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Saddle Fitting
For more on saddle fitting go to www.saddlefitting.co
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Our saddle fitting objective is to free the horse, balance the rider and evenly distribute the rider's weight. Conventional saddle fitting often overlooks the conformation of the horse. For example; it's no use following the instruction to "put the saddle farther back" when the horse's conformation pushes the saddle into the horse's shoulders (an area of much trouble - small steps, bucking, biting etc.) as soon as the horse moves or the girth is tightened. The saddle fit also has to respond to the moving horse (the standing horse is NOT the same shape as the freely moving horse), and a rigid tree and panels cannot flex to follow the back at all paces (walk, trot, canter and gallop). The FnE saddle fitting process takes all these factors into account. |
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The horse with a conformation which is perfectly bilateral (the same shape on both sides) is most unusual (see this link on Equine Asymmetrical Dexterity) - just like humans. Most horses have some asymmetrical features, some can be seen with the horse standing whereas other asymmetries (lameness for example) only appear when the horse is moving. Asymmetry in the shoulders and rib cage will cause problems when saddle fitting. Riders are often blamed for sitting to one side when the reason is the horse's conformational problem and not the rider's balance problem. Some horse conformational asymmetries are due to discomfort avoidance, and the asymmetry will decrease or correct once the discomfort is removed, others are structural (born that way - just as we humans are). An advantage of the FnE saddle is that it can be adjusted so that it compensates for the horse's conformation asymmetry. |
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Assessing horse conformation for trouble free saddle fit Have we lost the art of assessing whether a horse is suitable as a riding horse?
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Read more? Click here |
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Fitting the horse with asymmetrical rib cage On riding through a left corner the forces on the horse and rider are to the right. |
Read more? Click here |
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This frame from the YouTube video might give the impression that this coloured horse is easy to fit. In fact the owner has had serious saddle fitting problems with many saddles. The FnE saddle with the FnE T-Girth fixed the problems. |
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Saddle Fitting Science "So many riders sit just where their saddle places them" (Dwyer in the 1890s) - the same is true today. |
Read more? Click here |
