Don't you hate those three sided mirrors in Department store dressing rooms that have harsh, bright white lighting? You know the ones. You walk in with a new outfit (that just happens to be your color AND on sale) and you're feeling good. You walk out questioning body image and needing a good therapist. Good market research is priceless. Hence, why some department stores have cleverly put in slimming mirrors, soft warm lighting, and sized their clothing lines so that a true size 10 is marked size 8 on the rack. KA-CHING! If it makes you feel good, you're more likely to buy it. That's the bottom line.
There's another bottom line that I think is more important but, often completely overlooked. What happens when the shopper brings home that new outfit only to find out it doesn't quite look as good it did in the dressing room? Does she return it? Does she complain about the quality? Bad mouth the store? Worse yet, does she become depressed and blame herself for eating that extra piece of cheesecake for dessert? The aftermath is usually not pretty.
I think the same holds true for saddle fitting. Over the last several years we read more and more about proper saddle fit for the horse. What a relief! Countless horses lived their lives out with white saddle marks, saddle sores, and a variety of physical ailments prior to this and it was just a shame that so few considered their comfort. Due to the concerted effort by proponents of natural horsemanship to correctly size the saddle to the horse, new designs in saddle trees, and the advent of flexible ones, our horses are now more comfortable than ever. A quick google search will show that there are resources everywhere about correct saddle fit. A rider can purchase wither pads, inserts, and high tech pads that can help alleviate saddle sores and pressure points further adding to comfort and leaving a little more room for saddles that don’t fit exactly perfect. It's a huge step in the right direction. Conversely, there is very little written about proper rider fit. Until recently, saddle size has only been about personal preference. Which would be fine if everyone rode properly in the saddle and all horses rode comfortably (and well) under saddle. This is rarely the case.
I’ve spoken before, in these blogs and elsewhere, to many people that express problems they’re having with their horse and or riding. As a giant proponent of groundwork, I almost always ask how their horse is on the ground and if they are able to do everything with ease in the round pen or on the ground first before I mention more training, chiropractors, and other issues that may impede performance. But, another thing occurred to me recently, as I remembered the difference in my own riding and control when I moved to a larger seat size. I had owned a cute Billy Cook barrel saddle that I thought was pretty nice...until I warmed up a horse for George McGuire. (George is a quiet old cowboy that is well known in Southeast Oklahoma as an incredible horseman, former bull and bronc rider, and tell it like it is horse trainer.) He had an old Billy Cook roping saddle that had a 16” seat. My first thought was how well this horse was coming along. My second thought was how comfortable I was in his saddle and how I didn’t look all squeezed into it. It took only moments to realize that my saddle was hampering my riding and consequently, it was also hampering my horse’s performance.
His horse wasn’t trained any differently than mine. In fact, his horse that day was very green. We had done all the groundwork/breaking together. This particular gelding had even less saddle time than mine and my filly only had about 6 or 7 rides up to that point. The horse was comfortable, relaxed, ready to build brains. I was comfortable and in the proper riding position to give effective cues. I quickly swapped saddles out on my horse and lo and behold, my filly moved like a horse that was comfortable and ready to learn. It couldn’t be that easy, so I thought?
Being an information junkie, I had to do some research and find out about proper saddle fit for the rider. One of the best articles comes from the Utah State University Extension Office. You can read the entire article here. http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/AG_Equine_2008-06pr.pdf
I’ve highlighted a few diagrams that I think speaks volumes about how a rider is supposed to fit in a saddle.
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| ~Photo Courtesy of Utah State University Extension Office |
Now, for the sake of time and space, I am going to oversimplify the process of fitting the rider to the seat. Different disciplines require different saddle cantle heights, higher or lower swells, deeper or lower seat pockets, and more, but, these things aside I still believe that many riders are riding in saddles that don’t fit well. This doesn’t even include the important elements of stirrup length, leg position, or correct posture as essential components in considering fit.
Take a good look at your position in your saddle next time you mount up. And ask yourself at least these questions. Better yet, have someone take a picture of you in your saddle on your horse and look closely at your position then answer these questions.
Are your legs hanging naturally so that your shoulder, point of hip, and heels are all aligned?
If not, can this be remedied (comfortably) by an adjustment in the stirrup length?
If yes, great.
If not, check to see if there only three or four finger widths between the swell and your body.
If there’s not, your saddle may be too small.
If there’s more than four finger widths, your saddle may be too large.
Are there about four finger widths behind your butt and the cantle?
If not, your saddle may be too small.
If there’s more than that, your saddle may be too big.
“A seat that is too big will put the rider’s seat behind the stirrup position causing the rider to ride behind the horse’s motion. If the seat is too small, the rider will be uncomfortable as there will not be enough room for the seat or legs.” ~Utah State University Extension Office
Finally, imagine your saddle is that stunning outfit. It looks great in the tack store. It’s the perfect color. You love the leather. It’s a size 14.5”. You’ve convinced yourself that it fits you and your horse but, once you get it home you feel like you are constantly falling forward despite the fact that it is the exact gullet and tree your horse was fitted for. At that point, do you complain about the saddle company? Vow to never shop at that tack store who sold it to you again? Do you go through several trainers, an equine chiropractor, or worse yet, do you sell your horse because he or she just isn’t measuring up to your expectations under saddle?
Training, schooling, and riding horses is difficult enough without poor saddle fit as a factor? We think you can eliminate this as a possibility quite easily with just a little time and patience. Why not, instead, try a different saddle? One that fits both you and your horse? See if that makes a difference. Sit in a few saddles at your local tack store. Talk to professional saddle fitters. Try out your friends’ saddles and different makes and models. Measure the distances between you and the swell and you and the cantle. Look at your position. Listen to your horse. And in no time, you’ll be riding around in a saddle with the perfect seat size. And as for me.., a larger saddle did make my butt look smaller. :)
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