Saddle Placement.

It is a common misconception that placement of the saddle must not be too far back, this comes from myths that the saddle will affect the kidneys.

It’s an outdated concept with no scientific backing whatsoever, the kidneys of the horse actually lie under about 4 inches of soft tissue under the surface of the back. If the saddle was, therefore, pressing on the kidneys, there are serious saddle fitting issues.

What is true, however, is that the loins are a sensitive area that do need to be looked after. Contrary to previous beliefs, placing the saddle too far forward will not achieve this, it will only lead to further issues.

Placing a well-fitting saddle too far towards the withers can impede the movement of the horse’s shoulder and the saddle will lean back on itself, so problems arise where the back end of the saddle sits.

It is my normal practice, during initial assessment, to assess how a horse’s saddle fits; I am not a trained saddle fitter, but my knowledge as a physiotherapist means I can give some advice about saddle fit, linking it to a horses anatomy and physiology. I often find that horses have a perfectly fitting saddle, but there are still symptoms, such as trigger points, of an ill-fitting saddle. Therefore, more recently I have started to ask clients to tack up, so that I can see where they are placing their saddle. And of course, this is what has triggered me to write this blog post.

Any sort of tilt in the saddle, caused by it being placed incorrectly, will cause the saddle to form a bridge between the shoulders and the area that the saddle meets under the back panel. Add a rider’s weight to the scenario and further pressure is put down the back point of the saddle.

How can this be avoided?

Place the saddle 2 inches behind the shoulder.

To help maintain the saddles shape and prevent it from putting pressure on the horse’s withers, there are two points at the front of the tree. The points are in place to direct the pressure away from the withers and down the horse’s side, behind the shoulders. A saddle placed too far forwards will rub against the horse’s shoulder blades with each movement of the front limbs.

The repercussions of the ill placed saddle can lead on to complications such as pain and injury along the horse’s shoulders or back, or a horse that displays ‘girthy’ behaviours or even bucks the rider off because of the associated pain.