Western Saddle Slipping Sideways Sue Dyson & Line Greve Is your saddle persistently slipping to one side? The tendency for a saddle to persistently slip to one side is a well-recognized problem in horses. It can occur for a variety of reasons, including asymmetry in the shape of the horse’s back, riders sitting crookedly and ill-fitting…
Kissing Spines in Horses: More Than Back Pain Find out how veterinarians diagnose and treat this complex condition. Dr Jackie Hill If you’ve ever managed a horse with back pain, then you’ve probably heard the term kissing spines floated around. But what exactly are kissing spines, and what does it mean if your horse is…
Does the Tree Fit the Shape of My Horse’s Back? Dr. Kerry Ridgeway Take time to educate yourself because an ill-fitted tree will cause permanent, long-term damage to your horse. And there are no pads, shims, adjusting, nor gadgets that will make it right if it is the wrong shaped tree for that horse! The…
Proper Riders position in a western saddle By Dr. Sue Dyson A British study has raised the possibility riders are saddling their horses with problems, many may not be sitting well in the saddle, with the potential to cause problems for their mount. The Animal Health Trust pilot study set out to investigate some basic aspects…
Correct Position For Western Riding … Something that saddle fitters know but that’s often the last thing riders think of: it’s their riding position as much as the saddle fit that’s affecting their horse’s back and movement. In this Guest Post, ‘Classical Seat’ trainer Heather Moffett looks at how the rider’s seat can make movement harder…
Western saddle fitting problems Anne Bondi Today, considerably fewer people grow up with the horse as part of their daily lives and have limited knowledge of western saddle fitting problems. Many of today’s horse owners do not have a family tradition of handed-down wisdom. This lack of natural horsemanship training has led to an increase in…
New Mexico State University Study revealed Ill-fitting saddles can cause training and behaviour problems as well as unsoundness in the horse’s back
Dr. Kerry Ridgway Dr. Kerry Ridgway had, in the last three years, been working both as a veterinary clinician and as an educator, regarding laterality expressed as the“crooked horse syndrome.” Through client and horseman education, it was his goal to prevent and avoid so very many of the musculoskeletal problems that he encountered day in and day out….
Part IV: Confounding Variables Dr. Joyce Harman Of Harmany Equine Clinic Presents A Four-Part Series On Saddle Fitting. Correct saddle fitting is as important to the equine athlete as correct shoe fitting is to the human athlete. The present design of saddles has been primarily for the comfort of the rider; riders want close contact…
Understanding Saddle Fit, Part III: Is It a Fit? Correct saddle fitting is as important to the equine athlete as correct shoe fitting is to the human athlete. The present design of saddles has been primarily for the comfort of the rider; riders want close contact with the horse. However, in trying to achieve that…
Correct saddle fitting is as important to the equine athlete as correct shoe fitting is to the human athlete. The present design of saddles has been primarily for the comfort of the rider; riders want close contact with the horse. However, in trying to achieve that effect, manufacturers have removed most of the support the…
Understanding Saddle Fit, Part I: An Overview Dr. Joyce Harman introduces us to the basics of fit. Correct saddle fitting is as important to the equine athlete as correct shoe fitting is to the human athlete. In the last twenty years, great strides have been made in the running shoe industry, while the saddle industry…
Cranial Nerves Whole Horse Dissection Clinic In the spring of 2015, Larry & I attended Equine Touch Foundation Whole Horse Dissection Clinic with Dr. Ivana Ruddock at the home of Cate & Ray Stoltzfus in Shoemakersville, PA. I highly recommend a dissection clinic to anyone that wants to gain a better understanding of horse anatomy. Learning about the…
By Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA It’s the equine back that might seem most essential to the rider. It’s where we put all our weight, where we place our ffavourite(and most expensive) riding gear, where we connect—directly, physically—with our mount, and where we communicate with subtle cues. But for all its importance, equine researchers say the equine back…
By Alexandra Beckstett, The Horse Managing Editor If you’re a runner, you’ve probably noticed that after a 45-minute jog your calf muscles seem a bit swollen or enlarged. They are responding to post-training fluid shifts, fibre hypertrophy (thickening), and the general strain of exercise. Horses’ muscles, particularly along the back, respond to exercise in the…
Wearing boots or shoes that don’t fit properly can be both uncomfortable and painful. So much so, in fact, that few of us will tolerate the condition. Instead, we quickly will locate or purchase footwear that is comfortable. The good news is that as articulate humans with, generally speaking, enough disposable income available, we not…
By Alexandra Beckstett, The Horse Managing Editor
Exercise’s Effects on Horses’ Back Dimensions and Saddle Fit
If you’re a runner, you’ve probably noticed that after a 45-minute jog your calf muscles seem a bit swollen or enlarged. They are responding to post-training fluid shifts, fiber hypertrophy (thickening), and the general strain of exercise. Horses’ muscles, particularly along the back, respond to exercise in the same way. Have you ever thought about what effect this might have on your saddle’s fit as your horse works?
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