Saddle Fitting Confusion: Signs that are misleading

Listed below are some of the more common issues in ridden horses where there is often a misdiagnosis involving the saddle. Either the saddle may be blamed when something entirely unrelated is the culprit, or the saddle may be ignored when it is, after all, the real source of the problem. Many skilled professionals make mistakes when the following situations exist, so if your horse has any of these issues, take it upon yourself to consider both the saddle and also organic causes as the source of the problem.

Issues often thought as saddle fit problems… but may not be

1. Lumbar pain, or reactivity to pressure or currying in the area underneath or just behind the saddle.  Pain in this area may be due to: 

• Poor saddle fit, generally a saddle that has panels that extend too far back, or panels that are too steeply angled for the horse’s loins.  

• Unbalanced rider, especially one who rides toward the rear of the saddle, or who loses balance and falls back into the saddle; 

• Pain in the horse’s hind end, most commonly stifle or hock, but other areas are possible.  If your horse has lumbar pain, rule out the hind end, either before or in conjunction with saddle and rider diagnostics.  

2. Hoof balance issues.  Many people devote their attention to the hoof to correct imbalances in the stride. However, a number of saddle problems will cause horses to move unevenly, to have lateral issues, or to be too quick (or too slow) in moving the hind feet relative to the front feet.  It is best to consider the saddle before making corrective changes to the feet.

3. Girthiness.  While often a sign of an ill-fitting saddle, girthiness can also be caused by:

• Pain in the pectoral area

• Chiropractic issues (such as a rib out of alignment)

• By embedded pain in the back or body from past injuries. 

If your horse exhibits girthy behavior, consider exploring the above by competent professionals before you assess your saddle.  During this exploration, you should discuss saddle fit as a possible cause of any diagnosed pain. 

4. Stumbling.  A horse may catch his toe and stumble regularly for no other reason than poor saddle fit.  This is a likely scenario when a wide horse is forced to wear a too-narrow saddle.

5. Wither Soreness.  Some horses carry themselves with the head high and the back hollowed.  This may be due to lack of training, improper riding, or some other physical condition that causes discomfort.  The result, especially after a long or strenuous ride, may be soreness in the wither that is often blamed on but is unrelated to the saddle.
 

Issues that are often considered as training, behavioral, lameness or dental problems. But it may be the saddle 

• Unevenness in the contact. Horses with uncomfortable saddles may be heavier in one rein than in the other, or may raise and lower their heads in an unsteady fashion.

• Spooking, bolting, or bucking: Horses that are in constant pain are more likely to be tense, and then to exhibit these undesirable behaviors.

• Lack of rhythm in the gaits:  some horses may dwell, or lack forward impulsion; others will rush or hurry, but without rhythm and suspension.

• Inability to travel consistently in a straight line

• Lameness: Yes - a poorly fitting saddle can cause a horse to be unsound.

• Pawing/Aggression on the cross ties while grooming and tacking.

• Not standing when mounted