KEN'S COLUMN - the diary and thoughts of a Saddle Fitter
Reflecting on the Olympics -
and something about ‘asymmetry’
Watching the Olympics, I was particularly interested in the eventing having been involved in the sport at international level myself. Of course, it was wonderful that we won two bronze medals – especially after having had to make late changes to the team, the disappointment of horses being spun at the vetting – et cetera. What impressed me most overall is how much more demanding the show jumping has become – and how standards in this phase have improved over the years. Kristina Cook kept her cool round a difficult show jumping course, went clear and moved up the ladder to take the individual bronze. Maybe the team bronze didn’t fulfil our high expectations but it was still a good result.
I managed to watch a bit of the show jumping proper. Only ever having been involved in show jumping in so far as it a phase of eventing, I was quite surprised how often commentators said that horses were tired. Of course, heat- and humidity in particular – played a part but the fitness required for two or three rounds of show jumping surely cannot compare with the demands made on an event horse. Maybe our show jumping horses need to be got a bit fitter in order to deal with differing climatic conditions and to withstand travel related stress? Just a thought! On a more positive note, we didn’t win a medal in dressage but neither did we disgrace ourselves. It was excellent to see a British combination in the ride-off for the individual title and the fact that Emma Hindle finished in eighth place is definitely encouraging for 2012.
After the Olympics finished and our athletes had returned to the UK with a wonderful tally of medals, everything seemed a little flat – the excitement of watching one of our medal hopefuls perform is over for another four years. If adrenalin flowed this time, what will it be like next time when we are the host nation? In the meantime, let us hope a lot of young people have been inspired to leave their computers for more active pursuits! As far as equestrian sports are concerned, we are very fortunate in this country to have so many enthusiastic branches of the Pony Club. It has been – and continues to be – the place where so many of our most successful riders began their careers.
Thinking about the Pony Club: I recently gave a talk about saddle fitting for a small but active branch and was very amused when - what might have been the youngest member - asked ‘what was it like to event in olden times?’ A slightly older member – probably about ten years of age – informed us that her grandmother had told her stories of her eventing days and of the way she used to gallop through most of the dressage, all the cross country and finally the show jumping. I suggested, quite mildly really, that I thought it had become a bit more technical and considerably more difficult by the time I was eventing – but there is no doubt that things have moved on – and no doubt will continue to do so.
The other day I was reading a piece of editorial about saddle fitting in which the writer – not a saddle fitter himself and, as far as I know, not actively involved in the equestrian industry either – stated that there ‘is absolutely no place for a banana-shaped tree’. A little knowledge is, indeed, a dangerous thing! This is not correct: if the horse’s back is seriously dipped naturally – by that I mean a feature of somewhat idiosyncratic conformation and not due, for example, to working severely upside down for a lengthy period or as a result of having carried several foals, the horse will need a saddle with a so-called banana-shaped tree. (When the ‘dip’ is not a conformation defect but relates to upside down musculature, a well formulated schooling programme should - in time - result in considerable improvement.)
It isn’t unusual for an owner to describe their horse as ‘difficult to fit’ but in reality, difficult-to- fit horses are actually a rarity. Knowledgeable readers will know that the most important fundamental of saddle fitting relates to the profile of the saddle tree corresponding to the profile of the horse’s back. Saddles with banana-shaped tees aren’t something we keep in stock for obvious reasons. Fitting a saddle for a horse with a really dippy back is one of those rare occasions when I have had to arrange for a bespoke saddle to be made.
Still on the subject of conformation and musculature - the other day a rider informed me that she spent a lot of time schooling her horse. ‘Why is he so-one sided, then? I asked. At the time the horse was stood up foursquare for me to undertake a back examination. Looked at from behind, it was obvious that the animal was considerably more muscled up on the near side, in particular the left shoulder being much bigger than the right. In order to make it even clearer, I borrowed a step ladder from the yard manager and asked the horse’s owner to mount it so that she could look down on the horse. The asymmetric musculature would be even more obvious viewed from above. Back down the step ladder and on terra firma again, the owner admitted the uneven musculature was clearly visible. ‘But why does that matter, anyway? We only do sponsored rides and that sort of thing so it shouldn’t be a problem.’ It was one of those situations when I could have done with a whole day discussing schooling techniques and generally educating the rider!
Asymmetric musculature is a problem because it affects the efficacy of the saddle fit. It can be roughly divided into acute asymmetry that directly relates to a defect in the rider’s position and/or poor schooling techniques - which can be rectified - and chronic asymmetry which results from an irreversible veterinary problem/old injury and which cannot be rectified. When one shoulder is larger than the other, for example, the bigger shoulder will ‘throw’ the saddle diagonally to the other side. Inevitably the rider will also be shifted to one side. Undetected and left to continue, the problem will be exacerbated and welfare, comfort and performance will inevitably be affected.
Thinking riders will regularly appraise the musculature of their horses. Ask a friend to stand him up absolutely foursquare on a hard, flat surface and take a careful look from behind. Developing ability to recognise asymmetry is an excellent way to avoid some nasty pitfalls.
KEN LYNDON DYKES is a Society of Master Saddlers’ Qualified Saddle Fitter who specialises in fitting competition and problem horses. He is available to give demonstrations and talks and has recently returned to after-dinner speaking on a wide variety of subjects. Telephone: 01622 844440 (office) or 07973 501873 (mobile). Ken will be interested to hear from any SMS qualified saddle fitters seeking additional work as well as those with more limited experience who wish to extend their knowledge.
