and then we'd most likely deal with it through flocking adjustments. However, I'm guessing that this is a stage he's at in his development, and it will change.

Though it's hard to tell for sure without a tracing (or without getting my hands on his back), I think Tip can be fit with a fairly generous standard tree - I don't think a hoop tree will be necessary; he doesn't appear to be that broad through the withers. Again, a panel with a fairly shallow gusset would offer a nice broad weight-bearing surface for his nice, broad back without making it sit too high in the cantle.

Now for Tip's sides:

This looks pretty straightforward - no major dips or divots (small one below the wither on the left side), so probably wouldn't need wither gussets or a trapezius panel (can't tell for sure without a tracing). So, based on the photos and Renn's description, my recommendation would be a Black Country Quantum. Since Renn's femur is about 14" and the Quantum has a flap that will accommodate a long thigh, a 16.5" seat might work, or perhaps a short flap option would be worth investigating.

Some other possibilities for Renn and Tip would be a Frank Baines Reflex cc, a County Stabilizer, or one of Albion's close contacts.

Renn, thank you so much for being the first. And if you'd care to send a tracing, I'll make further recommendations.

New Feature - Thanks to CotH BBers!

I picked up a wonderful idea from the BBers at the Chronicle of the Horse forums, and - with your help, dear readers - will feature it regularly. If you'd like to e-mail me some photos of your horse, I'll make recommendations on which saddles and / or fitting options I'd chose as being the best candidates for your horse. And if you'd care to send a tracing (you'll have to snail-mail that, since any other method distorts the tracing and renders it useless), I'll even make recommendations on tree width.

Anyway, here are the photos I need:

First, a good conformation shot:

Next, these views of your horse's back:

I think this will be a fun, informative feature - I'm looking forward to it.

It's A Flocking Thing (Wooly Thoughts) ...

I get calls like this: "Hi, this Joe Doe. I got a saddle from you a year ago, and it was great for a while, but it's not fitting now."

ME: "Is this a wool or foam-flocked saddle?"

JD: "Wool."

ME: "Have you had a fitter take a look at it and make adjustments?"

JD: "Um, no. Was I supposed to?"

My bad here. I dropped the ball and didn't pass necessary info on to my clients. I just assume that people know that wool-flocked saddles have to have the fit checked after about 10 hrs. of riding, and adjusted as necessary. Well, we all know what "assume" makes ... and in this case, it can also make a horse back-sore.

So I'm telling you all (and am reminding myself to tell my clients) that a wool-flocked saddle needs that kind of maintenance. It's sort of like changing the oil in your car - it needs to be done periodically to keep things running smoothly. After the initial adjustment, it should be checked again in a few months - it sometimes takes a couple of fitting adjustments to initially fine tune the fit. After that, the fit should be checked (and adjusted if necessary) every 6-12 months, depending on how often the horse is ridden and on the horse's level of training and development.

And at some point down the road, you'll need to have a total reflock - a "strip flock" - done. Wool compacts and loses its resilience, and - if subjected to enough constant pressure - will actually felt up. Here's what new wool looks like - I get this lovely stuff from Alan Powell at Saddler's Bench (they make our Killington close contact saddle):

It's soft and fluffy and free of knots and lumps, highly resilient and very cushy.

And here's what old wool looks like:

Admittedly, this is an extreme case. This wool came out of an ancient (think 30 yr. old) Stubben that had never had any work done on it. The wool used here is remnant wool from the garment and upholstery industries - hence the multiple colors. But even the lovely wool that I use will become matted and lumpy over time, and will need replacing.

How often? Again, it depends on how often (and in what conditions) you ride, and how often and how radically the flocking has been adjusted. Some saddles can go five to ten years before needing a strip flock, and some need it after only a few years. I think my record holder for needing a strip flock the soonest is Jenny Kimberly, a local endurance / competitive trail rider. Jenny literally rides thousands of miles a year in all kinds of weather, and her mare Lyric changes condition from the beginning to the end of the season, and her saddle needs flocking adjustments as a result. Her saddle needed a strip flock after only 3 years.

By the way, even if your saddle is foam flocked, the fit should be checked at least once a year - or more often if you notice changes in balance or in your horse's way of going. With foam, the tree width can be altered, but other fitting adjustment have to be made with shims and corrective pads. But whichever you have in your saddle, find a knowledgeable fitter to take a look periodically - your horse will thank you.