Friday, June 02, 2006

Does your saddle fit your horse?

Follow the saddle fitting guidelines below... .

Place the saddle , first without a saddle pad, behind the horse's shoulder blades, this will ensure maximum shoulder freedom and comfort.Slide the saddle down and back until the saddle stops sliding.
Run your fingers from the front to the back of the horse's shoulder blades.
Girth up the saddle and check the general fit without the weight of the rider.

-No contact should be on the horse's spine - with or without the riders weight.
-The panels should be in contact with the horse's back from front to back.
-The saddle should rest evenly on the horse's back and should not tilt to the front.
-The rear end of the saddle should not lift from the back of the horse.

If the saddle passes the above criteria then remove the saddle and tack up using the saddle pad that you regularly use. With the rider in the saddle go through the above steps again.

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