Schleese Saddlery Service

Custom English Dressage & Jumping Saddles

Who's Built Best to Ride?

Human Anatomy Part I

It has always been puzzling why some women and some men seem to have had an inherent ability to ride. Excelling in their discipline, they would go on to become FEI riders and trainers. Others seem to have every advantage - a good horse, natural athletic ability, discipline to train, and yet - something is missing.

About 15 years ago Dr. Deb Bennett (see bottom of this article for website address) wrote an article for Equus Magazine discussing just this phenomenon. This was an in-depth study of the comparative muscular/skeletal structures of men and women, and how these differences related to riding ability. Dr. Bennett's conclusion was that women may have a conformational disadvantage, but with exercises and muscular development could compensate and achieve a similar position on horseback to the male.

Especially in dressage it is difficult for women to achieve the classic "shoulders-hipsheels" straight line, due to the fact that the articulation of female hips are different than a man's. It is painful to sit on the pubic bone, and as a result, most women 'collapse' at the hip to escape the pain. The leg shoots forward, and time is spent fighting the position instead of concentrating on riding. Position and balance of the rider are the key ingredients in all riding disciplines; in dressage more so than in other disciplines, because the majority of time is spent sitting. The seat bones are the key structure for the foundation of position and balance.

For men, this does not provide the obstacle it does for the majority of women. Men have two “V” shaped seat bones set close together, giving them a bipod axis. Although the saddle manufacturer has in the past afforded special attention to that skeletal structure, it is not as complex as the woman’s requirements. Unfortunately, too many women ride in saddles built for men, which is why you often have a “chair
seat” as a result.

Women have a broad range of hip shapes, all of which need to be accommodated when constructing a saddle. Unlike the “V” shaped man’s seat bones, women’s are usually flat. In addition, women have a more prominent pubic bone. This combination of three skeletal structures causes a woman to sit as on a tripod. Herein lies the problem for most women - unless the pelvis is straight, the pommel of the saddle
interferes with the pubic bone, and unless the abdominal muscles are used, it is almost impossible to sit correctly in a saddle.

The traditional ‘male’ saddles are built fairly widely in the crotch area, but are narrow in the seat. Women find themselves sitting with their legs pushed outwards from the hip, and painfully sitting on the seat seaming. The anatomy dictates that the structure for women should be exactly opposite – narrow in the crotch area and wider in the seat area.

(for a link to Dr. Deb Bennett's article copy this address into your browser) www.equinestudies.org/knowledge_base/built_to_ride.html

Male and Female Pelvis

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