Schleese Saddlery Service

Schleese Saddlefit 4 Life^®

Custom English Dressage Saddles

Celebrating 20 Years of Successful Solutions for Horse and Rider

Let us help you select the
perfect saddle

Discover the Benefits for Trainers and Students

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Saddling up for Competition

With all the technological advancements in veterinary medicine, diagnostic tools, medical treatments and research in equine biomechanics it is no wonder the competition gets tougher and tougher every year. Riders who used to win upper level dressage championships 15 years ago wouldn't make it in the show rings today, if they didn't take advantage of this new information available.

Competitors need to keep up to date with research and advancements in order to keep their competitive edge sharp. Through this new and concrete information, the art and science of saddle fitting continues to evolve. There are several schools of thought on how a saddle should fit, and now research conducted by equine medical centres substantiates or discredits these theories. Equipment such as MRI's, high-powered ultrasound and digital radiology, fibreoptic cameras, and thermography are a few examples of state-of-the-art equipment available to veterinarians, allowing them to better able to pinpoint injury and damage to the equine body. Far too often, ill-fitting saddles are to blame, with symptomatic behaviour attributable to this factor. Behaviour exemplified in this list is a good indicator:

Your Horse…
•     Won’t stand for saddling girthing or mounting
•     Bucks
•     Runs away
•     Tosses head
•     Is hollow-backed
•     Is cold-backed
•     Has dry spots under wet saddle-pad
•     Doesn’t travel downhill well
•     Refuses jumps
•     Is hard to catch
•     Stumbles frequently
•     Acts nicely for a while, then behavior deteriorates
•     Won’t walk calmly
•     “Quits working” mid-season

A few examples of long-term saddle fit damage and causes include:
i) Narrow gullet - results in spinal pressure, causing pain and swelling in the spinal cord.
ii) Incorrect tree angle/width - can impinge withers, affect gait, "nibble" at cartilage (of the scapula), and cause extreme pain. (Horse may show negative behaviour at sight of saddle, act 'girthy'.)
iii) Uneven pressure distribution along panels - can result in muscle atrophy, may also contribute to exhibiting 'cold backed' symptoms.

These are only a few of the complications a horse may experience from an ill-fitting saddle. The importance of knowing your whether and how your saddle fits cannot be stressed enough! Consider saddle-fit as part of your horse's routine healthcare and having it checked at least annually. Your horse will go through a multitude of changes, due to age, growth, development, training, even seasonal changes. Minor adjustments can mean a major difference to his performance and willingness to work.

As you well know, many obstacles can arise when training and conditioning our horses, especially younger ones. Correct saddle-fit will promote proper muscle development, enhance performance, and is important to rule out when dealing with behaviour issues. As your horse develops mentally and physically it is imperative saddle-fit does not interfere with his growth.

As owners, trainers and competitors, understanding saddle-fit should be of utmost importance amongst several healthcare aspects. Saddle-fit to rider is equally important in order to gain your competitive edge, but that is a whole other topic!