Saddle Fitting - Overview

Many of the 'problems' I see are the result of poorly fitted saddles. You don't need to ride in a badly fitted saddle for long to do some real damage to your horse's back and pay the price with the resulting behaviour.

Fortunately you also don't need to be a saddle fitter or purchase a $5,000 saddle to be safe either. In this series of videos, Tony, master saddler from Brighton Saddlery, Sydney, talks us through the quick steps to determine whether or not your saddle fits your horse.

It is, as Tony explains, mostly common sense but there are a few points that will immediately tell you whether or not you need to engage a professional - saving you time and money!

Purpose

These videos are not a saddle fitting course, however they will teach you how to recognise whether or not your saddle fits your horse.

Things to Remember:

  1. Poorly fitted saddles are one of the main causes of dangerous behaviour such as bucking.
  2. A horse that is hurting will not be learning anything that you want it to know!
  3. You don't have to be an expert to look quickly at a saddle and know whether or not it fits.
  4. If, after following these videos you decide that your saddle doesn't fit well then you can get an expert in to help you.
  5. Remember that if your saddle doesn't fit, let's say it is too narrow for the horse, and you put on a nice thick pad to protect the horse, then you have just made that saddle even MORE narrow - resulting in even more problems.
  • ISES Training Principles Poster
    ISES Training Principles Poster

    Download your copy of the International Society for Equitation Science's (ISES) Training Principles Poster here.

  • ISES Code of Conduct
    ISES Code of Conduct

    Download your copy of the International Society for Equitation Science's Code of Conduct. Parts of this document are particularly applicable to those of you that compete or hold events.