Selecting a saddle.

Which saddle would you choose?

Ensuring that you select the right horse riding saddle for your horse is vital. It not only affects the position in which you sit on your horse, and therefore can be beneficial in preventing back ache or muscle paid, but it also affects the horse. No responsible horse owner would want him to be in discomfort and pain and so choosing the best saddle is very important.

You can look for expert advice from a responsible horse tack shop or saddler who will measure your horse and recommend the saddles that they think are most appropriate, but as with most things worthwhile, this service costs money. However, I highly recommend this service as it ensures that you will not be causing any distress to your horse when you ride him.  Should you be dealing with a tack shop out of your locality, they should be able to tell you how to get the right measurements so that they can then advise you on an appropriate saddle.

Positioning the saddle.

Once you’ve purchased the correct saddle it’s important to remember that positioning  the saddle on your horse’s back is also vital in ensuring your horse is comfortable when ridden. There are three main muscles in the horse’s back which can be affected by the use of a badly positioned saddle. It’s also important to familiarise yourself with these and their locations before attempting to position the saddle on your horse. This will give you an idea of where the saddle needs to sit in order to be most comfortable for your horse. You can look for advice on these muscle positions from a vet used to working with horses.

In addition to the muscles which can be affected by the saddle, you must remember that the saddle is positioned on your horse’s back and so that this can have an effect on his spine and his vertebrae.  Remembering this should remind you of how important this lesson is and that you cannot afford to take risks with your horse if you want him to lead a long, painless and comfortable life.

Fitting the saddle.

To fit the saddle, firstly place the saddle on your horse’s back, forward of the wither. Once you’ve done this, slide it back along the back of your horse until it cannot comfortably go any further. This will vary dependent on the shape of the individual horse but the lowest point of the saddle should correspond to the lowest point of the horse’s back. If the saddle is in the correct position, the saddle tree will not be pressing on the scapula (the shoulder of the horse) but will rest in the natural grooves behind them. The most common mistake is to position the saddle too far forward and this then can cause the saddle to press on the muscles in the scapula causing pain, impeding movement and creating the possibility of saddle sores.

Once you’ve learned how to position the saddle you will find it comes naturally after a time and both he and you find it really takes very little effort. But it’s worth taking the time to learn to do it properly if you wish to remain the owner of a healthy, happy horse.

Recommended reading:  Horseback Riding For Dummies (Paperback)   ~ Audrey Pavia (Author), 

Related posts:

1. Safe Riding: Tips On Keeping You And Your Horse Safe
2. Horse Riding Helmets ~ Are They Really a Necessity?
3. A Modern Jumping saddle – the Pessoa AO.
4. Horse Back Riding ~ Tips and Techniques for the Beginner Rider.
5. Grooming Tips For Horses ~ A Major Part of Easy Horse Care.

Tags: easy horse care, Equestrian, Horse, horse care, horse riding saddle, Horse tack, Saddle, Tack

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